Clean-up Fratsia to Dokana

Monday’s clean up from Fratsia road junction to Dokana took place on a bright and breezy day. A good humoured crew picked up six bags of rubbish from the roadside. Our next clean up will be on Wednesday October 21st at 1400 hours, meeting at the Milopotomas junction with the main road.

Meeting Minutes 08. October 2026

Pia chaired the meeting and began by welcoming everybody and thanking Ann for her minute taking of the previous few meetings.

a) Fire Signage
Giannis outlined the proposal of developing fire warning signs of the type he had seen in Kalamata and which are also used in Australia and the US. He has submitted a proposal to the relevant Deputy Mayor. The DM has called Giannis and is willing to set up a meeting to discuss the proposal.
Signs will likely go in areas like the Port and the Airport and will be managed by the relevant authority for that location. We have a push strategy with the idea of raising awareness.

b) Plastics in Commercial Enterprises of Kythera

Giannis spoke to this. The aim is to engage commercial enterprises in reducing the use of plastics. Sonya spoke of a plastics poster campaign. A working group of Amy, Chris, Giannis and Sonya will start this winter but with most work beginning in 2027. In discussion Anita gave examples of plastic biodegradable users eg AV, Marias. John S believes that the law is that all plastic bags must be biodegradable. Giannis reminded us

that this is another awareness campaign to try to reduce use. Donata suggested some grass roots involvement to which Giannis assented. Pat K asked about the the possibility of EU funds and Giannis said he will look into this.

c) Recycling bins

Pia spoke about this and has designed an infographic for the recycling bins. She spoke about the belief of some that Kythera does not recycle. Susie suggested making part of the message that Kythera does recycle. There was some discussion about whether plastic bags could be placed in the recycling bins or not. John S believes there is a need for metal bins. Masha pointed out that the labels on the recycling bins have now faded or peeled off. Pia will communicate with the Municipality and see their response to her proposal. Alex M asked if this was our responsibility. Donata asked about bin provision and whether there should be bins for paper only. The meeting agreed to move ahead with this proposal.

d) Local Organisation list and potential collaborations

Masha spoke to her proposal giving the example of local organisations eg Portokalia. She showed the list of organisations that she has up until now. This will be posted on the website. There are villages with Cultural and Beautification Associations. Anita spoke about the Livadi Viber list. Masha spoke about er experience in Karavas with Portokalia. A discussion about the multitude of professional and sporting organisations followed. Masha emphasised that the aim is to have a personal approach to organisations local to members and to co-ordinate with people locally. John S pointed out that any village which has a Panagiri will have an association.

e) Roadside cleaning

Alex B said that the new season cleaning had started and that this was an impactful and visible activity. The next clean is on Monday 12th at 2pm at the junction of the main road and the turn off to Fratsia just south of Dokana. Masha spoke about some path clearing that Frank of Pyrgos House organises. Pat K spoke about the state of Diakofti and Sonya praised the Chalkos beach canteen for cleaning up thoroughly when they closed up for the year.

f) YouTube Winter Talks

Pat K spoke about potential topics for this year including; what ecology is taught in high school, Maritime parks. Pat asked for suggestions. Sonya suggested the Mayor of Tilos to talk about the waste collection scheme there. Masha suggested a talk about the water mills, orchards and fields. There was some discussion about busses and car sharing at this point.

g) Karavas Nature

Masha spoke about how this idea was in its early stages. Portokalia is celebrating 50 years of existence. One of the ideas they are looking at is using the stream at Karavas to regenerate orchards. Frank is also interested in this. Masha suggested that we could prune citrus trees and water them occasionally. A lot of agreement that we could adopt a tree either individually or as a group. Portokalia is going to clean up this area and will use its own money for this. Sonya suggested some drone shots. Masha is going to check on ownership of trees, orchards etc and will update us on progress. Michelle and Masha spoke about the micro dams. Masha said that if anybody wants to help please let her know.

