[PIO] The inauguration of the Athalassa Beekeeping Park in the National Forest Park of Athalassa

The inauguration of the Athalassa Beekeeping Park in the Athalassa National Forest Park, the first organized beekeeping park to be established on state-owned forest land, was held this morning by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Maria Panagiotou.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the Commissioner for the Environment Mrs. Antonia Theodosiou, the Deputy Director of the Forestry Department Dr. Andreas Christou and the President of the Board of Directors of Cyta Mrs. Maria Tsiakka greeted the opening ceremony.
The Athalassa Beekeeping Park that we are inaugurating today is a concrete example of our efforts to protect pollinators and to support information and awareness-raising activities, said the Minister of Agriculture in her address. She also stressed the essential role of bees in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity, as well as the need to protect bees both for the environment and for humans. Further, Dr Panagiotou referred to the measures and actions taken by the Ministry in this direction, such as the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Rational Use of Plant Protection Products, the support of farmers for the protection of pollinators through the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as the beekeeping sector within the framework of the Beekeeping Programme. In addition, he noted that the Ministry is working on measures to support beekeepers affected by the devastating fire in Arakapa through the Tree Plantation Programme to address climate change.
Our forests are oases for bees, and their protection is very high on the goals and priorities of the Forestry Department, Dr. Christou stressed. He then referred to the important actions that the Department is implementing to support their populations, which have produced spectacular results. Only in the Athalassa Park 5 years ago there were only 20 beehives, while today permits are issued for the installation of more than 500 beehives, and of course on a nationwide scale this number is several times higher, he noted.
Those attending the ceremony had the opportunity to taste four different types of honey, see a hive and get information about bees which were prepared in cooperation with the Beekeeping Branch of the Department of Agriculture. The park was also visited by children from the Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios Primary School.

The Athalassa Beekeeping Park has an area of 4 decares, is part of the Athalassa National Forest Park, and is located in its eastern part. It is a theme park dedicated to the bee and the role it plays in the life of modern man, as well as in the survival of our planet in general. It includes a pond with drinking water for bees, a variety of bee-keeping plants, traditional jivertia, a modern hive and a tour path with a wealth of information material. Work on its creation began in 2022 and was completed in 2024. The park was designed and constructed with co-financing from the Forestry Department and Cyta, at a total cost of 30,000 euros.

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