environment

The Environment Museum of Stymfalia

A presentation on how the lakes in the region were formed.

Ancient artifacts discovered in the area.

Sheep herders from earlier in the last century flocking sheep near the lake behind them.

The cloak, shoes and bells of a sheep herdsman.

The environment museum is located in the mountainous side of Corinth. The museum aims to exhibit the human interdependence with nature. The exhibits include how the nearby Lake Stymfalia was created over time. The main objectives of the museum are to bring ecological awareness to the public, and the preservation of knowledge about the traditional technology of the region, such as bee keeping, the harvesting of wheat, sheep herding, and fishing.

Just a few feet away from the museum is the Lake Stymfalia which has mythological connections which I will be discussing in the next post.

Το μουσείο περιβάλλοντος βρίσκεται στην ορεινή πλευρά της Κορίνθου. Το μουσείο στοχεύει να παρουσιάσει την αλληλεξάρτηση του ανθρώπου με τη φύση. Τα εκθέματα περιλαμβάνουν πώς δημιουργήθηκε η κοντινή λίμνη Στυμφαλίας με την πάροδο του χρόνου. Κύριοι στόχοι του μουσείου είναι η οικολογική ευαισθητοποίηση του κοινού και η διατήρηση της γνώσης για την παραδοσιακή τεχνολογία της περιοχής, όπως η μελισσοκομία, η συγκομιδή σιταριού, η βοσκή προβάτων και το ψάρεμα.

Μόλις λίγα μέτρα μακριά από το μουσείο βρίσκεται η λίμνη Στυμφαλία που έχει μυθολογικές συνδέσεις για τις οποίες θα αναφερθώ σε επόμενη ανάρτηση.

Sunflower in December/Ηλίανθος το Δεκέμβριο

Decembersunflower

December sunflower

Our Imbalanced Earth

Sunflower in December

Humanity’s’ shame.

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I wrote a Haiku Japanese ancient poem to describe my shock when I saw a sunflower bloom in the garden this December. I planted the seed in May and they usually bloom in June here in Greece. I read that July was the hottest month on record for the planet resulting in the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice and many other calamities. Then October came and there was a heatwave in Europe, the temperatures almost reached 30 °C. The seed that failed to germinate in the spring got it’s second chance in the unusually warm fall season.

Very worrying indeed. 😦

The Blackest Day/Η Πιο Μαυρη Μερα

Χωρις Λογια.

No words.

Waves of Trash/Κυμα Σκουπιδιων

‘You can run, but you can’t hide’! Collage by Angela Zafiris

Recently a pregnant sperm whale washed up on a beach in Sardinia, Italy. The whale had 49 pounds of plastic in its stomach. Last month another whale was found washed up on the shores of the Philippines with 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach. The oceans are full of plastics and air pollution has gotten worse.

The state of global air (SOGA) released a report that air pollution is the 5th leading cause of death in the world today. Countries in Asia and Africa are suffering the most due to the use of fuels like coal and charcoal for home cooking. The life expectancy of children in the countries will decrease by 20 months.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) air pollution kills over 7 million people each year. Air pollution increases the risk of stroke, lung cancer and heart disease. Also, air pollution kills 50% of children under the age of 5.

Changes are being made in Europe with the banning of plastic bags and straws and the youth is protesting around the world for the environment. But, quicker and bigger changes need to made and everyone has to make environmental causes a top priority.

Paradise in the City/Παράδεισος στην Πόλη

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My dream car!

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The city of Athens is considered one of the least greenest in Europe. That is slowly changing as people are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. The Botanical Park in Haidari in western Athens is a nice hidden gem, and a beautiful escape from the concrete of the city that many Athenians don’t know very well.

Η πόλη της Αθήνας θεωρείται ένα από τα λιγότερα πράσινα στην Ευρώπη. Αυτό αλλάζει σιγά-σιγά, καθώς οι Έλληνες γίνονται όλο και πιο φιλική προς το περιβάλλον. Το Βοτανικό Πάρκο στο Χαϊδάρι στη δυτική Αθήνα είναι ένα ωραίο κρυμμένο κόσμημα και μια όμορφη απόδραση από το τσιμέντο της πόλης που λιγοί Αθηναίοι γνωρίζουν καλά.

Earthly Treasures/Γη των θησαυρών

Minimal handmade collage by Angela Zafiris

I didn’t start with a theme when I started playing with random pictures. I had the hand and the silver jug on paper first and the images fueled my imagination and it gave me this result. I think the artwork could be about the environment. It seems very ecological. I started working on this in April and April 22 was earth day, so why not?

Δεν ξεκίνησα με ένα θέμα όταν άρχισα να παίζω με τυχαίες εικόνες. Είχα πρώτα το χέρι και την ασημένια κανάτα σε χαρτί και οι εικόνες τροφοδότησαν τη φαντασία μου και μου έδωσε αυτό το αποτέλεσμα. Νομίζω ότι το έργο τέχνης θα μπορούσε να αφορά το περιβάλλον. Φαίνεται πολύ οικολογικό. Άρχισα να εργάζομαι σε αυτό τον Απρίλιο και στις 22 Απριλίου ήταν ημέρα της γης, ε λοιπόν γιατί όχι;