h) Water management

Pia spoke about the micro interventions that are possible and gave the example of the micro dams. Alan and Anita volunteered to help Pia brainstorm this topic. There was a discussion about ponds that appear in Winter. Pat K said that the botanists had firmly suggested that we don’t touch them. John S explained that the reason we touched the Skliri pond is because of the rubbish and rubble that had accumulated there and its use as a dump. There was a discussion about the forthcoming stone wall workshop. Alan suggested the path cleaning topic for a Winter Talk

i) Steering Group Meetings

Pia issued an invite to anybody who wants to come to some of the online Steering Group meetings. Sonya said that we need a Social Media Manager to replace her. Alex M thought he might know somebody who could do it and will contact them to ascertain interest.

First Clean-up
after the summer

On a bright and breezy Thursday volunteers from KG cleared litter away from the roadside between Alozianika and Kypriotianika. Plenty of rubbish cleared and much passing support.

The next clean will be on Monday October 12th at 2pm beginning at the junction of the main road and the turn off to Fratsia just south of Dokana. We hope to see you there. Everybody welcome.

The new steering group is formed

At the end of August, the deadline for appointing nominees, three nominees were left: Masha Zusman, Pia Betton and Alex Bourn. With only three candidates, no election was needed. Expect an invite for the September/October meeting and a call for topics from them shortly.

August meeting recap

KG Meeting - August 2026
Date: 11am-12noon, Wednesday 19th August 2026
Location: Philharmonic (upstairs), Potamos

Alex Bourn called the meeting to order 11:10 AM and welcomed the participants. Project updates were first on the agenda

The Fire Patrol update was presented by John Stathatos. He pointed out that while the group was originally organized for study, it turned into an active effort to help. The patrols are held during periods of extreme fire danger from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Crucial public routes are covered with volunteers committed to their work for those periods. The patrols are not for firefighting, they are solely for observation to assist the Fire Brigade. On July 30th the call came for help and lasted 3 days. There were 14 members plus a couple of static positions. On the 8th of August, volunteers served an entire week during level 4 fire conditions. There were 10 active members who spent a total of 150 hours, some between 2:00 and 5:00 and 11:00 and 4:00. Fortunately, there were no fires. A letter of thanks to the volunteers was sent by the Fire Brigade.

The question was asked about who established the areas for each of thevolunteers. John replied that he looked at the people available to identify their locations and he filled in any gaps. It became obvious that some high points on the island were good for static viewing. Such locations will be used as stop off points in the future for a period of 10 or 15 minutes for observation. A participant recommended a vote of thanks to the fire patrol volunteers and to John.

A report was presented on the summer party by Sonya Pemberton. She thanked all who had been involved, particularly Pat Kaufman for all of the work on the food. The party raised about €1050. Alex and Sophie Martin were thanked for the use of their property for the party. Alex replied that the team was great and that it was a lovey experience for them. Alex Bourn reported that Kythera Green now has one thousand euros in hand to fund additional projects.

A report on the cleanup efforts was given by Alex. Four or five beaches were cleaned and coordination was established with the OFYPEKA in Kythera. Roadside cleanup is planned for the end of September or the beginning of October, considering safety and temperature. Sonya suggested that the cleanups include a social at the end of each cleanup.

Pia Betton said we should acknowledge how good the winter talks were on Zoom and that they were a good way for the group to stay connected over the winter. Pat Kaufman said that the YouTube views of the talks were very good. She said we owe thanks to all including Alex, John, and Dean. Pat also mentioned the botanists who helped with the Alosianika pond.

Masha mentioned that the beach cleanup in Diakoftii still needs help and that anyone who can should go. Michael Karamonof suggested that an emergency team should be created as the reaction time to such incidents has been poor. It is possible that the Port Authority with the main responsibility does not have anyone senior enough to launch rescues quickly. Alex asked Michael to sketch out what might be needed for such emergency help and to see if we could contribute in any way. The discussion concerned the recent crash of a boat onto the rocks of Diakofti which was left for 12 to 24 hours, leading to its breakup.

