Sunday 20 October 2019
An educational visit – a seminar – took place at the Vikos-Aoos Geopark.
students of the University of Ioannina as part of the organisation of events
meeting of members of the broader local community (Universities, associations
etc.) with the Geopark. The students who participated had the opportunity within a
the whole day to be initiated into the secrets of the Geopark simultaneously on topics that
relate to geo-diversity and bio-diversity.
Specialist geologists from
The Geopark presented the students with the peculiarities of geomorphology, the
hydrogeology and geology of the western part of the Geopark from the point
from the confluence of the Aoos and Voidomatis rivers onto the Konitsa plain to the straits
and the Sarandaporos river valley with its tributaries, as well as the unique geological phenomenon of
Amaranth's heat-resistant".[1].
Likewise, biologists and
environmentalists, professors from the University of Ioannina, presented to
students the unique ecosystems of this whole area and in particular the
vegetation units and the rare flora and fauna from the invertebrates to the
large mammals. During this educational visit-seminar
The students had the opportunity to walk on dirt roads and authentically
ancient paths and to delve into the peculiarities of mountain rivers,
of oak and black pine forests as well as mountainous
of lakes and their particular fauna.
In parallel, they were informed about the
efforts being made at local level for the development of alternative
tourism and especially hiking tourism, after having walked also a
small section of the main «Epirus Trail» of the Epirus Region. Furthermore, in the little free
time that they had, those who managed it, got a taste of the relaxing and
Therapeutic properties of Amaranth Steam Baths.
On the educational trip-seminar
45 students from the University of Ioannina participated from six different
Departments/Faculties (Biological Applications and Technologies, Pedagogical, Medicine,
(Chemical, Physical, Mathematical).
The thematic units of
seminar, developed by the professors of the P.I. Ms. Vasiliki Katis (Department of Biological
Applications and Technologies - Biodiversity Laboratory), Mr Konstantinos
Gavrilakis (Department of Primary Education - Laboratory of Geography
& Environmental Education), the Head of the Hellenic Geological
and Mining Research, Mr Evangelos Nikolaou, Dr. Hydrogeologist, and
Head of the Vikos-Aoos Geopark Structure / IP EICROS AE Mr. Charitakis
Papaioannou Dr. Biologist.
The educational visit
seminar organised by IPIROS SA, as the managing body of the Geopark
Vikos-Aoos, with the participation of the University of Ioannina (Department of Biological
Applications & Technologies), of the Hellenic Geological and Mining Authority
Research (EAGME) and with the support of the Region of Epirus.
It is noted that this is the first event of its kind, which forms part of the implementation of the Geopark's strategy – as part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks – to foster understanding of its unique characteristics and values among the members of the wider local community.
