The agricultural land of Wadi Al-Makhrour is situated west of Bethlehem city, near Beit Jala. It starts in Cremisan Monastery, and extends to Battir village. The area has some fresh water springs which run in the midst of very old trees. The area is considered a “bird reserve” for some endangered bird species such as the Honey Buzzard, the Black-eared Wheatear, the Palestine Sunbird, and the Sand Partridge. Various types of rodents and important insect varieties are found in the area as well. Hiking through the surrounding mountains, you can catch sight of clusters of caves, as well as the small structures, or qusur built by the owners of the land to oversee their crops. The Al-Makhrour area is replete with apricot terraces, producing the exquisite and juicy apricots for which the town of Beit Jala is renowned, celebrated each year in the Apricot Festival. Wadi Al-Makhrour is one of the few regions in Bethlehem District where one can still find some ancient trees and where one can take a stroll and enjoy the beauties of nature. For how long is anyone’s guess. It is being torn up to construct settler roads and is slated to be separated from its owners by the Separation Wall, destroying much of it in the process.