Section ENVIRONMENT
TOPIC

MYTILINEOS
Program "Information and awareness of the school community on the prevention and response to forest fires, forest protection policies and practices"

The aim of the initiative is to provide the best possible information to students and teachers of Primary and Secondary education by specialized scientists for the prevention of forest fires as well as the understanding of the value of the forest through the process of planting / tree planting in Koupan fires. The selection of the aforementioned seeds was made according to specific criteria, as they germinate again in case of fire, store a sufficient amount of water, significantly favoring biodiversity.

The program concerns 1,250 students and 76 teachers of 42 schools of Primary and Secondary education of the Prefecture of Attica.

School Year: October 2019-May 2020

Recognizing its business responsibility for the preservation of balances in nature, MYTILINEOS implemented the environmental initiative "Informing and sensitizing the school community on the prevention and management of forest fires, forest protection policies and practices", in cooperation with the Non-Governmental Organization Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, which is part of the International Thematic Network of Environmental Education "Learning about Forests".

The main stages of the initiative are the following: a) the action of tree planting and oak planting in areas affected by fires, b) detailed information by highly specialized scientists for fire prevention and c) the creation and production of a poster "Decalogue of a proper tree planting ”and a brochure with instructions and details for proper planting which were distributed to all participating schools.

Specifically, the following were implemented:

1. Teacher training seminar with experiential workshops

1 seminar was held for teachers participating in the international Network of Environmental Education "Learning about Forests" and related to: "Resistant cities against climate change". The seminar included 2 experiential workshops on "Creatively approaching the 17 goals of Sustainable Development" and "Creating stories with our own art forest - footprint".

2. Seed planting & tree planting action

Students and teachers participated in the action of planting oak seeds and tree planting of logs and oak in the area of ​​Neos Voutzas and Daou Pentelis respectively. The plantings took place in November and February, proving that the planting season contributes significantly to the success of reforestation, avoiding foreign varieties of seeds so that the seedlings are healthy and resistant to the special soil and climatic conditions of the region.

MYTILINEOS cooperated directly with the Environmental Non-Profit Company "Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature", which for the implementation of the program collaborated with the following organizations:

  • Regional Directorate of Reforestation of Attica and the Directorate of Primary Education of Athens II.
  • Association of Municipalities for the Protection and Regeneration of Mount Penteliko (SPAP) and the Penteli Forest Office.
  • Association of Athenians.

The seed planting and tree planting activities took place in Neos Voutzas and Daou Pentelis, ie in areas affected by fire, while the seminar took place in a center in the center of Athens provided by the Athens Association.

MYTILINEOS, gave the opportunity to 380 students and 26 teachers to participate in the oak seed planting action in the area of ​​Neos Voutzas, planting 4,000 seeds as well as to 330 students and 20 teachers in the oak and stump tree planting action in the area of ​​Dautos Pentelis life in the affected areas, realizing in practice the value of the forest and the catastrophic consequences of a fire.

At the same time, with their participation in the seminar as well as in the 2 experiential workshops, 30 teachers of all levels from Attica and the neighboring prefectures of Corinth, Boeotia and Evia who participate in the international Environmental Education Network "Learning about Forests", had the opportunity ask questions and exchange ideas and opinions about the techniques and educational tools they used. The result of the above was the correct information of the teachers and their enhancement in an experiential way in the utilization of educational tools regarding the change of the global climate with natural processes or with human activities that affect the whole planet.

The cooperation of MYTILINEOS with the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature was implemented in the framework of the strategic partnerships developed by the company, with important social actors, for the achievement of the Global Sustainable Development Goals 11 & 15.

Through the program, MYTILINEOS, shows in practice its awareness of the problems caused nationally and globally by the reduction of forest areas, having a significant impact on the wider society, thus managing to strengthen the environmental awareness of students and teachers.