Welcome to Mashjar Juthour

Mashjar Juthour is an arboretum and ecological education space on ancestral land near Beit Jala, Palestine. As a volunteer, you are joining a living project of land care, cultural continuity, and community.

This short introduction is designed to:

• Give you a feel for what volunteering at Juthour is about.
• Help you sense whether this is the right time and context for you.
• Collect some basic information so we can welcome you with care.

For full details about the program, roles, expectations, and context, please see the main Juthour Volunteer Program Induction Pack.

1. What Volunteering Here Is (and Is Not)

At Juthour, volunteers are not tourists and not saviors. You are invited to be a participant in an ongoing relationship between people and land.

Volunteering here usually includes:

• Supporting daily land care (planting, pruning, soil work, watering).
• Helping with simple construction and maintenance (stone terraces, fences, cottage and caves, ponds).
• Sharing skills and learnings, and listening to the stories of the land and community.

You are also welcome to volunteer as a day visitor rather than staying on the land. Even if you are not using the accommodation, your time, labour, and presence contribute directly to caring for the land and sustaining the wider vision of Juthour.

Conditions to be aware of:

• Work is outdoors on uneven, rocky terrain.
• Days are usually about 5 hours or less, each night you stay up to 5 days per week as available, in the morning.
• Weather can be cold and wet in winter and hot with strong sun in warmer months.
• You may stay on the mountain in simple shared accommodation with transport provided.