#forest of dadia

[gemsofgreece]

https://dasarxeio.com/2023/08/28/128302/

Did you see this article? I am so devastated by the destruction that has happened in Dadia. It's so horrible a part of me cannot even process it :((

You know, I have stopped talking about this because it affects me. It gets to my well-being. On one hand the pain is so great, on the other hand I feel like we should be punished for all our political choices, all our problematic mindsets and indifference and chaotic selfish attitude and lack of organisation and foresight and poor system of justice that count decades at this point. We need the punishment until the lesson gets learned. At the same time, if I think about it, my eyes water about the forest and the animals and all the people living near it or holding it close to their hearts.

The national woodland of Dadia has been burning for 13 days now. The professor of forest studies in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has warned that the forest will need 100-150 years to return to its original form, so none of us will live to see it. Some won't see it again like they once did and the rest won't ever see what it was like. Dadia was one of Europe's most important ecosystems, being home to many endangered bird species, especially super rare vultures. We have no idea what happened to them. Either they are dead or they will never return.

Dadia was the pride of the region of Evros. It's gone. Estimations are that 150,000 hectares are gone and we keep going. The fire has been characterised as officially the worst fire in the history of the European Union.

And we generally lose 75,000 hectares every year, most of the animals living in them and 9 people on average. Where is this gonna go? We're not a big country. Not that being a big country would make this better in any way but still. This is not an one time thing. This has become systemic at this point and nobody does anything about it. We can not afford it financially, environmentally, emotionally, mentally. We can't.

And again. 90% OF IT IS NOT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. IT'S EITHER ORGANISED CRIME OR WIDE INDEPENDENT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. It is getting confirmed and proved again and again. At this point it is even admitted by the Greek government. Dadia in particular was targeted last year as well. Climate change can't always happen in Dadia every year, the northernmost and thus a humid and cold region compared to the average of the country!!!!

And yet the Greek state sits and watches. We must always remember that the Greek state for some reason dismantled the Firefighting sector of the Forest Service in the 90s and has made the standard city firefighting service responsible for forest fires. We are the only country with flammable ecosystems like ours that does this globally. And despite what happens every year, we do not correct this.

And you know the most maddening stuff. We have a lot of personell and we also spend more money than the average for the firefighting expenditures!!!!!!!!!!!! About 1.5 billion every year and we are the worst at it in Europe. Like... I can't make coherent thoughts anymore.

I can't talk about this more right now, I am sorry. Nothing I can say will make any difference anyway. The only thing I can hope and pray for is that speculations and predictions will prove to be pessimistic as nature is always so much stronger and resourceful than we are.

[maranull]

Words a state owned journalist said in state owned TV:

The only positive, is that we haven't mourned human life, apart from the poor 18 people that lost their lives in the Dadias forest.

If that sounds like immigrants' lives are being separated as less important than Greek ones is because that's literally what's happening.

Oh, it doesn't sound like that? I'm looking too deep into it?

Do add the fact that 13 immigrants were fucking locked up in a trailer by 3 civilians as a "retaliation" for the fires. Comments in that video included: "burn them", "drive the trailer in the sea", "close the camera and make them feel pain". Add the fact that the far right (accounting for over 10% of the parliament) is straight up saying that the fires were started by immigrants and "strangers" (<- basically how Greeks say "aliens") and that "we are at war (with immigrants)". Add the fact that there have been at least two recorded instances of Greek forces either straight up sinking or not helping sinking ships carrying immigrants throughout Greek waters.

Does it sound like that now?

Are we seeing the pattern yet? Are we seeing that this country is becoming more and more unapologetically racist and is placing ranks of importance on how they value human life?

Are we seeing that while it hasn't been as visible as Italy straight up electing a far right party, Greece is —politically and more importantly, culturally— going further and further to the extreme right?

[mariacallous]

The Prosecutor of the Greek Supreme Court, Georgia Adeilini, has ordered a probe into the wildfires in Alexandroupolis, Evros and also into suspected racist violence against 25 migrants from Syria and Pakistan who were illegally detained in a car trailer.

