"Welcome to the Desert" — What Israel's Forests Actually Tell Us
"Here is more of the desert I needed to show everybody. Crazy sand dunes we are in right now."
That's the joke. Because what's actually around me as I ride near Beit Shemesh is anything but a desert. There are trees as far as you can see — pine forests, trails winding through the hills, open land that goes on for miles.
But here's what most people don't know about those trees.
Every Tree You See Is Less Than 100 Years Old
All of Israel was reforested in the last century. The land that exists today — these forests, these hillsides covered in pine — none of it was here 100 years ago. It was planted. Tree by tree, hill by hill, by people who believed that what they were building mattered.
That is an extraordinary thing to ride through when you understand what you're looking at.
The Pine Beetle Blight
Look more carefully and you'll notice something else. Among the green, there are dead trees. Dry, grey, standing like ghosts among the living ones.
Pine beetle blight. Over the last 20 years it has wiped out a significant number of trees across Israel — trees that were planted and grown over the previous 80 years, gone in a fraction of the time it took to grow them.
It's a reminder that what we build requires tending. That the work doesn't end when the tree is planted.
The Trails
What these forests also give us is something remarkable — networks of trails that are open to everyone. Public land. Shared access. Miles of riding, hiking, and exploring right outside the city.
This is one of the areas that the future OLT farm will benefit from directly. When the farm is established on the moshav, these trail networks will be part of what makes it extraordinary. Boys on horses, open land, a hundred miles of public trails to explore.
That's not a dream. That's what's already here, waiting.
Back to the Desert
After a good ride through the "sand dunes," it's time to head back.
"Ok — got to get back to desert riding. See you all later." 🐴🌿
Stay tuned for more updates on the OLT farm and the trail networks near Beit Shemesh.
Comments