Education
The Iris Project
Iris Goldsmith died in a tragic accident on her family farm at the age of 15 on the 8th of July 2019. Iris had a deep and lifelong connection with the natural world, a gentle way with animals of all kinds, and a particular reverence for the sea. Iris well understood that finding harmony with nature is the overriding purpose of humanity – and she took every opportunity to do her bit. Before leaving any beach or wild space she visited Iris always made a point of organizing the people she was with to clear the litter from one end to the other.
The Iris Project seeks to empower young people of Iris’ age in their efforts to restore and protect nature, and eventually become the environmental guardians of where they live. In 2021, for example, the project set up a competition for local children to direct a short video highlighting an environmental issue that concerns them and their island as well as proposing a solution to tackle it. The Iris Prize, a grant total of $30,000 (plus mentoring and capacity-building support), will be awarded to three outstanding young individuals championing the protection and restoration of nature, and the rights of those who defend it.
The project is being implemented by various members of the Conservation Collective in line with our mission to support local environmental ‘champions’ who can bring long-term positive change in their local communities with appropriate support.
Ο νικητής θα ανακοινωθεί από το Cyclades Preservation Fund στις αρχές Αυγούστου 2021 και θα του δοθεί η ευκαιρία να συνεργαστεί με έναν επαγγελματία σκηνοθέτη σε μια ταινία μικρού μήκους για να εμπνεύσει δράση στο νησί του!
Info in Greek is available εδώ. The 2021 winners can be found below.
Amorgos, by Sofia Gryspou.
Syros, by Evgenia Koutsabasi, Elli Passa, Paraskevas Politakos, Giorgos Plikas, Elpida Gavioti, and Panagiotis Aspropoulos, with the guidance of their teachers Alexia Tzefridou and Christos Kollias.
Check out the video created by the CPF to celebrate the Iris Project 2021 initiative below. Many thanks to the filmmaker Olivia Tado!