Download 1st Lyceum of Karditsa

NATURE
Diversity around us
2nd meeting in Kramfors, Sweden
National Parks in Greece
Greece’s climate is
divided into three
classes: A
Mediterranean
climate (mild winters
and dry summers), an
Alpine climate and a
temperate climate
(cold winters and hot
summers).
Such climatic and biological diversity, along with the rich
flora and fauna that comes with it, made the need for the
creation of national parks as early as 1937. In 1938 the
first national park in Greece was established, the Mount
Olympus National Park.
Alonissos Marine Park
The National Marine Park of Alonissos was
founded by Presidential decree in 1992. The
steep rocky slopes which run down to the sea
and the caves are an important part of the
habitat of the monk seal.
The Mediterranean monk seal (monachusmonachus) is believed to be the world’s rarest and one
of the most endangered mammals of the world.
A Biological Station was created on the island to
support scientific activities related to the study of the
monk seal and in general the ecosystem within the park.
Several causes have provoked a dramatic population
decrease over the time: mostly commercial hunting and
during the 20th century eradication by fishermen, who
used to consider it a pest, due to the damages the seal
causes to fishing nets, while preying on fishes caught in
those.
Preservation efforts gave been put forth by civil
organizations, foundations and universities since
as early as the 1970s. For the past 10 years,
many groups have carried out missions to
educate locals on damage control and species
preservation.
Permitted activities
There are specific
restrictions on
amateur fishing.
Hunting is strictly
forbidden in the entire
Zone A. The entire
area of Zone B is
open to visits but free
camping and lighting
of fires are out of the
question.
The Mediterranean Monk Seals grow from approximately
80cm long at birth to an average of 2.40m in adults. The
latter weigh up to 320 kg, the females being slightly
smaller than the males. They feed on fish and mollusks,
primarily octopus, up to 3 kg per day.
The National Park of Samaria
The Samaria Gorge is a National Park on the
island of Crete, one of the major tourist
attractions of the island. It was created by a
small river running between the White
Mountains and Mount Volakias. It is 18km long.
The most famous part of
the Gorge is the section
known as the “Iron
Gates”, where the sides
of the gorge close to
about four meters in width
and reach up to 500
meters high. The village
of Samaria was
abandoned by the last
remaining inhabitants in
1962 to make way for the
park.
The Gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly
as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat). It has a light
brownish coat with a darker band around its neck. It has
two horns swept back from the head. In the wild they are
shy and rest during the day. They avoid tourists and can
leap some distance or climb seemingly sheer cliffs.
By 1960 the kri-kri was under threat with
numbers below 200. It had been the only meat
available to mountain guerillas during the
German occupation in World War II. Its status
was one of the reasons for the Samaria Gorge
becoming a National Park.
There are still only 2000 animals on the island and they
are considered vulnerable. Hunters still seek them for
their tender meat, grazing grounds have become more
scarce and disease has affected them. Hybridization is
also a threat, as their gene pool is mingled with ordinary
goats. Hunting there is strictly prohibited.
Greece enjoys a unique
climate, which is severely
threatened by the
indifference and the
negligence of its
inhabitants. Air and water
pollution, heat waves,
fires and litter are the
most important problems
Greeks have to face
before it is too late.
Fires in Greece
They are common during
hot dry summers,
especially in August,
when the major winds
continue to fuel the fires
making the problem even
larger. Last year was a
scorching summer with
175 fires raging across
the country on the same
day.
No land registry
Greece has no land registry, so once a region has been
burnt and cleared, there is no definitive proof of whether
it was initially forest, farm or field. Every year the
government issues a reward of up to a million euros for
information on any arsonist. But…
Anti-terrorist authorities insist that setting fires is one
possible motive for unscrupulous property developers,
who are hoping to move in on the areas where forest has
been destroyed. Building on forest land is forbidden in
Greece, but circumventing the law by disputing the
area’s status is not so difficult…
Litter in Greece
Weak zoning laws, careless farmers and smouldering
garbage dumps are the main reasons for the fires that
kill people and destroy whole rural economies. Litter in
the countryside is a growing menace. We have turned
our green forests into dull and cold places.
Garbage on beach in Greece
A non-profit organization known in Greece as
“Clean Greece” based in Athens and active
since 1993 in an effort to clean some of the
beaches.
Lack of responsibility
The problem of litter reflects a lack of
responsibility on all sides, local government,
citizens, police, courts. Such antisocial
behaviors lead to spaces been degraded and to
societies making strides backward.
Heat waves in Greece
Though not welcomed…
Prolonged periods of excessive heat and
humidity with high temperatures reaching in
some regions 44°C make living conditions
unbearable especially in areas where the air
pollution level is high.
A group of heat-stricken pigeons gathered at the
shadow of a palm tree in Athens.
Water shortage in our area
The agricultural drought is by most people associated
with extreme heat. Extended dry periods and general
lack of rainfall result in a lack of moisture in the root zone
of the soil. This severely damages the plants that live in
the area.
Cotton is the main
agricultural product of
Karditsa and its
cultivation requires a
long frost-free period,
plenty of sunshine
and rainfall. Cotton is
a thirsty crop and, as
water resources get
tighter, economies
that rely on it face
difficulties.
In areas with less rainfall water is obtained from
irrigation. That’s why in 1928 Nikolaos Plastiras
envisioned the construction of a dam and the plateau of
Nevropolis at an altitude of 1000 meters was turned into
an artificial lake forming a landscape of unrivalled beauty
and charm.
The dam is a bow shaped-construction 83 meters high
and 200 meters long. Its construction was of vital
importance, as it provided a permanent solution to the
water supply needs of the people of Karditsa and
covered the irrigation needs for a large segment of the
plain.
The fir forests in the
area are unique in
Greece. Tacked
around the lake all
villages are worth a
visit. The view from
the village of
Neochori, where we
are going to have
coffee when you visit
us in a next meeting,
is breath-taking.
1st Lyceum of Karditsa,
Greece, March 2008
Music by M.Hadjidakis