Archipelagos – environment and development is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) first established in 1991 under the name «Archipelagos – marine and coastal management».
We are based in Lourdata on the Ionian island of Kefalonia and we are involved in environmental planning, and the preservation and management of the natural environment both marine and terrestrial.
Our team, scientists and others, has been working since 1985 without interruption, mainly in the Ionian but also throughout Greece.
Picture left: Dimitris Panos († 1999)
Picture right: Tassia Lekatsa on survey
Beginning with projects for the protection of the endangered
Mediterranean monk seal, we soon extended our activities
to other issues such as the registration of rare species such
as cetaceans, etc., the seawater quality, the promotion of the
sustainable development of mountainous areas and the
provision of guides for ecologically important areas.
The history of our actions for over 20 years is summarized:
here: a fascinating journey with many success stories
though not without its hurdles. On the picture (1985):
Edith Ries, assistant; Prof. Jürgen Jacobs, Munich († 1995);
Aliki Panou, researcher; and Jannis Geroulanos, volunteer.
Our logo depicts the shell of the Greater Argonaut
(Argonautes argo), the ‘sailor on the Argo’:
its shell is similar in shape to the traditional
Greek “kaiki” fishing boat.
The adult female of this pelagic, octopus-like species
‘sails’ on its shell on the sea surface.
It is a symbol for eternal effort and for the myth
of traveling towards a distant goal.
Picture: the living animal
Our work has been acknowledged at the international level:
it is included in five British and German TV documentaries,
and numerous articles have been published in books,
magazines and newspapers throughout Europe
and elsewhere.
Archipelagos Italia
In 2015, a new ‘sister’ organization was established in Venice, Italy, under the name «Archipelagos – ambiente e sviluppo Italia», aiming at a close collaboration in projects of common interest.
«Pro Archipelagos»
Finally, in 2016, the NGO «Pro Archipelagos» was founded in Zurich, Switzerland, to provide organizational and financial support to Archipelagos.
More information: http://proarchipelagosschweiz.jimdo.com
