Nature Reserves in Israel Stamp

Throughout Israel, there are over 120 areas set aside as nature reserves in which landscape, birds, and animals received protection. To bring these areas to the attention of the public and tourists, the Nature Reserves Authorities of Israel in February 1993 issued a series of three extremely attractive stamps, which display the colourful beauty of three popular Nature Reserves, North and South in Israel. On the tabs are depicted native animals – the Indian Crested Porcupine; the Salamander and the Sanderling bird.

In the North, The Nahal Ammud Reserve is named after the Nahal Ammud, a stream which runs down from the Eastern peak of Mt. Meron with the lower part near the sea of Galilee. This reserve has dense scrub forest, with abundance of ivy and myrtle growing on the slopes; groves of plane trees, and an open plain downstream at the foot of the cliffs. The flora is diverse and many reptiles, insectivorous bats, swifts, salamanders etc., can be spotted there, and predators such as Egyptian mongoose, badgers and foxes. In the fat north, The Hahal Ayun Reserve is east of the city of Metula. The main attraction of the reserve near the borders of Lebanon and Syria is a beautiful canyon with four waterfalls. At the canyon’s exit the gully widens and slopes into scrub forest to a treeless plain of grain fields. Towards the south, The Hof Dor Habnim Coastal Nature Reserve enclosed 4.5km Mediterranean coastline. Wind and wave erosion during thousands of years have formed on the “Kurkar” (beach sandstone) capes, cliffs, sea jets, sandy inlets and large plateaus on which a large number of invertebrates are found. Further inland, on the Kurkar Ridge, vegetation and wildflowers are found year long.

The stamp with an information sheet are enclosed in a plastic protection sheet.