The small fire danger signs which started to be posted after last summer's fire were a positive development according to Yannis T. Yannis was in Kalamata over the winter and observed that they were doing large coloured signs with fire levels updated daily. He suggested that these could be placed on Kythera as a complement to other existing fire detection efforts.

He stated that the big signs are piano size with an estimated cost of maybe €500. It was suggested that as many as six locations could include the airport, the ferry port, the fire department locations and in various towns.

The Plastics Campaign for 2027 was covered by Yannis and Sonya. The aim is to lower the use of plastics across the island. Sonya pointed out that Amie has done a plastic reduction program in the US which could be replicated here. Signs work well to reinforce the concept that the use ofplastics can be substantially reduced. The problem of the illegal use of plastic bags in the recycling bins was discussed with the need for education. It was suggested that a contest be held with high school students to create flyers/posters to explain legal rules for recycling. Signs could be posted in markets recommending the use of paper bags for produce. Comments were made about the poor bin pickup service in the summer. The bins are overwhelmed in the summer with the influx of visitors. There was some confusion about whether the recycled items were actually recycled or not.

Masha Zusman suggested that Kythera Green seek more coordination with other local groups to find ways where we can help them. Examples would be groups like Portakalia and the Philharmoniki. It was noted that local residents consider members of Kythera Green as foreigners not involved in local activities and with views contrary to those of local residents. But members of Kythera Green can be proud and can help in areas with specific synergies. It was suggested that we need a new overview of the local organizations.

Lastly, the Steering Committee was discussed. Of the group of six for the current year, four have resigned. One resigned some months ago so the three who recently stepped down were asked for their comments. Sonya Pemberton stated that she was proud of the work done over the past two years. However, she felt that the committee had become dysfunctional and unable to collaborate as a team. She believes that new blood in the Steering Committee will be required. Pia Betton felt that time had been spent on the wrong things and had three recommendations for the future. 1) Positive communications are needed. 2) Diversity in the group can facilitate discussions in a positive way for better collaboration. 3) There is a need for a code of conduct, how to handle communications and conflicts, how to focus on what is good for Kythera Green. Masha Zusman resigned for different reasons as she was not involved full time. But she was inspired by the aims and said that the committee needed to work together with everyone active and offering different qualities. She was asked what qualities? The answer: teamwork, no ownership of ideas and a safe environment to present ideas. Three minds are better than one mind. In the discussion which followed, a number of comments were made. One opined that the committee started out very well but a rift developed which could not be resolved by the group. Another pointed out that the group started out strong and accomplished much while providing focus. Another said the committee should be purely administrative with the ability to disseminate information and coordinate individual groups. The group was different a year ago compared to today.

Alex proposed that the size of the committee be established and asked for votes on size. Some preferred five while others preferred three plus two auxiliary members. The majority preferred three plus two, the three delegating to sub groups. Alex reviewed a list of different specialties required including: social media, treasury/finance, liaison with the greater group, reserve power when the greater group is scattered over the winter. Alex will put out a call for nominations for the Steering Committee for the one year period. Kythera Green members will be informed of the nominations and whether an election will be necessary.

Members on fire protection control

During the three-day period Thursday to Saturday 30/7-1/8, the General Secretariat for Climate Crisis placed Kythera in category 4 (orange) of particularly high fire risk. Following the invitation of the authorities and in continuous consultation with the island's Fire Brigade as well as with the Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection Yiannis Katsanevakis.

This initiative will continue throughout the summer whenever the risk forecast reaches high risk or alert levels. A huge thank you to everyone who share our love of the island and participated in the patrol!

If you wish to participate in future fire patrols, please sign up to the dedicated WhatsApp group for coordination.

What a wondeful party!