For the fifth day, the operations of the Fire Department continue in Evros on two fronts, in Alexandroupolis and the forest of Dadia, where on Tuesday, 18 people were found dead and burned. Fires are also ongoing in other areas of the country, in Aspropyrgos, Rodopi, Fthiotida, Boeotia, as well as in the Parnitha forest mountain range north of Athens.

The 18 dead bodies were found charred near the village of Avantas, in the forest of Dadia. Among them were two children. The coroner of Alexandroupolis, Pavlos Pavlidis, who examined the bodies, told Athens-Macedonia News Agency that the police had told him that the area is a known passageway for illegal migrants. Meanwhile, no local residents were reported missing, reinforcing authorities suspicion that the dead bodies belong to migrants.

“It causes unspeakable sadness that many people were found charred in the forest of Dadia, probably, according to electronic press reports, migrants, usually victims of illegal traffickers,” said Adeilini, who called for a probe into a possible racist violent incident.

A video released Tuesday on Greek social networks meanwhile showed a man opening his car trailer and showing people locked inside there. He disparagingly calls them “pieces”, accuses them of starting the fires in Evros, and calls for a pogrom.

Greek police announced that they had arrested a foreign national and his two Greek associates. They noted that during August, on average, on the Evros, they prevented around 900 illegal entries into Greece per day and arrested hundreds of traffickers, stressing that “Greece is a state of law, with a strong democratic acquis and humanitarian tradition. Self-righteousness is not tolerated in any form”.

The Supreme Court’s investigation into the fire in Alexadroupoli concerns a series of serious offenses, such as the possible formation, membership, and management of a criminal organization, violence and exposure to danger.

The wildfires in Greece from August 19-21 have already burned over 400,000 acres, reported media outlet Kathimerini. Analysis of satellite data of the National Observatory of Athens shows that 380,000 acres in Evros, 30,000 acres in Rhodope, 12,000 acres in Boeotia, 8,000 acres in Kythnos island, and 5,000 acres in Psachna, Evoia island were burned.

[elladastinkardiamou]

This week's newsletter from AthensLive is out:

Our heart mourns the country’s lost beauty  

The PM vanishes

Will we finally face the elephant in the room?

We had hoped we wouldn’t need to write another newsletter about wildfires—at least not this year. Yet, here we are, with (the other) half of Greece burning, including critical protected areas like Dadia and Parnitha Forests National Parks. Some 21 people died from the fires, and many properties were destroyed. 

Like this was not enough, there has been an orchestrated effort for the wildfires to attribute the tragedy to migrants, even if the wildfires killed them. 

Consequently, we witnessed groups of ‘vigilantes’ in the Evros region, bordering Turkey, organizing ‘headhunters’ patrols for migrants/refugees and capturing them like animals in a closed wagon. 

Aren’t the above news cornerstones of fascism?

It cannot be recommended strongly enough to read and share this week's updates on the events and developments in Greece here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/posts/017dfa04-fa19-4d98-a671-72149d9a0318

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here: https://steadyhq.com/en/athenslivegr/newsletter/sign_up

[acityhermit]

All creation is groaning in labor pains

Rom. 8:22 Alone, scared, shocked, confused, with no mate, no offspring, this black vulture is staring at his home, his natural habitat, Dadia Forest, all burnt out https://youtu.be/hKSSpXjBPDE?si=pUsiKIDCQ-pXTDSI The fire in Evros is finally in remission, where extinguishing efforts continue for the 17th day. As reported by ERT, as of Sunday evening there is no active front, however more than…

[blogynews]

"Inferno's Wrath Takes Its Toll: Livestock Devastated, Goat Breeder Vows to Rebuild"

A devastating wildfire has caused significant damage to the livestock of goat breeder Kleanthis Raptis in the village of Provatonas, northeastern Greece. The fire, which has been burning for over two weeks, has ravaged the region of Evros, claiming the lives of at least 20 people, destroying homes, and scorching the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli park, a protected forest area. Raptis, 56, expressed his…

[blogynewz]

"Inferno's Wrath Takes Its Toll: Livestock Devastated, Goat Breeder Vows to Rebuild"

