Welcome!

 Welcome! 

Here we go. This is my first attempt at writing a blog post, so let's see how it goes. I'll start by introducing myself and explaining what I aim to achieve. This blog is both a personal project and an opportunity to educate readers around the world about environmental issues. My goal is to inspire and share my passion for the natural world while addressing key issues that are harming ecosystems worldwide. I hope that by reading my blog posts, you will find inspiration that sets you off on your own journey. Whether you are a fellow student, an environmental professional who stumbled upon this blog on LinkedIn, or a high schooler exploring university programs, my aim is to make this blog accessible to everyone and offer any help I can.

To gather some input, I conducted a survey among my peers to find out what topics they would like to read about. The responses indicated an interest in climate change, climate anxiety, denial, and scientific evidence linking global changes to human activities. I will also explore wildlife-related topics such as biodiversity, sea level rise, and global water management. But before diving into all of that, let me briefly introduce myself! Let's go back to the early days.

For as long as I can remember, the natural world has fascinated me. When I was five years old, my family moved from North London to Octon, a countryside village in the South of France. Growing up on a farm was a dream come true, as I spent all my time outdoors, driven by a burning curiosity for natural processes, systems, and wildlife. Although I am in my early twenties, I feel that my entire life has been influenced by nature in some way, shape, or form. As an early birthday gift, I received David Attenborough's Planet Earth series. Although my memory isn't photographic, I have a vivid recollection of that box set. I was captivated by the documentaries, particularly "The Blue Planet," "The Arctic," and "Africa," constantly amazed by the captured biodiversity and beauty.

At the age of twelve, my family relocated again, this time to the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in Vancouver, Canada. It was there that I had my first encounters with the creatures I had previously seen in the documentaries - whales, dolphins, seals, and many others! PNW is a truly remarkable place, and if you haven't visited it, I highly recommend it! Throughout the years, I spent time camping in the summers, skiing in the winters, and playing sports in the fall and spring, which allowed me to spend more time outdoors and fall even deeper in love with nature. However, spending so much time outside exposed me to some of the impacts of human activities on the natural world. I distinctly remember visiting Bowen Island and being disheartened by the garbage on the beaches and the oil residue in the marina's water. This experience stayed with me, and when it was time to choose my electives in high school, I naturally gravitated toward environmental modules. Geography, Earth Science, and Environmental Studies became my senior school electives at St. George's School in Vancouver. It was in these courses that I was introduced to a fundamental concept in Environmental Studies that has remained a focal point throughout my Bachelor's and Master's degrees: the Anthropocene.

In short, the Anthropocene refers to the period when human activities began significantly impacting the natural world. According to National Geographic, the Anthropocene began in the 1950s with the Industrial Revolution. My introduction to this concept in high school eventually led me to the University of British Columbia, where I pursued a degree in Geography within a world-renowned Geography department. I had the privilege of being taught by Simon Donner, a prominent climate scientist leading Canadian research. This degree provided an excellent introduction to the multidisciplinary nature of the environmental field -  I had the opportunity to explore environmental issues through courses, projects, and club activities, all of which were instrumental in my personal and academic growth, leading me to pursue a graduate degree. Notably, I conducted a research project on water management strategies in Vancouver, analyzing how the city could restore old waterways and provide wildlife habitats while reaping various water management benefits. This interest in water eventually led me to pursue my master's degree at Tel Aviv University.

Currently, I am in the latter stages of my master's degree, which focuses on analyzing environmental issues from the Israeli context. If you're unfamiliar with Israel, it's a small, arid country with a complex environmental, social, and geopolitical history. I am here to study how a country like Israel can position itself as a global leader in water technologies. Over the past two decades, Israel has developed water recycling technologies and desalination systems that allow the country to tap into the Mediterranean Sea as a water source. Additionally, with 90% of its water being recycled, Israel sets a global standard for the future of urban growth and demonstrates how water management can be integrated with agricultural, urban, and infrastructure concerns.

Ultimately, I want this blog to serve as a platform to share what I learn both in school and during my personal time. There are countless forms of media and various ways to learn, and I hope that by reading this blog, you will discover some engaging content. Lastly, at the end of each blog post, I will include an interesting video. The first one I'm sharing discusses the important role that wolves play in Yellowstone National Park. This video has been presented by various professors in both my Canadian bachelor's degree and my Israeli master's degree, so I believe it holds some validity! Enjoy it. If there are any topics you'd like me to discuss, please leave a comment below!