Army for the Protection of Nature Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment Bringing the Swifts back to the IDF Headquarters and Sarona Monday, June 1 st 2015 Photos: Adi Bashan, Yossi Leshem, Amnonn Hahn and Hadar Ben Simon (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Lieut. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot – the Chief of General Staff whose vision has taken flight, releasing a swift back to the wild

The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) played an active collaborative role in the swift project

28 nesting boxes for swifts were installed in the IDF Headquarters (Kirya)

The nesting boxes from recycled ammunition cases were adapted at Nemera Army Base

The swifts flock together, eat, sleep and even mate while aloft Photo: Amir Ezer

Invitation to the ceremony

Lieut. Col. Yigal Ben Ami, Commander of the IDF Headquarters, taking responsibility!

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ilan Harari, IDF Comptroller, and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Baruch Spiegel arrive at the ceremony

The Chief of General Staff and Head of the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Maj. Gen. Kobi Barak, arrive at the ceremony

On the right: Col. Ronen Menalis, Head of the Chief of General Staff’s Bureau

Maj. Gen. Kobi Barak, Head of the Technological and Logistics Directorate, who leads the Army for the Protection of Nature Project, greets the guests. His speech highlighted his knowledge about swifts!!

Amnonn Hahn, Head of the Friends of the Swift Association, who leads the swifts project in the framework of the Hoopoe Foundation to the left of the Chief of General Staff. Next to him, Yael Dayan, a known swifts lover, and to her left Brig. Gen. Chemi Sokal, Chief of Staff of the Technological and Logistics Directorate

From right to left: Lieut. Col. Eyal Ezra, Director of the Environmental Protection Administration in the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Maj. Gen. Kobi Barak, Director of the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Maj. Gen. Nimrod Shefer, Director of the Planning Directorate and the Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan

The Chief of General Staff and IDF Headquarters Commander reveal the new sign

A nesting box for demonstration, adapted from an ammunition case

Tamar Tuchler, the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, greets the guests

The initiators of the Army for the Protection of Nature, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Asaf Agmon, Prof. Yossi Leshem and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Baruch Spiegel together with Maj. Gen. (Res.) Noam Tibon who led the project in the IDF when it was launched

Maj. Gen. (Res.) Noam Tibon with Shaul Goldstein, Director-General of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (NPA)

The Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNI) Management (from right to left): Shay Teitelbaum, CFO, Yaakov Shaharabani, VP Education and Kosha Pakman, CEO, together with Erez Shleifer, the senior representative from the Israel Electric Corporation

Children from the School for Nature and Environment at Abu-Kabir who took part in the project

Haim (Jumes) Oron (SPNI Chairman) and his wife with Maj. Gen. Nimrod Shefer, Director of the Planning Directorate

Yaron Dekel, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) Commander, and his Deputy were one of the winners in the judging competition to take part in the project this year

Viewing an exhibition of the 16 Army for the Protection of Nature projects – on the left: Commander of Shivta, Col. Yuval Ben-Dov and on his right Maj. Gen. Guy Zur, Commander of GOC Army Headquarters

Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz, IDF Spokesperson, with Raya Shurki, the NPA representative in the project management

11 representatives of the General Staff at the event (at the back, next to Yael Dayan, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, GOC Northern Command)

Brig. Gen. Avner Paz-Tzuk, Chief Education Officer

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Asaf Agmon greeting the guests; to his right Maj. Tifara Tiri, the IDF Headquarters Logistics Officer

Getting ready to release the young swifts that fell from their nests and were raised in the Israeli Wildlife Hospital at the Ramat-Gan Safari, jointly run by the Safari and the NPA

The Chief of General Staff is honored with releasing the first swift

Director of the Technological and Logistics Directorate releases the second swift

Maj. Gen. Kobi Barak releases his swift

Shaul Goldstein, Director-General of the NPA releases a swift

SPNI CEO releases a swift

Maj. Gen. Hagai Topolanski, Director of the Manpower Directorate, a combat pilot, is amazed by the flight of the swifts. Yuval Dax, a birdwatcher and wildlife photographer from the SPNI’s Israel Ornithological Center (IOC) is just thrilled!

The closing speech of the Chief of General Staff

Maj. Gen. Yoav (Poly) Mordecai and Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad took an active part in the event

Lieut. Col. Adi Turgeman, Commander of Nemera Army Base and Chief Warrant Officer Carmi Rosho, Deputy Commander of Nemera, very satisfied by the event

Guy Saly, who organized and led the event skillfully and firmly, talking to the Commander of the Research Division at Shivta Army Basis, Col. Yuval Ben Dov

From right to left: Shmulik Landau from the Israeli Wildlife Hospital at the Safari, with Tali Tenenbaum, the NPA Spokesperson and Sagit Horowitz, the Safari Spokesperson – showing their satisfaction at the event

The children from the School for Nature and Environment with their teacher Tal Ambar-Hatzir

Brochure presenting the Army for the Protection of Nature project to bring back the swifts to the IDF Headquarters and Sarona

11 nesting boxes were also installed at the Visitor’s Center at the restored Sarona – a special thank you to the Conservation Department at the Tel Aviv Municipality