News Release: LIFE Natura2000Value Crete organises workshops in Chania and Alikampos village, on the 27th and 28th of June 2016 respectively

In the context of the communication actions of the project LIFE Natura2000Value Crete, the University of Crete - Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC) organises workshops entitled ''NATURA 2000 sites: Opportunity or obstacle for the development''. The workshops will be held on Monday, the 27th of June 2016, at the lecture hall of the Chania Chamber of Commerce and Industry (17.00 - 21.00) and on Tuesday, the 28th of June 2016, at the Cultural Centre of Alikampos village, Municipality of Apokoronas (17.00 - 21.00). 

The events will include presentations regarding NATURA 2000 sites on a national scale as well as in Crete, the socio-economic benefits we get from nature and wildlife and practices of sustainable exploitation of these areas such as organic farming, hunting and ecotourism, aiming at the conservation of biodiversity and the natural environment.

The travelling photo exhibition of the project will be presented at the City Hall of Chania until the 27th of June 2016. On the 28th of June 2016 it will be put in the Cultural Centre of Alikampos village and will be open to the public until the 26th of July 2016.

The schedule of the workshops is the following:

• 17.00-17.30: Arrival - registration 
• 17:30-17:45: Greetings
• 17.45-18.10: Michalis Promponas, Physicist - Environmental Scientist, PhD (University of Crete – Natural History Museum of Crete): "NATURA 2000 Network of Protected Areas in the European Union, Greece and Crete"
• 18.10-18.35: Tania Ploumi, Environmentalist MSc (University of Crete – Natural History Museum of Crete): "Socio-economic benefits from the Natural Environment" 
• 18:35-19:00: Stavros Xirouchakis, Biologist - Ornithologist, PhD (University of Crete – Natural History Museum of Crete): "Ecosystem services of Wildlife" 
• 19.00-19.15: Coffee break
• 19:15-19.40: Giorgos Vlontakis, Agronomist - Environmentalist MSc - Organic farmer: "NATURA 2000 sites: Protection and improvement of the local natural resources, organic farming and stockbreeding" 
• 19.40-20.05: Antonis Mparnias, Forester - Environmentalist MSc, Coordinator of the Management Body of the National Park of Samaria:"Ecotourism: temporary trend or developmental tool?"  
• 20:05-21:00: Questions - open discussion

The aforementioned actions are implemented by the NHMC in the context of the project LIFE Natura2000Value Crete ("The ecological services, social benefits and economic value of the Ecosystem Services in Natura 2000 sites in Crete" - LIFE13 INF/GR/000188). 

For more information:

Natural History Museum of Crete: Tania Ploumi, taniaploumi@nhmc.uoc.gr

Natural History Museum of Crete: Kiriakopoulou Niki, niki@nhmc.uoc.gr