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August26,2016
From:PamBeck
discoverqz@sbcglobal.net
2163600359

ForImmediateRelease

Global/PalestinianEnvironmentalistVisitsNortheastOhio,September1415,2016

Everyautumnandspring,halfabillionbirdsrepresentingabout280speciespassoverthe
Levant,includingPalestine,IsraelandJordan,astheymigratebetweennorthernEuropeto
easternandsouthernAfrica.

Collectingdataonthesebirdsandtheirmigratoryroutesisoneoftheresponsibilitiesof
distinguishedenvironmentalistImadalAtrashofPalestine,whowillbeintheClevelandarea
midSeptembertomeetnortheastOhioenvironmentalists,formallyandinformally.

AsaGlobalCouncilorofBirdLifeInternational(www.birdlife.org),Imadisinchargeofajoint
programofactivitiesfortheMiddleEast,whichincludesimplementinganexchangeofdata
collectiononwildlifewithafocusonbirdsandthemigratoryroutes,orflyways,fromEuropeto
AfricathroughtheMiddleEast.TheprogramalsocollectsdataontheImportantBirdAreas
(IBAs)whicharetheareasusedasfeedingandrestingsitesformigratingbirds.

LiketheAudubonSocietyintheUnitedStates,thePalestineWildlifeSociety(PWLS)isaBirdlife
InternationalPartner.ImadisoneoftwoCouncilrepresentativesfortheMiddleEastandisthe
FounderandExecutiveDirectorofPWLShttp://www.wildlifepal.org/and
http://www.birdlife.org/middleeast/partners/palestinepalestinewildlifesocietypwls.
HealsofoundedtheWildlifeRehabilitationCenterinthetownofBeitSahourwheresmall
animalsandbirdsrecoverbeforebeingreleasedbackintothewild.

ThePLWSsNatureConservationProgramfocusesonresearch&monitoringofbirds,withan
emphasisonendangered,endemicandmigratorybirdsandonseabirdandwetlandsresearch

Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org

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conservation.TheSocietytrainslocalandregionalecologistsandhasestablishedwildlife
monitoringandbandingstationsinthreekeylocations(BeitJala,JerichoandGaza).

TheSocietyeducatesschoolchildrenwithfieldtripstonaturereserves.Theyestablished
wildlifeconservationwithinthenationaleducationalcurriculumandhavedeveloped
educationalmaterialsforchildrenandadults.

ImadwillbesharinginformationaboutPalestinianwildlifeandtheimportanceofsustainable
developmentandconservation.Hisillustratedpresentationistitled"BirdMigrationKnowsNo
BoundariestoraiseawarenessoftheimportanceofMiddleEastandtoencouragepeopleto
recognizeandsupportPalestinianenvironmentalefforts.HewillbespeakingWednesday,
September14th,7:30PMatFirstUnitarianChurch,21600ShakerBlvd.,ShakerHeightsOH.A
lightreceptionwithMiddleEasternfoodswillbeincluded.

ImadhasdegreesinAgriculture,BiologyandEnvironmentalEducation,isanature
photographerandhasworkedinenvironmentalprotectionintheWestBankforoverthree
decades.Heisamemberofvariousinternationalenvironmentalorganizationsincluding
theOrnithologicalSocietyfortheMiddleEastUK,BirdlifeInternationalUK,OISCAJapan,
PalestineChapter;InternationalUnionforConservationofNature;GlobalCouncilforBirdlife
International;NationalProtectedAreasinCommitteeandthePalestinianMinistryof
Agriculture,amongothers.

ThisprogramishostedbytheFirstUnitarianChurchofClevelandMinistryforEarthCommittee,
thePlymouthGreenCommitteeatthePlymouthChurchUCCinShakerHeights,Ohio,the
NortheastOhioSierraClub,andtheKirtlandBirdClub.WesternCuyahogaAudubonSocietyis
theMediaSponsor.

ReadOnline:http://goo.gl/9stScJ

Forquestionsabouttheprogramemail:info@wcaudubon.org
Formediainquiriescontact:JuriesAtrashinMentor,OHat(347)4530388.

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Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org