The Cyprus Conservation Foundation was established in 1992 as a not-for-profit educational organisation and is a sibling to the Laona Foundation for the Conservation and Regeneration of the Cypriot Countryside. Since 2004, the Cyprus Conservation Foundation has been renamed Terra Cypria, so that it can be easily read in most languages.
The overall aim of Terra Cypria is to promote environmental awareness within Cypriot society through educational and sensitisation programmes, thereby working towards the sustainable development of Cyprus, protecting the island’s natural resources and heritage, and facilitating the island’s harmonisation with European environmental legislation and standards.
Objectives
The Foundation's objectives are twofold:
to sensitise the decision-makers of today through seminars, studies and other activities directed at specific target groups within the community as well as interventions towards public authorities, at a local, national and international level.
through specialised training, to pass on an environmental message to the citizens of tomorrow, i.e. school pupils and students, so that they in turn may deal with the earth and its resources more responsibly.
To meet its objectives concerning the environmental education of children and young people, the Cyprus Environmental Studies Centre, was set up in the disused school of Kritou Terra, one of the Laona Project villages. The restoration of the school and its classroom furniture was funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation. Its laboratory and other equipment was funded by the EU LIFE Programme. The Centre has been in full operation since 1996 offering courses to local elementary schools, to Greek and Anglophone secondary schools from Cyprus and the Middle East, and also to various universities and institutes of higher education. By arrangement with the Ministry of Education, the Centre is now part of the Ministry's Environmental Education Network. All 10 to 12 year old pupils from the public primary schools of Paphos district receive training at the Centre as part of their curriculum. By June 2007 courses had been offered to about 29.000 participants.
Projects
For earlier projects, click here
International activities
Since 1997, the Cyprus Conservation Foundation (and later Terra Cypria) participates as an observer at the proceedings of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention for the protection of Wildlife and Habitats, which meets annually at Strasbourg, and has raised various issues at this forum, including the protection of Europe’s migratory birds over-flying Cyprus. The Foundation is an NGO partner of the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP) and a member of the European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC), Eurosite and the European Environment Bureau.
For details of all courses organised press here.
Publications
Introduction of the Acquis Communautaire to Cyprus: the Environmental Regulatory Framework (1999) in Greek
Orthodoxy and Environment within a European perspective (1999) in Greek
Renewable Sources of Energy in Cyprus: an Overview of Available Options (2007) in Greek with English summary
The CCF Board of Trustees consists of
Trustees Emeriti
The
Executive Directors of the Foundation are:
Dr Artemis Yiordamli is responsible for the overall management of the Cyprus Conservation Foundation and the Laona Foundation and for the co-ordination of their activities.
Funding
Funding for the Terra Cypria ’s activities derives from private and corporate donations, international Non-Governmental Organisations and from European Community programmes. Because of its charitable status, donations to the CCF are tax-deductible within Cyprus.
The A.G. Leventis Foundation supports both
Terra Cypria and the Laona Foundation on an on-going basis.