Tilos Park

The Tilos Park Association (TPA), is an NGO founded in July 2004 by TPA Director Konstantinos Mentzelopoulos; the entity is a Hellenic judicially registered non-profit association in Livadia, Tilos, Dodacanese, Greece. The TPA aim is to independently develop and implement nature protection actions and ecotourism. Tilos is a 63 km² Dodecanese island with 350 permanent residents located 20 km from the Anatolian coast in the southeastern Aegean Sea next to Rhodes.

Natural history

Tilos and its 16 uninhabited islets are a Corine Biotopes Project region, Important Bird Area (IBA), EU registered Special Protection Area, Natura 2000 site, and 2005-2008 European Union Tilos LIFE Nature Project host.

Tilos has 155 documented wild bird species (one quarter of which are identified in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, including the Eleonora Falcon, to which Tilos is seasonal home to 10% of the entire world population); more than 800 recorded botanical species, including 28 orchid species of which 8 are rare; 6 mountains and the highest, regional formations of coastal limestone cliffs; 19 beaches, predominantly accessible only by foot; a marine environment that shelters the IUCN Red Listed sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus); underground fresh water springs that nourish the 16 island biotopes with priority habitats; and diverse herpetofauna, certain species of which originated in Asia Minor and Africa and are rare in the European continent.

Ecotourism

During the last decade, the tourism industry on Tilos began attracting an increasing number of eco-tourists who have come to the island for natural beauty, absence of urbanization and the peacefulness of the beaches and countryside. As a result, an interesting symbiotic relationship has evolved between the island residents and the holiday visitors who have collectively contributed to the increasing conservation of the island’s natural environment with the active participation of the TPA.

The TPA gained the confidence of island stakeholders through its success in working with the current Hellenic Environment Ministry to achieve the October 2006 government approval of the establishment of a Tilos Natural Park. During this period, the TPA understood (i) the desire of the island tourism industry to develop environmental projects that will further attract the support of eco-tourists, (ii) the science-based need to preserve the indigenous biodiversity and (iii) the socio-economic benefits to islanders in the creation of eco-tourism employment, especially for young, employment age residents who would otherwise have to leave their families to seek jobs in Athens or Rhodes.

Tilos Park Association Achievements:

The TPA is guided by the philosophy that development of local participation is vital to accomplish the aims of raising island awareness of its natural resources and training local participants through continuing education and employment in the management of a Natura 2000 site. In less than 3 years, the TPA has accomplished the following:

Ambassadorship award by the European Commission Natura Network Initiative for exemplary environmental conservation practices in a Natura 2000 site [www.natura.org] . This award has only been given to two out of 390 Hellenic Natura 2000 sites;
successfully lobbied the Hellenic Environment Ministry to issue its official approval of the Tilos Special Environmental Study for the Creation of a Natural Park in October 2006 and (ii) continues cooperation with the Ministry in 2007 in the current establishment of the Tilos Natural Park;

UNEP recognition of the TPA in its selection as a keynote speaker at the November 2006 Athens “Mediterranean SOS” conference for the TPA’s exemplary achievement in engaging active participation by island residents in eco-tourism development and nature protection activities;

TPA recognition and approval by the European Commission as a Co-Financier and Co-Partner in the €824,212 EU Tilos LIFE Nature Project;

delivery of a €373.000 wetland for wildlife development to Tilos [EU Interreg III Greece/Cyprus] ;

receipt of financial and technical support from Euronatur (Germany) for eco-tourism development and nature protection projects;

creation of employment for Tilos residents and the development of a continuing employee education program;

daily operation of a Visitor Information Centre and EU LIFE Nature Exhibition;

operation of island tours and 2 hour audio-visual seminars on the biodiversity, nature protection and cultural history of Tilos;

development of a website [www.tilos-park.org] and island marketing campaign;

collaboration with a BP renewable energy expert for the development of increased renewable energy sources for the hotel industry, and a renewable energy facility for the entire island;

host to non-resident student ecology field studies and European summer volunteers;

quarterly Greek/English publication of the environmental Tilos Park Journal (www.tilos-park.org);

introduction of Bird Ringing Research to Tilos in cooperation with the HBRC and contribution of logistical planning, equipment and accommodations;

establishment of a volunteer-operated Avian Recovery Centre for injured wildlife with the cooperation of the University of Thessaloniki School of Veterinary Medicine and the Hellenic Centre for Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation;

development of marine mapping and cooperation with fishermen for marine species protection;

regular island surveillance for prevention of illegal activities harmful to the environment;

annual EU Green Week participation with volunteer coastal clean-up actions;

receipt of membership and technical support from EUROPARC Federation; and

membership support from one third of the Tilos permanent resident population.

Island Evolution of Nature Protection:

Our most successful method of ensuring that island residents embrace nature protection has been to work together and learn from one another in order to preserve our European natural heritage. The nature protection benefits achieved so far not only outweigh the obstacles inherent in a traditional and somewhat isolated community, but the achievements have actually been built upon a foundation of obstacles. These obstacles are the result of the conflict between our modern understanding that nature protection serves humanity and traditional natural resource collection that consumes wildlife without any allowance for adequate regeneration. The resulting conflict created an opportunity for the TPA to demonstrate to local residents the socio-economic value of preserving nature and sharing this island beauty with visitors. Although Tilos is but a drop in the ocean, recognition of its evolution in environmental conservation guided by the TPA has reached distant Hellenic shores in the current establishment of protection zones and a Tilos Natural Park by the Hellenic Ministry of the Environment. As guardians rather than as owners of nature, the island residents now believe that this development augurs well for the future of this Special Protection Area.

External links

* [http://www.tilos-park.org Tilos Park Association]