Dear friends of CPF,
Join us this summer for a moonlit fundraiser event to celebrate and uplift our work supporting Cycladic nature and its protectors.On the 20th of August 2024 in Paros we will gather on the grounds of Paros Microbrewery ‘56 Isles’ for an evening of good cheer and good giving towards our beloved Cycladic island habitats.
There will be live music, brewery tours, fingerfood, drinks, a live auction, fun and chilled local beers!
All funds raised will go towards our work in protecting and restoring Cycladic nature.
Indicatively, some of our proudest initiatives which we look to enhance include protecting Posidonia, helping Cycladic wildlife, motivating school communities towards sustainability and empowering local heroes.
- Cyclades Posidonia Alert: our campaign helps to protect invaluable Posidonia seagrass meadows. Producing 14-20 litres of oxygen per square meter daily, Posidonia seagrass meadows are vital for marine biodiversity. However, unregulated anchoring by recreational boating tourism that tears up these precious meadows poses a serious concern. Reaching 12 Cycladic islands so far, CPF team has delivered educational activities for all ages including 900 school students, installed informative plaques in 20 marinas, and engaged with hundreds of seagoing professionals to raise awareness about the devastating effects of irresponsible anchorage.
- Cyclades Care for Wildlife: it is a regional rescue network saving sick or injured native and migratory birds, marine mammals and sea turtles, treating hundreds annually, training residents, visitors and islands’ authorities to respond responsibly to wildlife in need. CPF coordinates with 4 local and national wildlife rescue associations to run awareness raising events and train volunteers (at least 100+ so far) hoping to mitigate the threats related to habitat destruction, increasing human presence and pollution and eventually protect the precious but vulnerable wildlife in the Cyclades.
- Empowering local conservation heroes: our network of local grassroots actors and organizations serve conservation efforts in their communities, against the backdrop of rampant tourism-focused development. They provide bottom-up interventions embedded in their specific island contexts, fostering cultures of care and respect for their islands. We host a yearly CPF Islander’s Forum for our local partners, strengthening inter-island networks to foster synergies and collective support. Online networks and upskilling opportunities further knit and strengthen our network of 40+ local partners on 27 islands.
- Enabling environmental programs in the Cycladic schools: over the years, the CPF has played an important role in the environmental education of students in Cycladic schools. Our key educational projects (Me and My Plastic, Posidonia Alert Kids, Revegetating the Cyclades-Greening Schools, Local Paths to Change, and Wildlife in the Schools) have engaged and motivated more than 2500 children and their teachers and families so far. We continue our efforts trying to reach as many islands and schools as possible because kids can change the world!
We are delighted to invite you to celebrate and appreciate with us the immeasurable beauty and wellbeing the Cyclades offer us. We hope you will join us in expressing our passionate dedication to care for the islands as they care for us.
Thank you in advance and we look forward to meeting you in person!
Anni Mitropoulou
CPF Executive Director