BOOK YOUR HIKE:
Call us now to join our Hikes at Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve. You will witness breathtaking natural landscapes while visiting the historical village ruins on the mountain top, and rock inscriptions dating back to the 2nd Century AD.
To book your hike (and the lunch option), please contact our ecotourism officer Christelle Abou Chabke from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm  on 71-944 405  or our office on 09-643464 or email us on christelle.ach@jabalmoussa.org

May 2011- Professor Georges Tohme announced important results of a survey carried out on the biodiversity of Jabal Moussa and Nahr Ibrahim areas, for more than half a year now by a multidisciplinary team of experts. 25 species of plants endemic to (found only in) Lebanon were identified in this region, out of which 3 species are endemic to Jabal Moussa: Rosularia kesrouanensis, Cyclamen libanoticum, Pentapera sicula libanotica.

August 2011- More recently, the Salvia Peyronii Boiss. plant, observed only once in Lebanon over a century ago and considered an extinct species, was rediscovered in Jabal Moussa. 


May 2011- APJM Stand at the Garden Show & Spring Festival: Authentic Lebanon section

 

Jabal Moussa "Between Myth and Reality"  is now available for purchasing in many bookstores including Librairie Antoine.

 

 

 The installation of APJM’s second nursery successfully took place through the months of January and February 2011, in the village of Mchati, facing the main entrance of the reserve.10,000 seeds of 15 different native species of Jabal Moussa have been planted, some of which are rare or endangered species of great value to the ecosystem, such as the Juniperus drupacea and the Ostrya carpinifolia.

Reforestation is of primary concern and importance, considering the loss in green cover observed all around the reserve.These trees don’t only contribute to the beauty of Jabal Moussa landscape, but also provide the habitats and resources needed by wildlife and birds. It is thus of outmost importance to preserve and restore forest cover through reforestation efforts.
--> Make sure you ask your guide to take you to visit the nursery the next time you are hiking in Jabal Moussa!

APJM officially joins IUCN members network!  On November 18-20, during the 75 IUCN meeting that took place in the Headquarters in Gland, the Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM) was approved as one of the new members of the IUCN network! This is a great achievement for APJM team, since only 3 years after its establishment (the minimum requested to join IUCN), APJM joins the world’s largest international community of environmental experts. By being part of this forum, we hope to join our efforts to the world’s leading experts in solving the complex environmental challenges we are facing, and achieve better biodiversity conservation. Together, we can work more effectively towards a sustainable future!

 

 Frances Guy: U.K. Ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon, Beirut 
Jabal Moussa as a Biosphere reserve and more besides...To view full article click on the link below: 

blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/guy/entry/jabal_moussa_as_a_biosphere

 

 

 
On October 23 2010, the inauguration of Jabal Moussa as the newest Biosphere Reserve in Lebanon took place in the village of Mshete with the full support of the Italian Development Cooperation/Embassy of Italy in Lebanon and UNESCO office. This event crowned the completion of the establishment of the ecotourism infrastructure in the reserve. The guests had a chance to witness this by walking on the newly developed trails, following the new signals and panels which assure a safe and pleasant trip. The hikes were followed by a gathering in the church of the village for a series of presentations about the Biosphere reserve and the ecotourism project and finally a traditional lunch in one of the local  houses.  

 

 

 

 

An unexpected encounter with one of the inhabitants of Jabal Moussa happened on the 17th of October 2010, as a group of 15 hikers walked through the reserve. From the top of the beautiful, karstic rocks in the heart of the mountain, a hyrax appeared and looked out at the tourists. The rare, fascinating creature stared at the strangers puzzled, yet feeling safe enough to mesmerize them with its presence for at least ten minutes.

 

 
 

BEIRUT: A project to renovate a model traditional village in the Jabal Moussa reserve was launched with help from the Lebanese Army and the Italian Embassy in Lebanon.

The Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM) announced in a statement that it began work on the renovation of a traditional model village in the Jabal Moussa reserve in Kesrouan, Mount Lebanon.
The initiative was part of a project to encourage ecotourism in Ftouh Kesrouan, with the sponsorship of the Italian Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Italy in Beirut.
The Lebanese Army also contributed to the project and an Army helicopter transported 13 tons of construction material from the nearby village of Mayrouba to the mountain last week. Jabal Moussa was named a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009 and its model village contains houses with traditional architecture. “The old customary stones will be conserved,” the APJM statement said, noting that an underground water container will be created to provide the village with water for storage and irrigation. The association thanked the Lebanese Army for its help and Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, saying “it was his idea” to use the helicopter as a substitute to other transport that would be  harmful to the environment.
APJM’s project in Jabal Moussa also included training locals to become tourist guides in their own region. Four local female guides graduated from the association last week. – The Daily Star
 

On Saturday the 4th of September 2010, four women from the villages of Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve graduated as local ecotourism guides after a long series of 12 training sessions with the Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM). During their training, the guides learned the basic principles of ecotourism and the approach to being a good ecotourism guide. They also studied the special characteristics of the Jabal Moussa reserve including its rich flora and fauna species, and cultural heritage sites. The sessions were given by experts from the different fields. The guides also had a first aid session with the Red Cross where they learned how to manage first aid situations. After several field trips, and a comprehensive exam, four guides successfully completed the session and graduated. The graduation ceremony took place in a beautiful setting in the mountain where Layal Boustany, Jessica Menassa, Elcy Nader and Mariana Nader received their diplomas and the guide’s full-gear equipment. Some members of APJM, scientific experts and people involved in the PEBCO project attended the ceremony. The Diplomas were granted by the Association and Italian Cooperation in Beirut sponsoring the project.

 On June 19th 2010, 46 people working for UNIFIL were taken on a walk to the majestic Jabal Moussa, and were not disappointed by the difficulty of the hike that was specially tailored to them!
The group reflected the mountain in its great diversity since there were representatives of an extensive amount of countries including Canada, Italy, China, Spain, South Africa, Kazakhstan, and Russia. 
  

 

Another ecotourism opportunity presented itself on June 13th 2010, when 24 young protégés (12-16 years old) of the “Bon Pasteur” school visited Jabal Moussa. This hike exposed them to a wide variety of information on biodiversity and on culture, transmitted to them through the guided tour. Their excitement was at its peak when they reached the old houses at the top of the mountain. 
  
 

On April 17th 2010, 71 people were taken for a beautiful hike along Jabal Moussa. The group was made up of members of scouts and their parents, which created a personal and pleasant atmosphere. Different ages and generations were brought together and were shown the beauty of a timeless world. 
  
 

The Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM) is happy to announce the installation of its first Tree Nursery in Qehmez. More than 6000 bags have been filled with soil mixture and sown with collected seeds of endemic species from Jabal Moussa forest, with the aim to revive and conserve Mediterranean ecosystems and landscapes. Tree species planted include Oak, Storax, Syrian Maple, Azarole Hawthorn (Quercus infectoria, Quercus calliprinos, Acer syriacum, Styrax officinalis, Crataegus sp) etc...Under the supervision of Mr.Nabil Assaf-Forestry Engineer.A recent cooperation agreement with Jouzour Loubnan NGO and Saint Joseph University Laboratory will strengthen both our technical and economic sustainability.If interested to visit this Nursery, don't hesistate to contact us ;)

 JM was visited on September 26, 2009 by Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud and the sportsman, explorer, and mountaineer from Lebanon Maxime Edgard Chaaya ( the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest on May 15, 2006, completing the Seven Summits challenge.and the first Middle Eastern to reach the South Pole in December 28, 2007,the first Arab to reach the North pole on April 25, 2009,and the 17th person in history to complete the Three Poles Challenge, becaming the 12th person in history to complete the Explorers Grand Slam.