Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took advantage of the warm spring weather on Saturday to go out into nature on the last day of the Passover holiday.
Some 1.2 million people visited KKL's nature reserves and national parks throughout the Passover holiday, a 10 percent increase to last year.
- They left behind some 500 tons of litter in forests and nature reserves across the country, though KKL foresters noted an improvement in "leave nothing but footprints," with many families cleaning up after themselves.
A total of some 700,000 people visited the Kinneret's (Sea of Galilee) shores throughout the Passover holiday. On Saturday alone, there were some 70,000 people on the beaches, with the lake reaching its full capacity. Some of the visitors are expected to remain on the Kinneret's beaches to celebrate the traditional Moroccan end-of-Passover Mimuna celebration.
Trash amounts reached record numbers in the Kinneret as well, where an additional 500 tons of trash were left. Though, the Kinneret Cities Association, which is in charge of the management of the lake's shores, also said there has been improvement in environmental awareness compared to previous years.
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Trash piling up at the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv (Photo: Shaul Golan)
(צילום: שאול גולן)
In addition, many volunteers and teenagers from across the country arrived at the Kinneret on Saturday morning to aid in cleaning the lake's beaches.
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Trash left by visitors at the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv (Photo: Shaul Golan)
(צילום: שאול גולן)
Among the popular attractions in northern Israel were Agamon Hula, Biriya Forest (where a fire broke out on Monday ),the Ein Zeitim campsite, the Jordan Park, the Gilboa forests, and the Ramot Menashe Park. Private recreational sites in the Galilee and the Golan Heights - like the kayak sites Indie Park and Kfar Bloom - reached full capacity as well.
In central Israel, the most visited sites were the Ben Shemen Forest, the Ilanot Forest, the Forest of the Martyrs and the Sataf in the Jerusalem Hills.
In southern Israel, visitors flocked mostly to the Hamalachim-Shahariya Forest, the Yatir Forest and the Golda Meir Park.
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Trash left by visitors at the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv (Photo: Shaul Golan)
(צילום: שאול גולן)
There's been an increase in bicycle riders in the forests and parks' trails, and many families spent the night at the different forests' campsites.