Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian and Swiss bird experts recently traveled to the Vatican to discuss their successful cross-border project using barn owls for biological pest control.
The project eliminates the use of toxic pesticides in agriculture and has promoted cooperation among Jewish and Muslim farmers.
“The meeting with Pope Francis was an extraordinary experience,” reported Tel Aviv University Prof. Yossi Leshem, the Israeli ornithologist who spearheaded the project in 1983 at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, with the first installment of 14 nesting boxes….
Featured image: Photographer: Michal Roche-Ben Ami