Kvutzat Haroim (The Shepherds group)

The Shepherd’s Group, a conservation initiative of Amutat  Kaima, is facilitated by a group of National Service volunteers, many of them Kaima alumni, whose hearts heard a "call to wander."  These modern-day shepherds live alongside a herd of  goats and move them daily to nearby fields and forested land as part of a targeted grazing initiative designed to reduce the threat of fire, particularly in high-risk areas such as the densely forested Judean Mountains, the Elah Valley, and the neighboring lowlands. ​Indeed, goats have long been the livestock of choice to assist with brush clearing given their reputation for eating thick, hard-to-reach vegetation rejected by most other grazing animals. Their indiscriminate dietary preferences and nimble physicality make them ideally suited for the job. The Shepherd's Group welcomes volunteers of all ages and has developed a series of educational workshops for the general public wishing to learn more about this wonderful low-tech way to help prevent fire and connect with nature.