Day 2 in Kyparissia began with a 7:30 wake up... or for those hit by jet lag a 4:30am wake up. Breakfast was at 8 am and was a great spread, something for everyone.
Our first event of the day was spending the morning at the Agiannakis Environmental Station with the Archelon group who are volunteers who dedicate their time to saving the endangered Loggerhead turtles. It's important to this area because Kyparissia is the second largest breeding ground for these turtles. We received a presentation concerning the sea turtles and the work done here in Kyparissiakos Bay. We were joined by NOKY club, (the community school club triathlon team), the German teacher from the local school and the Woodgate's.
A few highlights of new things learned:
-Mothers lay 80-120 eggs
-You never assist baby turtles in making their journey to the ocean, it's a crucial part of their development as it's the only time the learn to walk.
-The loggerhead turtle is considered the last living dinosaur!!
We had a picnic lunch, (fresh figs included) with the Greek children while listening to the sounds of the cicada bug. Patrick informed us about the incredible lifecycle of this bug and how they make sound.
We collected bamboo in the afternoon for the volunteers of Archelon to use to make nest protections when the mother turtles lay their eggs. Another task we had was to clear the path of bamboo from the nest to the ocean.
The afternoon involved some beach and town explore time before we went to check out NOKY training facilities, which have come a long way!! My students last year contributed means to getting the pool back in working condition and it is so cool to see the impact it had on this part of the community.
We rode our bikes, (SMUS has their own set of bikes...generous contribution from the Vincent's), through town and along the seaside before a brief Greek dancing lesson and then and another delicious Greek meal of lamb and potatoes.
Fun Fact:
We are known as the "Canadians", pronounced (Kaann-ad-ians)...
Gold Star:
Abby for attempting to ride a bike. Yannis was great with her and is convinced she will learn!
Early 5am wakeup tomorrow to help with the turtle nesting survey, and the Vincent's arrive in the evening :)
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