International Conference on

Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wild Plant Diversity (CSUWPD)
4-8 May 2010, Chania, Crete, Greece

 

CONFERENCE GOAL

At the beginning of the 21st century, habitat alteration, unsustainable harvests, overgrazing, the climate change, the introduction of non-native plants, political indifference and public unawareness are just some of the leading causes of declining wild plant diversity and populations worldwide. It is widely accepted that the Earth is entering a severe ecological crisis and the life support system on our planet is in danger.

 

This international conference on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wild Plant Diversity (CSUWPD) aims at bringing together environmental stake holders, scientists, theologians, scholars, politicians, sociologists, farmers, specialists and amateurs to exchange information and insights to promote actions for supporting botanical activities and for building knowledge about plant conservation and their sustainable use. "CSUWPD" conference addresses the need for a human response to plant diversity loss and unsustainable utilization. It affirms human responsibility for the well being of the Earth and the vast communities of Life. The goal of the conference is to create a multi-disciplinary and international forum for information and knowledge exchange among all friends of plants who are conscious of their responsibility toward a more sustainable future for wild plant diversity and population.

 

EVENTS AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

The main social event associated with the conference is the inauguration festivities of the new botanic garden of the Museum of Cretan Flora at the Orthodox Academy of Crete.

Excursions to the fabulous gorge of Samaria and/or the Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi and Chrysoskalitisa will be scheduled in addition to the visit to the splendid sea-side protected area of Elafonisi (NATURA 2000 - GR2540002) in the South-West of Crete.

The scientific programme will consist of keynote lectures, selected oral and poster presentations as well as art/photo exhibitions.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Abstract Submission Deadline: FEBRUARY 200, 2010; Final Author Notification: February 24, 2010; Final Manuscript Due: April 2, 2010

 

REGISTRATION

Registration application form (please download and fill in the form from: www.oac.edu.gr/artman/uploads/csuwpd2010reg.pdf) can be sent by fax to +0030-2824022060 or by email to oac@otenet.gr. Registrations are only accepted after the payment of the registration fee. The registration fee is 150 € for participants and 50 € for accompanying persons before 30 April 2010. After 30 April 2010 and onsite: the conference fee is 200 € for participants and 100 € for accompanying persons. The registration fee includes: conference participation kit, excursions - visit of historical sites of Crete (lunch included), admission to all sessions, refreshments and social events. The Gala dinner on Thursday night 7 May with Cretan and popular Greek music and dances is free for all participants. Payment could be done by bank transfer to the account of the OAC below or by credit card onsite. Cooperation Chania Bank Kolympari Branch, 73006 Account No: 113505004 SWIFT CODE: STXAGRA1 IBAN CODE: GR20 0690 0080 0000 0011 3505 004 After any transaction, please send your payment receipt and your registration form by fax to +0030-2824022060 or by email to oac@otenet.gr.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION: Please check our website: www.oac.gr - Contact person: Dr. Lucas Andrianos Orthodox Academy of Crete, Museum of Cretan Flora, Kolympari, Chania 73006, Greece, Tel. +30-2824022500; Fax: +30-2824022060 E-mail: oac@otenet.gr or laoac@otenet.gr

 

SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE ORTHODOX ACADEMY OF CRETE - MUSEUM OF CRETAN FLORA PLANTA EUROPA S.A. PLANTLIFE INTERNATIONAL, BOTANIC GARDENS CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN - INTERNATIONAL PLANT SCIENCE CENTER, BALKAN BOTANICAL GARDEN OF KROUSSIA, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS", FLOWERS OF CRETE ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PLANT TAXONOMY, PARK FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FLORA AND FAUNA - TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CRETE, THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, HELLAS - INSTITUTE OF AGROBIOTECHNOLOGY, MEDITERRANEAN AGRONOMIC INSTITUTE OF CHANIA, FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, HELLAS - INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, THE HOLY CONVENT OF CHRYSOPIGI - CHANIA,...

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

We invite papers on "CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF WILD PLANT DIVERSITY" RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING AREAS: " TAXONOMY AND WILD PLANT BIOLOGY " ECO-THEOLOGY AND PLANT ETHICS " WILD PLANTS PRESERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE " IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION " EDUCATION AND BUILDING CAPACITY " PROTECTED AND RESERVED AREAS, IPAS " HERBARIUM, MUSEUMS AND BOTANIC GARDENS " SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT " MODELS AND ISSUES OF SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION OF WILD PLANTS: EDIBLE, COMMERCIAL, MEDICINAL, AROMATIC AND PHARMACEUTICAL WILD PLANTS. " BEST PRACTICES, CASE STUDIES AND AD HOCS...

