Project Cordinator, Chris Higgins, reports back from the COBWEB meeting which took place in several locations in Greece from 28th October to 2nd November. 

A few weeks ago we finally realised the full glory of a project built round the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.  After a year of planning and a year of talking about, writing and doing the COBWEB project, we finally managed a visit to the Greek reserves involved in our project – the magnificent Samaria Gorge in Crete and incomparable Mount Olympus.

Our Greek partners University of Patras and OIKOM Environmental Studies Ltd did us proud by arranging for us to meet key individuals and representatives from the management bodies responsible for our areas of interest.  I can report some intense interest on the ground in the potential for what smartphone enabled citizens can contribute and what COBWEB is doing, especially in our pilot case study areas of validating Earth Observation products and biological monitoring.  It was particularly invigorating to meet with a number of enthusiastic teachers at Mount Olympus keen to get local children using new technology in environmental education.

All of the UK delegation have come away from our week of meetings and walks round the reserves with a much clearer mental picture of the reserves, the main players involved, the constraints, the level of enthusiasm and the potential for transferring the technology we develop in Wales to Greece.

My own feeling is that there is a lot of untapped potential here. Personal highlights were the evident opportunities for progress in environmental education for sustainable development, the flock of Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus), the throne of Zeus and the food – those Greeks really know how to do food and eating out!

Image of Fotios Xystrakis (above) curtosy of Robin Farrar, Ecodyfi.