A devastating wildfire has caused significant damage to the livestock of goat breeder Kleanthis Raptis in the village of Provatonas, northeastern Greece. The fire, which has been burning for over two weeks, has ravaged the region of Evros, claiming the lives of at least 20 people, destroying homes, and scorching the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli park, a protected forest area. Raptis, 56, expressed his…

[blogynewsz]

"Inferno's Wrath Takes Its Toll: Livestock Devastated, Goat Breeder Vows to Rebuild"

A devastating wildfire has caused significant damage to the livestock of goat breeder Kleanthis Raptis in the village of Provatonas, northeastern Greece. The fire, which has been burning for over two weeks, has ravaged the region of Evros, claiming the lives of at least 20 people, destroying homes, and scorching the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli park, a protected forest area. Raptis, 56, expressed his…

[onestatebusinessnews]

Greek firefighters found 25 migrants in the Dadia Forest, where a wildfire has been burning for the past 14 days.

[shahananasrin-blog]

[ad_1] Fuelled by record temperatures and high winds, the deadly fires that began across the country in July have so far claimed 27 lives, including two children – both asylum seekers, according to news reports.They were among 18 bodies discovered by Greek authorities on 22 August in the national forest of Dadia, in the northeast, reportedly all asylum seekers. A 19th body was found last Thursday.As of the end of 2022, around 86,600 refugees and asylum seekers have been sheltering in Greece, with refugees from Ukraine accounting for around 25 per cent.Lost everythingChildren have been among the hardest hit by the disaster, said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in the Mediterranean nation.“They have lost their homes, families have lost their livelihoods, and some have lost their lives. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with all those affected and all those responding.”Many children are also suffering health issues, especially due to the air pollution caused by the blaze.UNICEF for its part is working with authorities and humanitarian partners to support children and their families, providing them with medical supplies, essential items and psychosocial support.Unprecedented disasterThe risk of new fires - or the rapid spread of existing ones - is anticipated to remain high over the next 48 hours, according to media reports.The flames have destroyed over 155,000 hectares of forests, farmlands and urban land so far, an area twice the size of New York City, and affected over 100,000 people, including around 30,000 children.As flames moved toward a medical facility in northern Greece, 11 newborns were among patients in intensive care who have had to be moved to a makeshift hospital on a boat, UNICEF noted. [ad_2]

[eurovisionsocialnewswire]

GREECE: Firefighters respond as wildfire spreads near Alexandroupolis, Evros Region

Strong winds and scorching temperatures have worsened the situation in northeast Greece, where a wildfire has been spreading for the past several days. Near the city of Alexandroupolis in the Evros Region, the blaze has grown to at least 4,600 hectares in size. On Tuesday, August 22, the fire was making its way into the National Forest Park of Dadia, which is located close to the the Turkish…

[gemsofgreece]

Cool things to see in Evros, Greece

Evros is a special region of Greece. It is located in Thrace and is the northeasternmost prefecture of the country. It shares borders with Bulgaria and Turkey. Here are some very cool places in it.

Alexandroúpoli(s)

Alexandroupoli is the major city of the region and one of the youngest in the country, founded as a mere fishing village in the 19th century. Its most notable attractions are the waterfront promenade and the lighthouse, which was built in 1880 and is one of the tallest in Greece. 

Photo by Athanasios Sismanis on 500px. 

The National Park of Evros Delta

This national park is one of the most environmentally significant ecoregions of Europe. There are more than 300 plant species, 40 mammal species, 28 reptiles and amphibians, 46 species of fish and more than 320 bird species recorded!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons. 

The National Woodland Park of Dadiá - Lefkimmi - Souflí

Evros is blessed with another of the most significant ecoregions in Europe. Shortly known as Forest of Dadia, it  is one of the first Greek regions to receive protected status. For a good reason: the forest is home to about 380 plant species, 60 mammal species, 29 reptilian species, 13 amphibians, 17 fish species. But once more the most important reason for its protection is the endangered birds of prey in particular (36 species). The forest of Dadia is home to three of the four vulture species you can see in Europe.

Black woodpecker in the Forest of Dadia. Photo by Al. Gassios on Wikimedia Commons. 

