News

The Department of Forests, the Department of Environment, the Contact Advertising Agency Ltd and the Nature Conservation Unit of Frederick University would like to invite you at the final info day of the iLIFE-TROODOS project that will take place on Sunday, 27^th of September 2020, at 11:00 – 13:00 at Platania.

Through a well-structured information and awareness campaign which lasted for three years, implementing two information campaigns per year and utilizing plethora of Mass Media, the project iLIFE-TROODOS has finally come to its end.

Within the framework of a radio live link with DIESI 101.1, the radio producers will inform everyone about the results of the Project and the forest recreational infrastructures created at Troodos. The photo exhibition entitled “Troodos, It’s in Our Nature!” will be open to the public.

Our little friends will get the chance to play a treasure hunt game at Platania and will receive a small gift from Dentris. The event will be followed by a small reception.

TROODOS. It’s in Our Nature!

A handover event of the picnic site for people with disabilities took place on Thursday, 17 September 2020, at “Kakomallis” picnic site, located at the village of Louvaras. The event was organized by the Department of Forests, the Community Council of Louvaras and P.O.A.A of Limassol. The event honored with their presence the Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities Mr. Costas Champiaouris, the CEO of the sponsoring company Mr. Pavlos Paradisiotis and the architect of the project Mr. Kyriakos Mavrikios.

More than 75 people attended the event the aim of which was the handover of the picnic site for people with disabilities. The project iLIFE-TROODOS participated at the event within the framework of Action B.2 “Information and Awareness Workshops” in order to inform the inhabitants of mountainous areas about the main actions of the Project. It was the first time that the Project approached people with disabilities (target group of the Project) in order to informed them about the facilities established for their convenience within the framework of iLIFE-TROODOS project.

The facilities include the placement of QR code signs at selected picnic tables at “Livadi tou Pasia” picnic site. Through a smart device people with visual impairments have the opportunity to make use of the QR codes signs to listen at an audio recording regarding the location and the iLIFE-Troodos project. Moreover, the needs of people with mobility impairments were taken into account, providing parking places and picnic tables, suitable for people in wheelchairs. Similar facilities are provided at the information points at Platania and Troodos Square.

For the first time, facilities for people with visual impairments are provided at a picnic site. Specifically, at “Livadi tou Pasia” picnic site, through a smart device people with visual impairments have the opportunity to listen at an audio recording regarding the location, as well as information about the iLIFE-TROODOS project. QR code signs are placed at selected picnic tables. Moreover, the needs of people with mobility impairments were taken into account, providing parking places and picnic tables suitable for people on wheelchairs. Similar facilities are provided at the visitor information points at Platania and Troodos Square.

The 3rd Cyprus Archaeological, Ethnographic and Historical Film Festival will take place from 10 to 13 September 2020 at the Athalassa Information and Education Center. The four-day program of the Festival includes four environmental documentaries from Cyprus and 20 archaeological and ethnographic documentaries from Australia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Lebanon, Turkey, Japan and Greece. A documentary about the Troodos National Forest Park will be screened at the Festival, which was created within the framework of iLIFE-TROODOS project and presents the beauty of Troodos National Forest Park through the four seasons of the year.

At the same time, three photography exhibitions will be open to the public, one of which concerns the photo exhibition of the iLIFE-TROODOS project entitled “Troodos, It’s in Our Nature!”

The Festival is complemented by two thematic tours and four interactive workshops. For the full program of the Festival please click here.

The Festival is supported by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Forests, the Municipality of Aglantzia, the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, the Creative Europe Desk Cyprus, the French Institute, the Australian High Commission in Cyprus and the CYBC as a communication sponsor.

Press release

For more information visit  https://aei-filmfestival.org/

The 21st May is declared as European Natura 2000 Day. This reminds as to celebrate all across Europe, the achievements of the Natura 2000 Network. The aim of this year’s celebration is to inspire mainly the youth to engage to the protection and restoration of nature.

Natura 2000 Network is the largest network of protected areas in the world and the most valuable tool to safeguard our natural heritage. It is a network of core breeding and resting sites for rare and threatened fauna and flora species and rare habitat types. The Natura 2000 Network in Cyprus consists of 63 sites which corresponds to 29% of land area effectively controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. 75% of State Forests is comprised to the Network, which stresses the significance of these areas in order to safeguard biodiversity, the most valuable resource of nature. The Network has a key role to the protection of the natural ecosystems of the island and halting the biodiversity loss -the value of which emerged through the tragic consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic -and it also promotes sustainable forms of development.