VENUE

On the island of Crete, home to one of the richest floras of all the Mediterranean islands, the venue place is located at the beautiful village of Kolymbari, close to the historic monastery of Gonia (17th century), at a magnificent place with unlimited view over the sea and the mountains. The sea water is very clean and only a few meters from the venue place. Kolymbari is a small town of 5000 people, about 20 km west of Chania. The region is well-known for its natural beauty and unique and rare flora and fauna. The most historic and longer gorge of Europe (Samaria gorge) is within the prefecture of Chania. Crete has unique antiquities and it offers unlimited possibilities for recreational activities at a relatively low cost. Elafonisi protected area is at the far West coast of Crete. The clear, turquoise waters in contrast with white sandbars of Elafonisi beaches have attracted travelers for centuries. This natural site hosts very important and rare endemic Cretan plants such as the Androcymbium rechingeri (the Greek favorite plant at OAC Museum -Wake Up Calls).

 

ORGANIZERS:

GENERAL CHAIR: KONSTANTINOS KENANIDIS (Doctor in Theology and General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete)

PROGRAMME CHAIR: LUCAS ANDRIANOS (Doctor in Environmental sciences and Responsible for the Institute of Theology and Ecology at the Orthodox Academy of Crete)

SCIENTIFIC SUPERVISOR: JACQUES ZAFFRAN (Professor emeritus of Botany and Director of the Herbarium and Museum of the Cretan Flora at the Orthodox Academy of Crete)

CO-CHAIRS: JAN-WILLEM SNEEP (NETHERLANDS), WERNER GREUTER (GER), AVINOAM DANIN (ISRAEL), ANCA SARBU (ROM), ALEXANDROS PAPADEROS (GR), JOSEPH PAPAMATHEAKIS (GR), YANNIS PHILLIS (GR), ATHANASSIOS GIANNIS (GER), LIZ RADFORD (UK), ELENI MALOUPA (GR), PAUL BERTHET (FR), KOSTAS IATROU (GR), TSAFTARIS ATHANASIOS (GR), VASSILIS PACHNIS (GR), TZAKOU OLGA (GR), JULIA JONES (UK), LINDA E. TURNER (CANADA), JAMES MILLER (U.S.A).

SUPPORTING COMMITTEE: PROTOPAPADAKIS EFTYXIS, YANNITSAROS ARTEMIS, AULIKKI ALANEN, LARS SODERSTROM, ZBIGNIEW MIREK, OLEG MAVLOVSKY, MORA ARONSSON, HANDRIJ HARTEL, CLAUDIA PERINI, FRANCOIS BOILLOT, ANTONI AGUILELLA, MELPOMENI SKOULA, CHRISTINA FOURNARAKI, SISTER THEOSEMNI, E. LARENTZAKI, ANDRE ET LILIANE HARDY -TOUPI.

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Jan-Willem Sneep (Chairman of Planta Europa. and Director of the Dutch National Park, Netherlands), Werner Greuter (Professor emeritus of Biology and Secretary General of the Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of the Mediterranean Area (OPTIMA), Avinoam Danin (Professor Emeritus of Botany, Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Yannis Phillis (Director of the Park for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna, Technical University of Crete), James S. Miller (Dean and Vice President for Science at the International Plant Science Center of the New York Botanical Garden), Eleni Maloupa (Director of the Balkan Botanic Garden of Krousia), Athanasios Tsaftaris (Professor and Researcher at the Institute of Agrobiotechnology - CERTH), Kostas Iatrou (Professor and Head Researcher, the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos")

 

ACCOMMODATION

Participants will be accommodated in the rooms of the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) close to the beautiful village of Kolymbari, Crete. It has 130 beds in double rooms. Rooms will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis. The rooms have their own bathroom and view to the sea or the mountains. The "all inclusive" costs for staying at the OAC or at the hotels are 80 Euros for sharing a double room and 110 € for a single room per night. The accompanying person's cost is 60 € per night (all inclusive, room sharing). These costs cover accommodation, breakfast, lunch*, dinner* (* according to the Cretan Cuisine with local wine), two coffee breaks and the use of all facilities (conference rooms, beach facilities, laundry, wireless internet, etc.). Participants should directly contact the venue place at oac@otenet.gr (or tel. 0030-28240-22245) and pay also for accommodation.

 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

The conference language is English. Abstracts should be submitted in an electronic form to laoac@otenet.gr and should include title, names of authors, session topic and affiliations and should not exceed one page. The preliminary deadline for abstract submission and registration is December 31, 2009. The future of wild plants depends on our actions today. Please forward this call and download the conference poster from www.oac.edu.gr/artman/uploads/csuwpd2010poster.pdf

We look forward to welcoming you at this exciting congress.

 

PHOTO COMPETITION ON THE BEAUTY OF WILD PLANTS AND FUNGI IN EUROPE

During the conference, a special international photo competition will be organized and the winners will be elected by the participants of the conference. CSUWPD participants can also send their photos and take part in the competition. More information can be found on the conference website at www.oac.gr or downloaded from ww.oac.edu.gr/artman/uploads/csuwpd2010photocom.pdf

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