GoEco Ltd. was established by Jonathan Gilben and Jonathan Tal in 2005. Both have traveled extensively, participated in and created international ecological projects.
Based on their experiences, Gilben and Tal decided first to bring to the attention of international travelers the excitement and fulfillment of volunteer tourism in Israel. They successfully ran their first volunteer project at the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Michmoret during the summer of 2006.
GoEco now has on-going contact with numerous ecological and humanitarian organizations in Israel and offers an informed and vetted selection of projects to GoEco participants. Their target audience is simply the ecologically concerned and adventurous traveler who wants to explore a region firsthand and to get to know the local people, customs and eco-system through a vetted volunteer program.
GoEco organizes the logistical aspects of each project in Israel, including living conditions, subsistence, security, work plan and leisure activities. GoEco ensures that each volunteer arrives prepared and ready to participate in a program that welcomes the volunteers’ help and assistance.
In addition, GoEco arranges for Israeli volunteers to participate in ecological and humanitarian projects initiated by its partner organizations around the world. Through careful preliminary on-line interviewing, GoEco connects each volunteer with the most suitable project. GoEco updates the availability and timing of projects world-wide, validates the quality and reputation of the project, and assists the volunteer in preparing for the trip.
GoEco’s Mission
- Encourage ecological and volunteer tourism that works towards the environment rather than disregards it.
- Enable travelers to experience different and more rewarding kinds of tourism.
- Encourage Israeli travelers to volunteer for the benefit of others and thus to serve as a good-will ambassador to other countries in the world.
- Encourage travelers from all over the world to come to Israel for ecological and community based projects and experience first hand the unique cultural and natural diversity in this region.
- Support environmental and humanitarian projects that promote understanding and good will between ethnic societies in Israel.
- Conduct further research in the feild of ecological tourism, such as the 'Ecological Footprint' as a tool for sustainable tourism development.
- Establish an in-depth and up-to-date data base of the relevant projects in Israel and world-wide.
- Create a platform from which to explore the various organizations which support the environment and actively encourage volunteering.
GoEco Team Profile
Jonathan Gilben – Founder and Director
Education: M.A. (in progress), Haifa University, Management and Environmental Resources, Thesis: Volunteer Tourism: A Case Study of Nature Conservation in Israel.
B.A., University of Nottingham, England, Geography, Business and the Environment
Travel: South East Asia, Central America, North America, Middle East and Europe
Work and Volunteer Experience: Conservation volunteer projects in Mexico and Greece, Educator at the Council for Beautiful Israel (environmental NGO), research assistant with Biology Dept. at Haifa University, active volunteer since 2004 with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority at the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Center.
Together with Jonathan Tal established the international volunteers` project for the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Centre, Hai-Bar Carmel and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.
Jonathan Tal – Founder and Director
B.A. – Tel Aviv University, Geography and Human Environment
Travel: South East Asia, Australia, Middle East and Europe.
Work and Volunteer Experience: Sea Turtle conservation project in Greece, Active volunteer since 2005 for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority at the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Centre.
Orit Baruch – Administrative Manager
M.B.A. - Open University, Israel
B.A. - Open University, Israel, Social Sciences with emphasis on administration University, Israel.
Travel and tourism certificate from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism – Haifa University, Israel Tourism School