88 birds have been released back into the wild

Following the recent actions of Archipelagos Institute to combat songbird poaching in Greece, we received multiple incident report from citizens about cases of illegal capture and caging of large numbers of songbirds in homes, warehouses, business premises etc. Specifically, there were two incidents that we were able to confirm, for which we submitted official reports

Poaching Songbirds: A Continuous Environmental Crime

The poaching of songbirds is a chronic problem here in the eastern Aegean that Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation is working to combat. However, it happens throughout the whole of Greece, especially in areas where there is a strong migration of songbirds. This widespread, illegal and immoral smuggling has never been treated seriously by the

Three buzzards released on the island of Samos

Researchers of Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation released three buzzards (species Buteo buteo)  in three different areas of the island after the birds had received several months of treatment by the Wildlife Protection Agency ANIMA. Dozens of students of the island, with their teachers, were in attendance and helped in the release process. These buzzards

Interactive Environmental Education in Alyki salt marsh

Last Saturday, researchers of Archipelagos’ terrestrial team, organized a pilot educational programme in the salt marsh located in Aliki, Psili Ammos, in Samos. 35 students attended this educational day from various primary schools on the island. Our goal is that the students learn about the rare species that live in this particular wetland through various

Intermediterranean Landcare Action for the Restoration of land Degradation

Last week, Archipelagos found itself in the historic city of Santiago de Compostella in Spain for the purpose of contributing to the development of an exciting new intermediterranean action entitled LANDCARE. The objective of LANDCARE is to improve current training capacities for graduates and young scientists, in relation to Land Degradation and Rehabilitation in Southern

The Mediterranean chameleon – our special neighbor in the Aegean

Archipelagos’ Terrestrial Research Team, is continuing for the 6th year the monitoring of the Mediterranean chameleon population on Samos island. Being aware of the rarity of the species and of the responsibility this brings, Archipelagos began to monitor populations of this rare species since 2009, combining field research with awareness raising efforts. Our aim is

A rare wetland in the Aegean region

The Salt Marsh Psili Ammos is a small, yet of great environmental significance, wetland located in SE Samos. More than 150 protected bird species, as well as several other rare fauna and flora species find there a safe shelter. Despite the fact that it’s been a Natura 2000 site for years, unfortunately no protection/management measures

Videos reveal the secrets of the Eleonora’s falcon

Published in ScienceNordic/ By Tommy Immanuel & Alvestad Wiik Every fall, Eleonora’s falcons nest by the Mediterranean, preying on migrant birds coming from the north. A Norwegian scientist has filmed the species over a long period to study the bird’s diet and activity. About four-fifths of the global population of Eleonora’s falcons (Falco eleonorae) nest

Archipelagos Cooperation with Cukurova University of Turkey

Last week Archipelagos was visited by an academic delegation from the University of Cukurova, headed by the Rector of the University. Cukurova University in Adana, Turkey, has over 43,000 students and is one of the largest of Turkey’s 180 universities. It is considered a leading institution in the fields of agronomy and agricultural education. Archipelagos

Archipelagos and Students plant a Garden at the Special Education School in Samos

A few days ago the Archipelagos research team visited the Special Education School in Samos in order to plant a school garden using seeds from local varieties. These seeds come from the Archipelagos Seed Bank. With the help of teachers and Archipelagos researchers, students cultivated local varieties of winter vegetables and a rare variety of