The summer of 2007 was a really disastrous period for the forests of Greece. Due to the small amount of rain, in winter, the hot summer with its strong winds, characteristics of the Mediterranean climate, about 270k ha from the Greek forests were burned by catastrophic fires. Greece has a total area of 13,4m ha, which means that 2% of the area in Greece turned from forest to bare earth in just one year!



One of the forests which was burned that year was the National Park of Parnetha. The Mountain of Parnetha is one of the most important sources of oxygen for Athens, a city of population reaching 4.5 m, which encounters important issues about the pollution of the environment.  However, the subject that I want to talk about is not this catastrophe, but the process of reforestation, its results, and finally the outcome.



In Parnetha's National Park, over 3600 ha of forest were burnt 2180 of which was fir forest. Many of these trees of that were aged 180-240 Years. On the same time, free populations of deer and wild goats  were killed by the fire. A whole ecosystem had been broken down.



However, seven years later, the life starts returning to Parnetha. Fortunately, all the area destroyed by the fire was characterized as a reforestable area, and measures were taken for the protection of the soil, which would otherwise be corroded by the rain. Over thousand kilometers braided trunks and branches, 4 thousand wooden dams and 33 stone dams, to prevent this disaster.



The members of the Parentha?s Forestry are claiming that: ''All broad-leaved and evergreen trees have been recovered to a level of 100%. Also the pines have been renewed, as young trees which develop, now reaching a 1,5m height. The hardest part is the recovery of the firs. Every year, new plants are planted. Totally, 25 thousands of those plants have been added to 500 ha while the highest of them are about 0,8m high.''
Out of all these plants, more than 5.000 have been planted by volunteers. Additionally, 500-600 ha will be reforested until 2015, according to the program.
Parnetha has been revived. This is proven by the increasing number of deer (1300) which live there. However, a little problem exists. The deer usually eat the little trees which have been planted. This is part of nature...

The forestry, the fire department, and the volunteers have a common target, the prevention and the repression of every possible fire in the area, only 30 kilometers from the center of Athens.
During this effort, it has become clear how important is the participation of volunteers. In the past, volunteers were allowed to participate in reforestation programs. In this case, volunteers were trained before they participated.



The protections of the forests does not concern only a closed group of people, such as the fire department. It concerns the whole society!