Guy Mizrahi

English **Israel`s Metropolitan Park ** Ariel Sharon Park is one of the biggest environmental rehabilitation projects in the world. It is unique in that this plot of land, part of which was polluted and neglected for decades, has been turned into a flourishing metropolitan park. Ariel Sharon Park is the green lung of the country’s most densely populated urban region. The park is open to the general public, and has a network of hiking trails and bicycle paths across open areas, along river banks, and through shady groves, as well as areas for leisure and recreation activities. Ariel Sharon Park covers an area of some 8,000 dunams. For the sake of comparison, just imagine the entire town of Bat Yam being a park! The park borders on the municipal authorities of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Ramat Gan, Holon, Azor, and Or Yehuda. At the center of the park is the rehabilitated mound of garbage, Hiriya - a symbol of environmental and social healing. The hill is surrounded by open areas, crossed by the channels of the Ayalon in the north and the Shapirim in the south. The park complex also includes Shalem Farm, old Bnei Brak, the Mikve Yisrael agricultural school, and Menachem Begin Park. On the restored hill you will find a spectacular display in the interactive center, family picnic areas, the ecological lake, look-out points, guided tours, and information points explaining about the restoration of the hill.