The visits of foreign universities to Lesbos continue
Pole of educational actions
They participate in a special educational program of field training for students in the Geopark of Lesvos and the area of the Petrified Forest
A group of students from Nanjing University in China is in Lesvos to carry out a special field training program and get to know the natural heritage, geological monuments and protected areas. Nanjing University is one of the largest and most historic universities in China with leading scientists in all fields of science. Research at Nanjing University focuses on finding innovative solutions to global challenges through multifaceted collaboration with other Universities and Research Centers around the world.
This is the second educational visit to Lesvos this year by Chinese University students, as in August a corresponding educational program by students of the Beijing University of Geosciences was preceded. Lesvos is now emerging as an educational destination for conducting field exercises for University students from China in collaboration with the University of the Aegean and the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos.
In particular, a group of students and professors from Nanjing University, led by Professors KEYI HU, YUKUN SHI, GUANGWEI LI, are carrying out a special educational field training program on issues of geological, geomorphological and environmental interest in the Lesvos Geopark and the protected area of the Petrified Forest with the educational coordinator visiting Nikos Zouros, Professor of the Geography Department of the Univ. of the Aegean and Director of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest.
Professors and Ph.D. candidates of Geography from the University of the Aegean as well as researchers from the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos participate in the educational process.
The main purpose of the students' educational visit and field exercise is to get to know the geological monuments of the Lesvos Geopark and the Petrified Forest, the ways of recording, protecting and highlighting them as well as their maintenance and management methods. At the same time, they will be informed about the UNESCO program "UNESCO World Geoparks", about the development of geo-activities in geopark areas and the interpretation of natural heritage.
The students will have the opportunity for one week to tour the sites of geological monuments of the Lesvos Geopark and carry out field exercises, during which they will get to know the Petrified Forest, the wetlands of the Gulf of Kalloni, the volcanoes, the hot springs, the natural and geological monuments of Lesbos, its tradition and culture.
The students will visit the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, the volcanic geotopes of Lesvos, the volcanic formations of Lepetymnos, Petra and Molyvos, Vatoussa, Stypsi, the geological monuments of Mytilene, the Mount Olympus, the area of Gera, but also the hot springs of Polichnitos.
They will also visit the bays of Geras and Kallonis, where bird watching will take place.
A special educational activity will take place in the Marine Park of Nisiopi. The students with the special glass-bottom boat of the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, making the sea route from Sigri to Nisiopi, will first visit the marine part of the Park and then implement educational activities in its land part. The students will look for evidence of the large landmass of Aegis but also of the large geological faults that created the islet of Nisiopi, they will learn about the phenomenon of volcanism and its contribution to the creation of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos.
At the same time, the students of Nanjing University will visit the new fossil-bearing sites resulting from the rescue excavations along the Kallonis Sigrio Road and will be informed about the methods of mapping, excavation and conservation of plant fossils carried out by the Museum of Natural History of the Lesvos Petrified Forest .
