We were on our way back to Kibbutz Lotan from our first morning hike on Friday morning when we stopped for water near an acacia tree. At first glance, the mountains around us looked like deserted layers of limestone and sand build up-not much life in the harsh Negev climate. And then the mountains seemed to be moving. We all squinted, just barely catching a glimpse of six ibex-including a baby, running from the sound of approaching people.

How do the ibex survive without water in these mountains?

Looking around, I saw the environment as empty. There were very few plants and even the ones I could see seemed to be dead or dying. My view of this region slowly began to change as David, our guide, pointed out the numerous sources of nutrients for the ibex. The acacia tree, on closer inspection, was in the beginning stages of its blooming season. As David explained, the tree looked like it was experiencing difficulty surviving because it is a plant that is able to cut off water supply to parts of its system when it feels there isn’t enough water in the desert to insure its continued existence. If the tree was truly dead, it would have holes covering the trunk, left by hungry termites. The ibex love eating the acacia tree’s leaves as well as the leaves from a few other plants growing in the area. Ibex are suited for the Negev because they don’t need to drink water-they receive their water from the plants on which they snack.

This realization made me think of an in class activity we did with our professor, Daniel, during our Peace and Social Justice course. Daniel had us explain a city in which we didn’t live and then the student who was from that city would then re-explain the city based on firsthand experience. This discussion led into a conversation about how we view our surroundings: personal experiences, secondhand opinions, storytellers, and teachers. I was taught, through images and stories from friends, that the Negev was a place of emptiness. It wasn’t until I experienced the environment personally, that I could speak with authority about life in the Negev.