“Pollinating Cyclades”

The role of pollinators in preserving biodiversity

The program addresses biodiversity loss by focusing on the protection of wild pollinators, such as bees, in the Cycladic Islands. These pollinators are vital to ecosystems, food production, and forest health, but face threats from pesticides, intensive agriculture, urbanization, and especially intensive beekeeping, which creates competition for floral resources. Despite their close connection to nature, many local communities are unaware of the importance of wild bees and the consequences of their decline.

The program has three main components:

1. Educational workshops for students – These raise ecological awareness through hands-on activities like exploring local flora, learning about solitary bees, building “Insect Hotels,” and creating Seed Bombs. Students monitor bee activity throughout the year and become “bee ambassadors” for their communities. This hands-on approach encourages active participation and observation, with the students monitoring the insect hotels throughout the year to track changes in bee populations.

2. Community engagement and habitat restoration – A second workshop is organized for local residents, including parents and teachers, to emphasize the significance of native plants and the role of bees in maintaining ecological balance. At this event, participants will build more Insect Hotels and Seed Bombs. Students, acting as “bee ambassadors,” share the knowledge they have gained, thus empowering them to become local advocates for pollinator protection.

3. Teacher training – Lastly, the program offers teacher training workshops, providing educators with resources and tools to integrate the knowledge of pollinator protection into their curricula. The goal is to equip teachers with methods for engaging students in hands-on, emotionally and physically interactive learning activities.

The program includes visits to three Cycladic islands. On each island, four 4-hour experiential workshops will be held in schools, reaching up to 100 students. In addition, there will be a community awareness-raising activity for up to 100 participants and a 3-hour training session for local teachers involving up to 20 participants.