At least one Malia area hotel is doing its part to promote support for the Cretan environment by running Green Team Weeks throughout the summer.

The program is being conducted by the Cretan Malia Park Hotel, part of the Sbokos Group.

Dimitra Pavlidou, the hotel’s Guest Relations Officer, who is organizing the activities and events, said the program includes Eco games and quizzes, tree planting, beach clean-ups and evening presentations from various local organisations concerned with the Cretan environment.

Participants include Gayner Vlastou of The Haven in Malia, who runs a tombola and fund-raising sale to help with her animal welfare work, as well as exhibiting the mobile animal clinic run by the Cretan Animal Welfare Group.

Also, Margaret Clurow hosts a talk on World Life Rescue and Julia Jones introduces the wild flowers of Crete. In addition, Archelon – The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, explains the need to preserve the conditions necessary for the continuing survival of sea turtles here and elsewhere throughout the country.

Julia Jones and her Cretan wild flowers

John McLaren of Aquaworld Aquarium in Hersonissos also provides a bit of an adrenaline rush with his presentation on the local marine environment and reptiles – encouraging those attending to get up close and personal with a selection of his snakes and lizards.

For many, it is the first time they have actually touched a reptile and John believes that doing so dispels a lot of the fears that people have about these fascinating creatures.

 “Programmes such as this can do nothing but good,” John said. “Our environment needs all the help it can get. Congratulations to the Cretan Malia Park team and let us hope that many more follow their example.”

Young visitor gets ‘wrapped up’ with a boa