Houston Audubon and Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) are hosting Jonathan Meyrav. Jonathan is from Israel and will be discussing the amazing diversity of birds there.

Topic
Jonathan Meyrav, the tourism director for the Israel Ornithological Center, will be coming to Houston to discuss the beautiful nature, birds and wildlife of Israel and the work being done to protect the natural habitat and birds of the region. Much like our Gulf Coast, Israel hosts one of the biggest migration corridors in the world.

Facts
Twice a year, 500 million birds are funneled over Israel; most are on their way back and forth from their nesting grounds in Europe and Asia to their wintering grounds in Africa. The importance of Israel to these birds cannot be understated. Within Israel the birds find their last food source before the Sahara desert – a 5-day flight with no food or drink. Birds that have just finished their journey back over the Sahara are exhausted and in dire need of food and shelter. Without Israel and the habitat it provides, tens of thousands of birds will not complete their annual migrations, and this loss will be felt across Asia, Europe and Africa.

Information about the Israel Ornithological Center of SPNI
The Israel Ornithological Center is part of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). SPNI was founded in 1953 and is Israel's oldest and largest environmental non-profit organization. For over 60 years, SPNI has been dedicated to protecting and preserving Israel's natural resources, environment, biodiversity and unique landscape. The work carried out by SPNI now will determine what the land of Israel will look like for generations to come.

SPNI’s International Ornithological Center (IOC) operates a network of birding centers that monitors migration patterns of 500 million birds on behalf of the international community, provides a safe haven for birdlife and makes Israel a world center for bird watchers. The IOC is also involved in regional collaborations with neighboring countries in combating the illegal hunting and killing of birds along the Eurasian-African flyway.

Jonathan will deliver two talks on May 3rd:
1. 2:00pm-3:00pm at Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism at 801 Bering Drive, Houston, Texas 77057
2. 6:00pm-8:30pm at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary Log Cabin. Victor Emanuel will lead a walk around the sanctuary starting at 6:00pm before the presentation.