New hiking tracks in Drosos-supported Jabal Moussa natural reserve

The Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa (APJM) held an opening ceremony last Saturday and introduced a series of new hiking trails starting from Shwan- Ftouh Kesrwan east of Beirut as part of its ecotourism program. The event was held in the presence of Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon and the Special UN Coordinator in Lebanon Sygrid Kag. After completing two treks on the newly inaugurated trails, the opening ceremony was held at the ecotourism lodge showcasing the traditional ‘Mouneh’ of Jabal Moussa, its handicrafts, seedlings and APJM publications. The center it will be recalled was renovated and equipped by the Association with the support of the Swiss Drosos Foundation. Speaking at the event, APJM Chief Pierre Doumit stressed the need to expand the geographical scope of the Association’s development activities to cover additional towns and villages. (Al Diyar, 24 June 2015)