All you need to know about Mount Lebanon Hima Center- MLHC

Mount Lebanon Hima Center- MLHC, The Home of Hima is located in Hima Kayfoun, the first Hima in Mount Lebanon. The center is halfway to all Hima sites, 35 minutes away from Beirut, with a strategic location in the upper region of Beirut River Valley IBA, the most important bottleneck for migratory soaring birds during Autumn migration.

The center aims to strengthen, promote, and connect the different Hima sites in Lebanon to expand and multiply the benefits for communities and biodiversity, as well as increasing awareness and appreciation of nature, and inspiring people, especially children through the Schools with No Walls- SNOW Programme to connect with nature and establish sustainable natural resource use practices and biodiversity conservation.

School With No Walls – SNOW is an environmental and educational program for kids, age group 8 to 12 years old, aiming at promoting environmental education and awareness through experiential learning. It also works on connecting children with nature and wildlife through teaching them sustainable practices and biodiversity conservation methods by offering outdoor, environmental, and educational tailor-made packages, which can be used by schools or other institutions for learning.

Location on Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ssNkA79iucNF1rjg8

 

 

Objectives:

  1. Raise awareness and offer educational, recreational, and hands-on learning activities/packages for schools and kids (age 8-12 ) to foster their appreciation of nature and introduce them to new conservational and well-being concepts

  2. Promote the 25 Hima sites in Lebanon with focus on specific ones to ensure higher impact on people and biodiversity.

  3. Build the capacities and skills of the local communities especially the youth on sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in order for them to be able to preserve and strengthen their own natural resources and lead on their Hima sites

  4. Promote healthy eco-tourism and educate people on Lebanon’s Natural Jewels ex: IBAs, KBAs, protected areas, Hima sites, cultural sites, etc…

  5. Enhance the livelihoods of local communities through creating jobs and income-generating activities

  6. Establish national, regional, and international networks with, donors, NGOs, partners, protected areas, educational and conservation centers, etc…

Services:

  1. Provide environmental and educational tailor-made outdoor packages for schools and children within the center with focus on 15 different conservational/educational themes (ex. Protected areas, schemes, Birds importance, birds migration, globally threatened species, basic outdoors first aid & safety, behavior in Nature, climate change, nature bathing, etc…) linked to educational games and interactive outdoors activities

  2. Provide trainings for teachers and/or scout leaders on interesting conservational topics and interactive learning approaches and techniques

  3. Provide summer camp days concentrating on “learning by doing” and “learning through fun” activities

  4. Nature walks and ecotourism activities (trails of Kayfoun/Shimlan, Kherbet Kanafar/Ain Zebdeh, Hammana, and Ras El Matn), bird watching in Hammana and Ras El Matn, butterfly garden visit in Kherbet Kanafar, etc…)

  5. School programs and packages on nature bathing in collaboration with Beit Insan

  6. Small kitchen that will offer snacks

  7. Workshops, training, and conference area to be rented

  8. Gift shop

  9. A walk-in bird awareness and education aviary

  10. Hima home exhibit/museum area

  11. guest room with a private kitchenette and toilet

Office Hours:

Monday- Friday: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Contact Information:

Office Number: 05/271041

Jamal Hamzeh, Managing Director: 70/877529

Elie El Haddad, Educational Officer: 71/526099

Email address: ehaddad(at)spnl.org – jhamzeh(at)spnl.org

Donors: MAVA Foundation & The Sigrid Rausing Trust is a grant-giving Foundation- SRT 

Partners: MAVA, BirdLife, SRT, LUSH, HHI, Beit Insan, Municipalities of Kayfoun & Shimlan, and the local communities