Bud Levin, JNF's Vice President of Campaign, traveled up north on August 17. These are his thoughts.

Why would 15 KKL foresters from the south and center of the country rush to the northern border of Israel and volunteer to help the forest fire-fighters and foresters battle the inferno in the Galil? For that matter, why would the fire-fighters and foresters from the north risk their lives to save the KKL forests? Seventy-two hours after the Katushas stopped raining down on Israel, the leadership of JNF was there to learn first-hand the story of how a group of KKL employees risked their lives to save the precious forests of the north.

The damage was everywhere. Four thousands rockets had been fired by Hezbollah into the Galil. The cities of Kiryat Shemona, Safed, Maalot, Haifa, and many others suffered severe damage. The murders of both civilians and soldiers were a shock to us all.

On Thursday morning, we flew in a plane out of Rosh Pina to view damage from the air. Then we drove by van to witness, up close and personal, the results of four weeks of rocket attacks in the north.

The damage to the cities was extensive, but the clean-up had already begun. We were amazed at the return of life to the cities by Thursday morning. The resiliency of the Israelis is not to be believed.

But the forests were a different story. Probably three thousand Katushas landed in the open forests. Everywhere we looked there were patches of burnt trees. These areas will take years to replant and decades to mature. It is amazing that we didn't lose any of the KKL people during the attack on the forests. They told us that rockets were landing everywhere, and there was no place in the forest to seek shelter. If you don't believe in divine intervention, then this miracle is hard to explain. After every attack the fires were ignited and the fire trucks and forest trucks raced to control the blaze. Were it not for their heroism it could have been much worse; we could have lost almost all the greenery in the north.

One of the incredible stories is about the pilots who dropped fire retardant on the fires. Again, it is hard to believe how we didn't lose any planes or people. They not only had to fly under the Katushas, they also flew under outgoing Israeli artillery fire. By the way, we ran out of fire retardant in the first week of the war, and our fundraising efforts funded the purchase of the emergency supply for the next three weeks.

But what about the heroes that we met that Thursday morning — why did they risk their lives for trees? More than that, why did volunteers from Kiryat Shemona, Safed, and other communities rush to the fires and volunteer — even as rockets fell — to help save the forests?

The answer is Zionism. About 100 years ago, after 2000 years of yearning to return, pioneers came to plant the forests and create the greening of Israel. Just look at the pictures on the walls of our KKL northern headquarters just outside of Kyriat Shemona. There we saw the early days of the State when bare rocks made up 95% of the landscape.

You could see the emotion in the eyes of the KKL foresters. They said each tree was like a baby to them. Many had been with KKL for over twenty years. They had planted and nurtured many of those damaged forests. Saving those trees was like saving their own family. I know it sounds corny, but the Zionism of these guys showed in each of their faces. The answers that they gave to our questions told all that we needed know. We have never been more proud of being volunteers for JNF and never have I felt as strongly that JNF must support Israel — the land, her people, her past, and her future. These brave men of the KKL forests embody the spirit of the country. They are Zionism at its best.