Souflí

Soufli is a small town close to the forest and it is famous because it flourished in the 19th century as the best silk producer in the region. At some point the small town had four different silk factories! Traditional silk production has now faded but now the town is in a process of reviving itself through several types of tourism. There are many museums for its size, two of which are for the silk production and silk cloth making alone. 

Inside the “Art of Silk” Museum. Photo by Ali Crumbie on TripAdvisor. 

Orestiada

Now, to be fair, there isn’t much to lose your mind over in Orestiada but this town has two cool fun facts about it. a) It is the youngest town in Greece, built in 1923 by Greek immigrants from Eastern Thrace (Turkey) and b) it is the northernmost urban centre in the country. Its population is rather young and thus there are many amenities, cafes, cool restaurants, bars, clubs etc. There is also a small forest in the town, where you can enjoy your coffee. The town is pretty active culturally. And as the newest town it is also one of the most navigable, because most Greek cities are old and chaotic.

Graffiti in the town, for the Greek migration. Photo by Vangelisg4 on Wikipedia. 

Ardas river

Ardas is overshadowed by the large Evros river, however it is a very beautiful river running through Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. People visit the river and pass the borders. In the summer, there is a music festival taking place there with artists from all ethnicities. There you will also find Kastanies village, our only border with Turkey in land. (The rest of the border is naturally marked by the presence of Evros river, each bank belonging to one country.) 

Ardas in the borders of Greece and Bulgaria. Photo by Evgeni Dinev on Wikimedia Commons. 

and, of course,

Didymóteicho

Didymoteicho is so special it has even become a song (Didymoteicho blues) for its military camps. However, there is so much more than that. The town was for a while the capital of the Byzantine Empire and here Ioannes (John) VI Kantakouzenos was crowned emperor in 1341. Another emperor was born there, also Ioannes III Doukas Vatatzes in 1193, the Emperor of Nicaea (subregion of the shrinking Byzantine Empire), who was ascended to saint as Saint John the Merciful. The town has numerous Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman attractions. Didymoteicho has the largest mosque in the Balkans and the oldest on European ground. It is the Çelebi Sultan Mehmed Mosque, also known as the Bayezid Mosque and the Great Mosque, completed in 1420. The mosque does not operate, however there is another one which does. In the town you will also see the prisons where the Ottoman Turks had confined the King of Sweden Charles XII in 1713 (long story). I told you, the place is cool. 

Church of Virgin Mary the Liberator and the statue of Constantine XI Dragases Palaeologos, the last emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Photo by Pjposullivan on Wikipedia. 

Post concept inspired by this Greek article by Maria-Christina Doulami.

[pulledpurplecurtains]

https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2022/07/22/forest-dadia-evros-on-fire-ecosystems-greece-videos/

greece is not burning bc of climate change. the european heatwave hasn’t even reached us yet. our wildfires are a deliberate criminal act against our forests

[zafeiria-an]

📌Dadia forest, Evros

[isidoros1983]

RHODOPE MOUNTAINS (THRACE, GREECE) : The Southern Rhodopes are the part of the mountain range that is located in Greece. The Rhodope regional unit in the northern part of the country is named after the region. This area includes the Rodopi Mountain Range National Park. The Southern Rhodopes are characterized by numerous peaks of relatively low altitude. In the forest of Frakto there are 300-year-old trees, more than 50 metres high, and the endangered wild goat. In the eastern part of the region there is the well known nature reserve of Dadia Forest, an ideal habitat for birds of prey, with 36 of the 38 species of birds of prey of Europe, like the rare Eastern imperial eagle and Lesser spotted eagle.

[blogynews]

"Unleashing the E.U.'s Ultimate Power: A Heroic Emergency Force Rises amidst Greek Fires and Unforeseen Crises!"

Last week, in the idyllic village of Dadia in northern Greece, a gathering took place as dozens of exhausted firefighters from various parts of Europe came together to assess their day’s work and replenish their supplies. The scene was set against the backdrop of a lush national park teeming with rare vultures, as Europe’s most destructive blaze in recent history raged through the virgin forest…