A group of students from the Geology School of the Beijing University of Geosciences is on the island of Lesvos to participate in the summer school on Geopreservation and Promotion of Geological Monuments and Protected Areas, organized by the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest!

The students will carry out a field exercise in Lesvos from August 20 to 27, 2023 and will be accompanied by the Dean of the Geology School of Beijing University of Geosciences Professor Genhou Wang and Professor Zhang Jianping.

From the University of the Aegean, the coordinator of the educational exercise is Professor Nikos Zouros, Director of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest and head of the UNESCO Chair for Geoparks and the sustainable development of island and coastal areas.

The Beijing University of Geosciences in collaboration with the University of the Aegean has created an educational base in Lesvos for the realization of field exercises for its students, demonstrating the possibilities for cooperation with major Universities abroad as well as the dynamics offered by the recognition of Lesvos as a UNESCO World Geopark for the establishment of the Petrified Forest and the Lesvos Geopark as a model education destination for University students from all over the world.

In July 2015, this cooperation was strengthened with the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the University of the Aegean and the Beijing University of Geosciences and continued on an annual basis until the outbreak of the pandemic, with particularly positive results and the implementation of field exercises in Lesvos every year.

The main purpose of this year’s educational activity for the students is to get to know the geological monuments of the Lesvos Geopark and the Petrified Forest, the ways of recording, protecting and highlighting them as well as the methods of their maintenance and management. At the same time, they will be informed about the UNESCO program “UNESCO Global Geoparks”, about the development of geo-activities in geopark areas and the interpretation of natural heritage.

The students will carry out field exercises at the new fossil-bearing sites along the Kalloni-Sigri road, highlighting that the Lesvos Geopark is a natural laboratory for the study of geological phenomena and natural protected areas, as well as their highlighting and public awareness.

At the same time, their program will include getting to know the tradition and culture of Lesvos, visiting monuments and museums of Lesvos as well as the Castles of Mytilene and Mythymna.

The participants of the summer school will have the opportunity to be informed about the richness and importance of the protected areas of Lesvos and to know about the awareness actions in the protected areas of Lesvos, carrying out bird watching in the most important wetlands of Western Lesvos.

A special educational activity will be held for the participants at the Nissiopi Marine Park with the special glass-bottom boat of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest.