Our Achievements: 2020

How do we summarize this past year? It was a year in which many of our normal routines and familiar patterns were disrupted, a year in which certainty became a rare commodity, and planning ahead took on new dimensions. We found ourselves examining fundamental questions, repeatedly choosing and refining how we act in our various roles – as individuals, families, as community and organization members, as a nation, and also as a human society. It was a year in which our health and physical existence, as well of that of our families and loved ones, both near and far, was always on our minds.

​

So how should we summarize 2020?

​

Firstly, we’re not giving up, and we’re going to sum up what we did this year at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), and we did a lot! Although the COVID-19 crisis caused serious damage and disruption to many systems, it also revealed our abilities and strengths. Despite the numerous challenges, we can report an impressive and notable range of activities, and end this distressing COVID-19 year proudly with our heads held high.

 

Despite the difficulties, SPNI didn’t disappear or fade away during the COVID-19 period. On the contrary, not only did we maintain our position as a prominent nature-conserving organization in Israel, we furthered our leadership in every field of activity: as an organization that campaigns for nature conservation in Israel, and as an organization that educates, guides, and connects people to nature.

Throughout the crisis we set ourselves an objective: to never cease our efforts in all of the areas we engage in, so that, when the crisis is over, we will find ourselves in solid standing

 

The annual report reviews our activities in the fields of nature conservation, education, leisure and recreation, and work in different media. But none of these, in our organization, happen by themselves. Our success as an organization depends on the committed, industrious, dedicated, intensive work performed daily behind the scenes: the work of the IT department, the finance department, the human resources department, the facilities and logistics department. As a registered non-profit organization, we are required to meet standards and various regulatory requirements; as an organization with a broad national scope and diverse employees, ongoing management generates daily challenges.  All of these were amplified during the COVID-19 period and required extra commitment, flexibility, and an increased range of responsibilities.

​

Faith and persistence, consolidation, solidarity, loyalty, speed of response, openness, and flexibility were important keys for success during the year of COVID-19. We will need these values and skills in the future in order to continue to fulfill our goals.