Typical Itinerary (part 1)

Day 1- Friday     

• Late Afternoon or Evening Departure United States

Day 2 - Saturday               

• Arrival Israel, lodging at Jerusalem area location (Shabbat)

Day 3 - Sunday   

• Visit to Jerusalem historical sites, followed by an excursion to the Dead Sea region (lowest point on Earth, 411 meters below Sea level, in the Rift Valley)

• Nature preserve and orientation to the region

• Masada national park and fortress with its unique rock formation, historical palace site and the location of a Jewish stronghold during the war with the Romans

• Arrival at AIES.

Day 4 – Monday

• Welcome to AEIS, staff and program introductions.

• Environmental Crisis: Real or Imagined

• Defining Sustainable Agriculture and Development

• Introduction to the Desert Environment

• Desert hike to mountain overlook of Kibbutz Ketura

Day 5 - Tuesday

• Geomorphology and Hydrology of Arid Zones

• History of the human settlements in the Arava region

• Management of deserts and drylands

• Excursion to Ein Evrona (impact of water use on local ecology, biodiversity of arid environments and sand dune habitat,

  ancient farm settlement and management practices).

• TIMNA geologic reserve

Day 6 - Wednesday

• Water management issues in arid zones with field trip to Eilat. The field trip will cover the topic of water management of arid zones

  in general and the Middle East in particular. It will introduce students to the water resources of the Arava valley, the way these

  resources are being used and the approach to sustainable water management in a region of scarcity.

• Eilat desalinization plant

• Fish farming and impact on the aquatic ecosystems

• Coral reef and nature preserve – snorkeling experience

• Tourism development and impact on nature conservation and bird migration

Day 7 – Thursday

• Introduction to desert ecology and biodiversity

• Environmental and social justice: the case study of the Negev Bedouin

• Management of deserts and drylands: The challenge of desertification

• The politics of nature conservation in arid zones

Day 8 – Friday

• Issues of sustainable agriculture and dryland farming

• Tools for environmental preservation: Activism and Advocacy in the Arava Valley region.

• Course wrap up, evaluations and final exam.

Day 9 – Saturday

(Note: This is an optional program day taking place on the Sabbath. Students may choose not to participate for religious or other reasons and may arrange for an early morning flight from Eilat the following day, Sunday, connecting to an international flight to the USA from Tel Aviv airport. In such case, transportation arrangement can be made by the group travel agency at the student’s expense. It is the student’s responsibility to advise the travel agency of this need at the time or registration. Likewise, any extended stays or arrivals in Israel may be arranged with the travel agency, as needed or desired. However, in that case it is student’s responsibility to be present at Tel Aviv airport at the time of the group’s arrival and make contact with the program director to be included in the transportation and program arrangements. )

• Departure for Tel Aviv

• Visit to the Makhtesh Ramon Nature Preserve. Unique 40 x 9 kilometer, crater-like geological formation with volcanic and magmatic phenomena,

  fossils and ancient rock formations created 220 million years ago. Part of the Negev highlands with Mount Ramon, the highest peak (1037 meters)

  in the Negev and unique and most variant flora and fauna. The gradients of height, temperature and resulting microclimatic conditions provide

  plant formations with the Irano-Turanian (central Asian) dominating. Its varied habitat represents many global life zones for animal species:

  such as from the savannahs of East Africa - the leopard, striped hyena, caracal, and lapped-face vulture; from the Arabian deserts - the sand fox,

  desert rat, and sand partridge; from the Mediterranean region – red fox, wolf, griffon vulture; and from the highland of Central Asia – the Afghan fox,

  garden dormouse, and coroneted sandgrouse. 

• Visit to the Avdat National Park, a mountainous settlement in a desert environment with 100 mm of annual precipitation. Founded by the Nabateans

  (originally a nomadic tribe) in the 4^th century BC, it was with Petra in Jordan, one of the most important settlements of the Nabatean “Spice Route”

  – a camel caravan route for the transportation of herbs, spices, perfumes and treasures from the Orient and the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean

  port of Gaza, for trade with the Greeks and Romans. Avdat reached its peak of prosperity during the Byzantine period (4^th – 7^th century). The settlement

  was made possible by the construction of elaborate system of water collection and storage, cultivation, processing and storage.  It was conquered by

  the Arabs in 636, after which the city was slowly abandoned. 

• Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10 – Sunday

• Departure and arrival USA