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In the biotope of the monastic area of caves, next to the dependency of St Kyriaki, stands the Monastery’s Environmental Education Centre (EEC).
The EEC one of a kind that runs at the Monastery. Pupils of all ages and grades visit the EEC on a daily basis throughout the school year. Visiting groups come from all of Crete and the rest of Greece, as well as from abroad. The center is equipped with up to date interactive learning tools and media and is handicap accessible.
The EEC was inaugurated in 2012 by His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The various environmental education programmes are designed to edify young people and to raise their awareness by making them realise their personal responsibility to preserve their cultural inheritance and to protect the environment.
These issues are introduced and communicated to them on a theoretical level as well as by means of practical activities and other experiential elements, such as:
- acquaintance with the rich flora and fauna of the area
- participating in the Divine Liturgy at the cave chapels
- pilgrimages to the caves and hermitages walking along the stone footpaths and steps
- visiting water springs and fountains of holy water
- walking up to the old water reservoir and the wine press of the Monastery
- guided tours of the monastic buildings which are under restoration
- voluntary work in preparing the compost, selecting items for recycling, harvesting of fruits or olives, etc.
- tree planting and releasing of birds
- visiting the botanical garden which is watered with the outflow from the wastewater treatment unit
In connection to these programmes, young women can come and learn organic farming principles at the Monastery’s gardens and citizens’ groups are informed about the subjects such as the preservation and legal protection of the environment, the management of solid waste and water resources, the recycling of organic materials (compost), etc.
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