THE CONSERVATION COLLECTIVE GLOBAL GATHERING May 2023

The Argolic Environment Foundation met with the other 24 Foundations of the Conservation Collective at the Global Gathering in Corfu / Kerkyra on the 1- 4 May 2023, organised by the Conservation Collected and hosted by the Ionian Environment Foundation. This is the 2nd CC Global Gathering and we are very proud to have been part of it.

During the four days, the directors of CC’s Foundations and partners from all around the world came together to exchange their knowledge, share experiences and discuss about shared themes. The Foundations presented their work through Spotlight Presentations. The AEF presented the success, challenges and lessons learnt from the Argolicorama project, commencing an interesting discussion. The annual CC global gathering also, provided the ground for its network members, to learn new skills, exchange best practices and form new synergies between them.

One of the most inspiring parts of the gathering was the visits to some of IEF’s projects. We visited SIN. PRAXI – Sinies Community Project a recycling centre set by volunteers to face the problem of waste management. We visited the beautiful northeaster coastline of the island, Erimitis and talked to Erimiti Plous, a local activist group which is working hard to protect the area. The Corfu Butterfly Conservation also talked about the 74 different species of butterflies found in Corfu and their focus on protecting the island’s biodiversity.

It was also a great opportunity to meet and listen to other partners such as Rory Moore from the Blue Marine Foundation and gain insights into their diverse experiences, challenges and successes within the realms of conservation.

The last evening was dedicated to a prize giving event, presented by the IEF’s ambassador, Lee Durrell,  to recognise and celebrate the work of the foundations from around the world.

We would like to thank the @conservationcollective and the @ionianenvironmentfoundation for organising such an inspiring and interesting gathering in Kerkyra as well as @babbisboulgaris for hosting us at the Kontokali Resort & Spa, one of the leaders on sustainable hospitality.

The Argolic Environment Foundation has returned inspired and highly motivated to continue its work on conservation. We aim for greater impact through learning and forming effective synergies.