Activities with working groups, partner and associated.
The three-day visit of the partners of the European two-year program PRO.GRE.S.S.” was successfully completed. (Proactive Green Communities and storyteller for Natural Capital Safeguarding), which was organized by the municipality of Tripoli between November 4-6, 2023 and was implemented in the wider area of Tripoli.The project PRO.GRE.S.S. is an initiative of a transnational network of communities living in rural areas in four Mediterranean countries: the
Municipality of Tripoli (Greece), the organization Arci Solidarietà Viterbo, the Selva del Lamone Regional Reserve and the Municipality of Farnese (Italy), the Parque Natural de Sa Dragonera and Consell de Mallorca (Spain) and Etudes et Chantiers Corsica (France).
The first day of the three-day visit was successfully held, where the participants first had the opportunity to visit the current Mainalo Forestry History Museum in Chrysovitsi, Arcadia, which was originally one of the first logging factories in Greece. It is a placé that highlights the first steps of development of the region, as well as its forest history since the forests of Mount Mainalo played an
important role in its economy. Then they visited the village of Theodoros Kolokotronis in the beautiful “heart” of mountainous Arcadia, Limbovisi. A village that dominates the mountain landscape full of
water, with an imposing view of Mainalo. Then they made a short stop for coffee at the “Limbovisi”
cafe-refreshment, enjoying the scenery. Finally, they headed to another historic mountain village of Arcadia, Roino, where they tasted local dishes at the “To Monopati” tavern. They explored the first Byzantine church of Agios Georgios, built at the end of the 12th century.
The second day of the PRO.GRE. S.S. project offered a remarkable opportunity for the participants to take a step closer to the rural life of Tegea. The morning was dedicated to exciting activities with the local community of the Kamari Community. Participants engaged in apple picking in the field, cultivating a sense of camaraderie and interaction with local residents. This was followed by an apple jam workshop led by the president of the local community of Kamari, The activities were complemented with coffee and traditional apple sweets, offering a taste of Tegea’s culinary heritage. This was followed by a visit to the apple farms at the Tegea Stadium, where the partners of the program were informed by those in charge of the practices followed by the specific business in terms of the cultivation and disposal of these products.
On the third day of the PRO.GRE. S.S. project, participants embarked on an exciting journey to explore the cultural and natural wonders of Tripoli. The day began with a gathering at the Tripoli City Hall, where the participants were welcomed by the Mayor of Tripoli, together with the competent colleagues of the Municipality for PRO.GRE. S.S. The open discussion that followed served as a reminder of the project’s commitment to promoting community participation and environmental
awareness, while there was also discussion of further expansion in terms of commercial partnerships between the countries and the products they produce.
This was followed by a guided visit to the Kalogri Winery, where participants had the opportunity to learn about the art of organic winemaking and the challenges winemakers face in preserving local traditions. The participants then visited the amazing Kapsia Cave providing a deeper understanding of the geological wonders of the area and the importance of preserving natural treasures.
In the afternoon, a special event was held at the War Museum of Tripoli. Initially, there was on the History of Greece.Then there was a presentation of the three-day Cinema workshop, which took place in June in Tripoli, where the power of visual storytelling in raising awareness about the protection of the environment and culture was highlighted. The event also featured an open discussion, highlighting
the importance of community engagement and ways to promote community involvement. The day was a testament to the commitment of the PRO.GRE.S.S project. and partners to bring communities together to explore, learn and participate in efforts to conserve natural and cultural heritage.