On 14 July 2026, we opened the doors to our first Kythera Green Fundraiser Party. Honestly, we didn't know what to expect—but thanks to everyone who joined us, donated, contributed prizes, prepared, presented, entertained, volunteered, and hosted, the evening was a great success!

For the first time, Kythera Green now has funding for future projects, and we can't wait to start turning ideas into action.

At our next face-to-face meeting in August, we'll begin discussing and planning projects for the coming season.

Thursday June 25th, a dozen members of Kythera Green, hopped onto a dinghy and joined the team from Project Manaia (https://projectmanaia.at) on their research vessel SY Waya Waya. We spent some time meeting and being enthused by all the current volunteers as we exchanged pleasantries, ideas and war stories. Mia Pavic, from the project presented a graphic account of the scale and impact of plastics, particularly micro plastics on our oceans, ocean life and everything further up the food chain (including humans). She informed us of the activities of Project Manaia, and others, to deal with some of the impacts of ocean plastic pollution. It was a fabulous experience which we all gained a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm from and we wish them well. We look forward to future activities when they are in Kythera again.

Project Manaia

Saturday 13. June, first 2026 face-to-face Meeting in Potamos

It was a warm and inspiring gathering, attended by many members from across the island.

The Steering Committee presented the significant developments and achievements of the past winter, including our partnership with NECCA to support beach clean-up initiatives and our new collaboration with Project Mania to help protect our oceans. We also celebrated the launch of the Kythera Green website at kytheragreen.org and highlighted that recordings of the Winter Talks series are available on our YouTube channel: @KytheraGreen.

Minutes from the meeting has been posted on our WhatsApp group.

Beach Clean-up, Limni Beach Paliopoli

Kythera Green Winter Talks: Land Ownership on Kythera, Sophia Tektonidou & Pavlos-Marinos Delladetsimas

To join the Zoom presentation, click on this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87558122366?pwd=UKrHUClJZaHQSs5upJzDhEZB1P7q7j.1

A timely and highly relevant presentation of a subject of fundamental importance to all those living on Kythera. The unique institution of the Enchorios Periousia, with its significant actual and potential influence over the island’s environment, society and economy, is examined by two professional researchers with extensive knowledge of the subject.

Unlike most of Greece, where land is typically classified as either private or state-owned, land on the island which is neither private nor explicitly public belongs to the Enchorios Periousia or Domestic Estate of Kythira (DEK): a shared resource held collectively by and on behalf of the local community. Administered by a local board, the DEK aims to serve the common good of the island’s residents. But to what extent does it achieve this aim today? This presentation explores how the DEK functions in practice, focusing on the relationship between state structures and local community dynamics. It examines both the challenges that may undermine the institution and the opportunities that could strengthen its role for the future.

Sofia Tektonidou is an Athens-based architect. Her research explores the social meaning of space and alternative forms of collective governance. She is a researcher in the DOMINIA project, which examines commons-based models of land ownership and governance beyond the traditional private–public divide.

Pavlos – Marinos Delladetsimas is an Emeritus Professor at Harokopio University, Department of Geography. He has worked at the National Technical University of Athens and the University of the Aegean, and is a coordinator of the “DOMINIA” research program.

Monday 27 April at 17.00

Winter Talk

Join us to spend a few hours cleaning one of Kythera's beautiful beaches for debris from the winter storms

17.00 at Limni Beach. We meet at the entrance to the beach, opposite from Hotel Skandeia

Please bring your own gloves. Plastic bags will be available. Don't forget something to drink and snacks.

Sunday 26 April at 20.00 EET – Zoom

info@kytheragreen.org

kytheragreen.org is a freely accessible internet website owned by Kythera Green, a volunteer citizen’s association based on the island of Kythera. The site is operated and maintained by a volunteer editorial group, which can be contacted at info@kytheragreen.org.

Copyright: All material posted on kytheragreen.org, including text, photos and video is covered by Creative Commons License type BY-NC 4.0; this license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. Full details here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

Contact us