ECOlogical use of native PLANTs for environmental restoration and sustainable development in the MEDiterranean region

An open information day was organised at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (CIHEAM – MAICh) in Crete, Greece on 6 October 2015. The topic of this ECOPLANTMED project event was the use of native flora in landscaping and restoration. 
Representatives of public sectors involved with the environment, plant material, and landscaping and restoration works, as well as representatives of the environmental education sector and other stakeholders (educators, agriculturalists, foresters, biologists, nursery owners, landscapers, garden designers, reporters, and others) were informed about the ECOPLANTMED project, coordinated by CIHEAM – MAICh with partners in Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia.
The Forest Directorate of Chania - Decentralized Administration of Crete, ECOPLANTMED associate partner of CIHEAM – MAICh, presented the activities of the Forest Nursery of Chania and the current situation for plant material used in restoration actions and especially in reforestation.
A discussion followed about how the project results can promote the use of plant species of the Cretan flora. Participants agreed on the need for cooperation of all relevant sectors as well as individual private stakeholders in order to valorise plant species of the local flora and avoid the use of alien plants and especially those that are characterised as invasive and negatively affect the local flora. Finally, all participants agreed that there is a need for raising public awareness.

Programme of the event: (pdf file, GR)

Presentations:

• The ECOPLANTMED project: Ecological use of native plants for environmental restoration and sustainable development in the Mediterranean region (pdf file, GR)
• Species of the Cretan flora selected for ECOPLANTMED – contribution of the Seed Bank of CIHEAM – MAICh to the conservation and valorisation of the Cretan flora (pdf file, GR)
• Forest Nursery of Chania (pdf file, GR)
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