The first natural botanical path in Crete was inaugurated in Kavousi, Ierapetra. This is a "Frankish" path of the Venetian period which has been strengthened and upgraded thanks to the Greek-French twinning of the community of Kavousi which opens "bridges" with new data on the organized attendance of Greeks and foreigners in the area. It is a botanical route on the impressive gorge of "Mesona" made by the Association Alsace-Crete with the mayor of the Alsatian village Stutzheim-Offenheim who has twinned with Kavousi. The inauguration was co-organized by the Community of Kavousi, the association Alsace-Crete, the Region of Crete, the Municipality of Ierapetra, the local cultural association etc.
The inspirer and pioneer of the upgrade of the first natural botanical path in Crete is the French philhellene, a lover of Crete, professor of Ancient Greek Jean-Claude Svendman. The French professor, who has a home in Crete and has been coming to the island for 40 years, is the president of the Alsace-Crete Association and he collaborated to strengthen and promote the botanical path with local bodies, local government, botanists of the Museum of Natural History of Crete and operators from Alsace.
As mentioned by the participants, the rare natural botanical path, the first in Crete, on its route to the 3 km gorge have been recorded / marked and coded in 48 plates of more than 80 species of herbs in the area, most of which are endemic / therapeutic. Greek and foreign visitors / walkers have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful nature and to be informed by the signs for the identity of plants / herbs, flowers as the display with the information in Greek, French and English script.
In this, as mentioned, there was a collaboration with botanists of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Crete, while then a French botanist and translator as well as students from a high school in Strasbourg were asked to produce a booklet presenting the path and 48 of its most distinctive flowers, as well as a useful website (https://sentierbotaniquekavousi.com) with the history of the path and the canal, with the description of the project and each herb / flower. "I am very happy that my dream came true thanks to the help of all of us" said the enthusiastic French lover of Crete Jean-Claude Svendman, who thanked the governor, all local authorities, scientists, members of the Alsace association and citizens of the area who helped. He referred to the importance of the natural environment of the area, in cooperation with the twinned village of Kavousi since 1998 and addressed the residents of Crete, as well as Greek tourists and foreign visitors to tour the unique natural botanical path.
The governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, in his greeting pointed out the importance of highlighting the botanical path that came from the good cooperation of the two twinned areas and that signal new data for our place.
Mr. Arnaoutakis said that the Region cooperates with the institutions and participates with projects and actions that protect / highlight the natural environment, which are for the benefit of local communities and contribute to development.
He congratulated the twinned communities for the implementation of the project, to all those who helped, and especially to the inspirer and pioneer of the implementation of the project, Jean-Claude Svendman, Giannis as he wants to be called in Crete. The governor, in fact, characteristically stated that he was happy for Giannis, with whom he met in Strasbourg during the period when he was an MP, and that he visited him in Alsace and knew since then his love and interest for the island.
Source:
Athenian-Macedonian News Agency (APE-MPE), https://www.amna.gr/mobile/articleen/644895/-Egkainiastike-to-proto-stin-Kriti-fusiko-botaniko-monopati