On the occasion of National Nature Reserves Day on March 10, Minister of Environment in the caretaker government, Nasser Yassin, announced that nature reserves in Lebanon will open their doors for free on Sunday, March 10, 2024, for nature lovers, school students, clubs, associations, and citizens wishing to enjoy a beautiful day and learn about Lebanon's rich nature. The following reserves are ready to receive visitors at this time of year: the Chouf Cedar, Tannourine Cedar, Ehden Forest, Bentaael, Shannir, Tyre Beach, Al-Yammouna, and the Mount Musa Biosphere Reserve.
The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the reserves committees, has prepared a list of activities and events organized by various nature reserves in Lebanon in celebration of this national day, which will extend over the week, including an invitation for school and university students to visit the nature reserves (a list of activities attached).
On this occasion, the Minister of Environment stated, "We celebrate National Nature Reserves Day under the difficult circumstances our country is going through, but we must highlight the importance of nature reserves and natural sites, as well as the ecological corridors that connect them, as these are essential components to ensure environmental and social connectivity between protected areas, leading to improved environmental, social, and living conditions in Lebanon. Protected areas and ecological corridors contribute to providing a healthy environment, abundant water, fertile soil, and rich biodiversity that support local environmental and economic development and help address climate change."
He added, "The Ministry of Environment places great importance on developing the capabilities and potentials of the eighteen nature reserves and biosphere reserves so that they can play their primary role in protecting nature and enhancing human relations with it, as well as in developing the local economy based on sustainable natural resources. We chose to celebrate this national day this year from the Shannir Nature Reserve in Kesrouan to highlight reserves that have not received their share of media attention despite their beauty and proximity as forest reserves from coastal residential areas and the capital, Beirut, and their effective role as the lungs of cities. We also aim to develop natural sites, as they complement the reserves, where we are working hard to find management methods for these sites that suit their integration with residential and economic areas, hoping to see them play a role in environmental awareness and green economy development in their surroundings."
Yassin also stated, "This year, we will highlight the importance of ecological corridors and natural trails, such as the social vital corridor extending from northern Lebanon to the Chouf region, and the ecological corridor launched by the Ministry of Environment last year connecting the Chouf Cedar Reserve, Western Bekaa, Rashaya, and the Mount Hermon Reserve, along with the Lebanese Mountain Trail connecting the mountains of Lebanon from north to south, and the new geological trail in the Jaj Cedar Reserve and another to be opened in Akkar, among other examples that help enhance communication between the ecosystems and local communities living in their surroundings, to ensure sustainability and development for these systems and the local communities alike."
The organizers of National Nature Reserves Day events, led by the Ministry of Environment and all reserve committees in different Lebanese regions, along with the Lebanese Reforestation Initiative and local partners, invite Lebanese citizens to celebrate this national day, get to know Lebanon's reserves, and share photos of their visits and activities in the reserves on social media using the hashtag #Beautiful_Lebanon_Face to increase communication between them and the reserves.