Given the current situation and the unprecedented conditions in Europe (and the whole world), no events will take place in natural areas like the previous years. For this reason, all LIFE projects in Cyprus dealing with environmental issues, prepared a short video about the Natura 2000 Network in Cyprus.

A documentary about Troodos National Forest Park was produced within the framework of the iLIFE-TROODOS project. The documentary presents the beauty of Troodos National Forest Park through the four seasons of the year. The geology, biodiversity and ecosystem services of the area are presented to the audience in a simple and attractive way and thus provokes the intense desire to visit, explore and enjoy Troodos National Forest Park. A special reference is made to the villages of the area, the stone-built settlements promoting local festivals as well as aspects of the culture and religious of the area.

The documentary is available at the iLIFE-TROODOS YouTube channel in the following languages: Greek, English, French, German and Russian and will be displayed at Troodos Environmental Information Centre.

Selected photos from photographers that took part at the Photo Contest with the subject “Troodos, it is in our nature”, which was organized within the framework of the iLIFE-TROODOS project, will be exhibited from November 25, 2019 at Troodos Botanic Garden “A.G. Leventis”. The exhibition consists of 19 photos that were selected with the aim to highlight the biodiversity elements of Troodos National Forest Park and the ecosystem services it provides.

The Contest was organized in collaboration with the Cyprus Photographic Society (Nicosia Branch) and aimed to highlight the natural – inherent value of the forest ecosystem of Troodos National Forest Park regarding its biodiversity. Using their photo cameras, the participants were encouraged to “capture” the Park’s natural beauty and show the variety of habitats, flora and fauna species, geology and natural landscapes throughout the four seasons of the year. Αn independent committee composed by representatives of the partners of the project and Cyprus Photographic Society evaluated the photos of the contest.

The outdoor mobile exhibition will “travel” throughout Cyprus and will finish by September 2020. Specifically, it will be exhibited at:
• Troodos Botanic Garden “A.G. Leventis” (25/11/2019 – 20/12/2019)
• Troodos square (20/12/2019 – 27/03/2020)
• Aradippou: Apostolos Louka square (30/03/2020 – 20/04/2020)
• Larnaca: Finikoudes (04/05/2020 – 25/05/2020)
• Agia Napa: Thalassa Municipal Museum (25/05/2020 – 15/06/2020)
• Latsia: Latsia Municipality (15/06/2020 – 06/07/2020)
• Aglantzia: Kyrenia Avenue (06/07/2020 – 27/07/2020)
• Limassol: Municipal Garden (27/07/2020 – 17/08/2020)
• Athalassa Information and Education Center (17/08/2020 – 18/09/2020)

The project iLIFE-TROODOS has installed a second information point at Troodos square (the first information point was established at “Platania” picnic site). The information point will enhance the available information provided to visitors regarding the services provides as well as the recreational facilities within the Troodos National Forest Park and the neighbouring communities.

The information kiosk is a modern construction that is compatible with the natural environment and it includes eight information panels with eye-catching pictures and texts and an information outdoor touch screen. The touch screen provides information about the Troodos National Forest Park (biodiversity, ecosystem services, etc.), information about the available recreational activities and games like puzzles and multiple-choice questions.

The design and construction of the information kiosk allows 24 hours access per day throughout the year and it is suitable for wheelchair users.

Today, January 29, 2020, the Annual Licensed Tourist Guides Training Seminar was held at the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia. The conference was co-organized by the Debuty Ministry of Tourism and the Cyprus Tourist Guide Association.

More than 250 tourist guides participated in the seminar. The aim of the seminar was to inform the guides about the new developments in the cruise tourism sector and the works for the protection and preservation of Cultural Heritage Monuments, as well as to highlight cinematic art and theatrical events as elements of enriching the tourism product. In addition, the participants had the opportunity to learn about the implementation of the iLIFE-TROODOS project, and in particular the two Apps for smart devices, created within the project, related to informing and entertaining Troodos visitors.

The second Stakeholders’ meeting of the iLIFE-TROODOS project took place on 14 October 2019 at Troodos Division Central Offices at Platania. Representatives from the public and broader public sector bodies involved in environmental issues, NGOs and professional groups, as well as the Troodos Development Company and the Troodos Tourism Development and Promotion Company were invited to participate in the meeting.

The aim of the meeting was to inform the participants on the progress of the iLIFE-TROODOS project and to receive feedback on the suggestions proposed during their 1st meeting. The participants also had the opportunity to be guided to the information point in Platania established within the framework of the iLIFE-TROODOS project.