haifa | At a campus renowned for high-tech innovation and studded with state-of-the-art buildings housing expensive lab equipment, the Technion Ecological Garden almost seems out of place.
Here, ancient biblical plants thrive under the gentle tutelage of university students and staff.
Paths crisscrossing the 4.5-acre site provide an up-close view of native flora, including several endangered species, meandering streams and water ponds. “Mini-habitats” exemplify the area’s diversity: A stone-terraced hillside shows how farmers have honed the earth since ancient times; a grove hosts shade trees, limestone rocks and flowering tubers and bulbs typifying the natural habitat of the Carmel mountains; towering stands of trees contrast old Syrian (or Cyprus) maples with modern pines introduced through widespread planting efforts beginning in the 20th century.
Under construction and nearing completion is a showcase, “environmentally friendly” building that will house the office of the manager.
Signage indicates the names of plants, some of which were provided by state authorities. One collection includes biblical trees: pear, fig, almond and others. There are pine nut trees, oaks and wild olives. A carpet of ferns, cyclamen and other greenery add a lushness, while seasonal flowers such as buttercup and anemones add color when they bloom.
Benches and bridges provide plenty of space for contemplative thought, or, perhaps in the case of harried students, some respite from the crunch.
Though faculty and students are welcome to enjoy the garden’s beauty, the bulk of visitors are far too young to attend the elite educational institution. Through an educational program instituted in recent years, some 2,000 students visit annually, according to garden manager Nava Sever. Though she wears an administrative hat and currently has an office in the Agricultural Engineering building (she also teaches nature conservation at Haifa University), Sever is just as likely to be found outside with her hands in the dirt — planting, nurturing and working with students.
Docents such as Technion student Bosmat Segal, who is getting her master’s in agricultural engineering, serve as guides. She’s a fountain of information and an avid proponent of the educational component. “I think the connection with the kids is very, very important,” she says. The younger students study the plants and “get to see a lot of creatures: We get bees, butterflies, mosquitoes, small fish …” Older students “check the salinity of the soil, the nitrogen compound. They see how the salinity and the pollution build downstream.”
Pathways are strategically placed, she adds, so “kids can explore the difference between pine forests and open-space habitats,” or dip their hands into a stream.
Segal is a firm believer in the garden’s value for Technion students as well. The garden ecosystem provides a laboratory for studying biomass and natural cooling systems, she notes. “It’s important, especially for the landscapers studying in the architectural department. The idea is to show them that a tree is there because it’s part of the natural habitat, and they should keep it there.”
At a campus whose hillside is fast being covered in concrete and steel, and whose priorities have shifted over the years from agriculture to technology, students like Segal can get discouraged, however. The garden’s funding picture looks bleak: “The future is very unclear.”
Says Sever, “This is the last year we have money for maintenance of the garden.” Though costs are relatively low, about $20,000 annually, at this point it looks like an uphill climb. “It’s a big challenge,” she says. “The frustration will be if the garden will be closed.”
Hoping to help avert that disaster and provide permanent funding for the garden is the S.F.-based chapter of the American Society for Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The goal is to raise $1 million for an endowment, “to provide at least $50,000 a year for maintenance and maybe a graduate student to do research,” says Jack Kadesh, North Pacific regional director. The chapter has long had a stake in the garden, he explains: When about $100,000 was needed to get the garden started, “the San Francisco chapter stepped up with the money.”
Money for Sever’s new office came from the Bracha Foundation in Israel. With its earth-plastered straw-bale walls, double ceilings, rainwater catchment system and other innovative techniques, the energy-efficient building demonstrates forward-thinking technology that work. In an adjacent courtyard, compacted-earth bricks cover the ground and recycled tires that are filled with earth and rock and then plastered over serve as seating areas.
Ironically, chief architectural planner and builder David Renov, who studied at Technion, cites his experience building “Earthships” in New Mexico as the training ground for his career direction. “Our idea is to combine new technologies with local, traditional buildings,” he says of his northern Israel-based building and design company.
Renov, who was assisted on this project by some Technion faculty and students, hopes the building and courtyard will serve as a training center, “to get ideas out” and boost interest in sustainable building.
The garden itself features mostly indigenous plants that are drought-resistant and represent a model of low-maintenance gardening.
Liz Harris was one of six journalists to recently visit Technion on a trip sponsored by the American Society for Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.