Hod Hasharon Ecological Park

As I wrote on my previous blog post, Israel is at war and we are living through sad times. I have posted a couple of blogs about the situation but have decided now to share some posts about the beautiful side of the country I live in. A country filled with nature trails and historic ruins, gorgeous birds and flowers. The posts were written a year and a half or even two years ago, before I lost my youngest son. I haven’t felt like sharing them but now think that the time is appropriate to show you another side of Israel, a side that you will not currently see on the news.
This is Israel.

Hod Hasharon Ecological Park is located south of the city of Hod Hasharon, a city in the Central District of Israel. The park is home to a delicate ecosystem based on treated wastewater. You will find a large ecological lake and a flowing tributary of the Hadar Stream, three birdwatching hides, pedestrian paths and cycling trails. The park was inaugurated in 2018 and while it is not complete, it is already a beautiful place to visit. When development is complete, it will cover 1,400 dunams (140 hectares).

The lake, which is the main focus of the park, was planned as an ecological body of water. Underwater sandbanks resembling the natural stream beds of the area have been built on the 2 metre deep lake bed. These create a variety of habitats that sustain an entire ecosystem, from bacteria to algae to fish and amphibians. Birds that nest in burrows, such as the European Bee-eater and the European roller, have dug their nests in the banks and some 150,000 plants of about 30 species typical of the natural vegetation of the area have been have been planted there.

The source of the water for the lake and the park is the Hod Hasharon-Kfar Saba wastewater purification plant. The water receives its final purification in green basins south of the park and, from there, with its quality greatly improved, it is channelled to the lake. The water in the lake is replaced every five days. Pumps draw out the water and send it on to the Hadar Stream and the Yarkon River.

The hill on the west side of the lake is also made of recycled waste. Har Hazevel, or "Garbage Mountain", was a solid waste landfill until the early 1990s. It is still undergoing rehabilitation and is currently covered in mud and sand. An easy climb to the top boasts beautiful views of the park and the surrounding area. The route is already popular with cyclists and hikers.

Behind "Garbage Mountain" is an abandoned stone building, below, which will eventually be restored as the park's visitors centre. The Arab village of Abu Kishk once stood here and this building was a school built by the British in 1925 for the children of Bedouins living in this area. By the mid-1940s it had 108 students, including 9 girls. Today cactuses and almond trees grow nearby.

Hod Hasharon Ecological Park is a municipal park and when we visited there were a lot of people around, especially young kids. We enjoyed a picnic in the park then, after our climb to the top of "Garbage Mountain", the crowds began to die down and it became a lovely place for some birdwatching. However, if you can, I would suggest arriving at sunrise (during those hours, the birds are active, and there will be no people).
From the birdwatching hides I spotted little egret, cormorant, black-crowned night heron and squacco heron on the island in the centre of the lake and along the banks. During the season many migrating birds arrive in the area. The park provides them with a proper place to rest and "refuel" before continuing their journey.

The Hadar Stream was once a short, dry watercourse that channelled sewage between cultivated fields. Only rarely, after heavy rainfall, did water briefly flow through it. Soon after water began flowing through the Hadar Stream in 2014, species of fish appeared there that had adapted to the treated wastewater. Among these are the Eurasian carp and redbelly tilapia. They have been joined, whether as permanent or occasional inhabitants, by various amphibians, reptiles and mammals. You can see Caspian turtles and the Nile Softshell turtle in the lake, as well as Coypu (nutria), the large, semiaquatic rodent which we last saw at the Hula Lake.

Hod Hasharon Ecological Park is always open and you can visit at any time. At night there is artificial light. It is forbidden to start a fire or make barbecue at the park. Swimming and fishing are not allowed and dogs should be on a lead. Entrance is free.

I highly recommend a visit.

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun. and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).