Vadi Ovadia branch in Haifa

The Wadi Ovadia branch trail starts in the Golda neighborhood and connects to Wadi Ovadia until it ends at the corner of Koipman and Abba Khushi streets (opposite the "Beit Biram" campus) and is another wonderful route that the Haifa wadis and their branches offer to the local traveler.

"For Haifa" group to strengthen community resilience

Since the beginning of the war, we have been committed to strengthening the community and mental resilience of the many evacuees who live in our city and the city's residents, and we offer trips every Friday and Saturday as long as the weather and the security situation allow it.

The tours in the wadis, paths and streams are led voluntarily by the residents of the city, and at any time we join us residents who love nature, have environmental knowledge and who want to guide the public, who wish to lead tours.

On Saturday 10.2.24, we were treated to a fascinating tour led by Zohar Kiblitzky, a new member of our group of tour leaders, rich in geological knowledge about Mount Carmel, history about the residents of the area and also tasting pesto made from parsley grown on the trail.

The orchard in Ramat Golda

For the purpose of preparing the article, I contacted Zohar Kiblitsky to tell about the Wadi Ovadia branch trail. This is how he says: "The beginning of the path behind the corner of the circular next to the house at 28 Koipman St., Ramat Golda neighborhood. Huadi is surrounded by a fence erected by the Haifa municipality on a clear day and the descent to the terraced path behind the gate in the fence.

On Saturday morning, we gathered a large and diverse group of young and old travelers, in the orchard at the beginning of the route in front of a spectacular view in a wonderful corner maintained by a resident of the neighborhood, where there is a trail library and sitting chairs.

From there we went down along the path marked in green on the bank of Huadi in the green extension decorated with the buds of spring - Lotem flowers, primroses, anemones and the first brave tulips which heralds the opening of the season for the carpets of tulips that will cover the place at the beginning of March.

We met the great parsimon, a shrub whose name originates from the Latin word for green prasinus, and which wakes up this season from its summer slumber, growing a mane of bright green leaves with a special taste from which you can make a pesto spread rich in vitamin E.'

Exposure following the fire

The restoration of the terrace trail complex began following the fire that hit the Haifa valleys in 2016, and the clearing operations carried out by the municipality to open passages in the dense grove. A resident of the neighborhood, Asaf Efron, a travel enthusiast and a nature lover, began clearing Huadi of waste and thereby helping the local flora to recover. In addition to the conservation actions, open the existing walking paths and allow travelers to return and walk on the spot.

The ancient Carmel

Archaeological excavations were carried out in the hills in the area nearly twenty years ago and according to the findings, already in the pre-historic period man saw great value in this area and later also in the Byzantine, Crusader and Mamluk periods. The ancient and impressive terraces that were exposed on the hills were probably used in the Ottoman period for crops for the olive oil industry that the village of A'tira was known for.

We continued along the path that the water broke through the limestone rocks and we returned in our imagination to the days of the dinosaurs when layers were layered at the bottom of the deep sea that prevailed here at that time. After the recent rains, the river channel is full of water that washed in the many ridges along it.

feel the creation

We ended our tour with the writing of Yehuda Peschowitz "Feeling the Creation", in the green grove of Wadi Ovadia and in front of the sea view and the neighborhoods bordering the Wadi in the Alamogi neighborhood, Golda, Ahuza and the houses in the Begin neighborhood, looking at the sky that has brightened in our honor and wishing for the good that will grow around us.

The travelers tell

Yelena Patina, evacuee from Kibbutz Ayalon:

I was following a WhatsApp group of evacuees and luckily I saw a message about "For Haifa" - a group of amazing people who volunteered to organize a walking tour for evacuees. I immediately decided to join because this is exactly what I was looking for! I believe in the virtues of nature and its ability to heal the soul, but I didn't know where I could go to find these magical green paths in the city, despite the green landscapes around me.

Amit Akiva, resident of Ramat Begin:

I came to this trip quite by accident, I was exposed to it through the Ramat Begin neighborhood group. The route goes right by the house and I've always heard about the charming valleys between the neighborhoods, which I didn't have time to walk, so I decided that this was a good opportunity. The view is amazing, great guidance from the local residents and the opportunity to meet new residents. Totally made me want to join more trips in the future, highly recommend!

Ami Ben Aroya, a resident of the Ramat Golda neighborhood:

I arrived on foot at the beginning of a route I had not traveled before, which starts right in the neighborhood. It was fascinating to hear about the neighborhood resident's efforts to restore and cultivate the path, to see the large goat cave on the spot, to walk in the stream channel and enjoy the spring flowers alongside the late winter flowers. We finished tired from the ascent but satisfied after experiencing a lovely and unusual route in the heart of the city of Haifa.

Yuri Sodorogin, a resident of Neve Shanan:

I really like trips and our Haifa and the initiative led by the "For Haifa" group in the Haifa valleys is very close to my heart. We are all very lucky to have so many amazing and attractive green spaces in our city. Every time I leave the house, what is more important to me is not the route itself, but who you are doing it with and who is next to you who is able to present it in an interesting way. Therefore, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to go on such trips with local people who know, love and know how to do it like all the volunteers in the "Haifa Valleys" project who are exceptional.