Velanidia Foundation for Amorgos

Ἔλεος
These beautiful healthy trees we shared about a few days ago : gone. I am stunned. A simple bulldozer blow cut short what life had taken 7 years to create.

We are lost in wonders.
Is it that people don't like trees? think there are too many?
Don't understand their value for the island, for life, earth, water, air, temperatures?
Value car-parking places for the month of August, over longlasting, living Nature?
Lack imagination to create space for both?
Think they can replace an Oak easily?
Or just don't care, see, feel?..

I feel sorry for the enthusiastic students of the University of Athens who had put so much heart and efforts into this. I have the sad position to tell them that in a blink of a (blind) eye, all this good work is gone.
May there remain a seed in your soul, at least of these happy moments together.

I am thankful to Master Dinos who tried to save the two biggest trees, out of nine. We will try to replant them, although in the middle of the summer heat, with half of the tap root missing, half broken, and no original soil around, chances look dim. But who knows - we have seen other wonders on this island.

One (and a half?) trees miraculously survived : now let's see what will happen. The island can decide to bulldoze them like their sisters, or allow them to gift us their shade, health and eonian beauty.

This island is a mirror of modern challenges, and the worse and the best of human responses.
Remote politicians who threaten to sell the island to power companies, the nefarious effect of hyperconcentrated mass tourism with lack of vision (500 rental cars on an island with 2 roads and 1850 inhabitants...), disastrous water overconsumption, greed, xenophobia...

And also a Firefighter who plants trees, a Shepherd who cares for them, openness, courage, philoxenia. unique solidarity chains when disaster strikes other human beings.

We want to concentrate on the latter.
And at least try to learn from what happened, since we can't repair it.

1°) the number one threat to trees is human activity (goats being one example). Human activity could be nature's major ally : but the people would need to understand its workings - and we dramatically lack education in it and connection with it.
2°) A 80cm Oak tree ABOVE GROUND, is, at least, 3 meters long in reality.
3°) A young trunk with a 1cm2 section has a root at least 4 TIMES as large.
4°) In drought conditions like the Cyclades, Oaks have virtually no superficial rooting system, so it is ABSOLUTELY USELESS and even dangerous to water them in the summer, as it never rains naturally in this period. Trees are in dormancy.
The long tap root is here to allow those trees to withstand any heat - provided they can replenish in the winter.
If you want to help them, do water them in the Spring and Fall if rains are scarce.
And note that, although we NEVER watered them, even after 3 terribly dry winters, those baby trees still had managed to survive... - only to be toppled by a backhoe one fatal morning.
5°) As illustrated, Oak trees create deep mycellium activity. This has allelopathic and water availibility implications that are two complex to detail here but in short : those trees foster life, health and humus.
6°) Most people don't know much about plants, think of trees as similar, that a Pine and an Oak are interchangeable for example.
Let's point out quickly : Pines and Eucalyptus grow fast, aridify the soil, and are poorly adapted to the island's winds and environment.
Local Oak trees grow slow (in the surface), needing patience, but they are a powerful force of life. They are adapted to their environment, they don't need watering, they only give. Water, shade, carbon sequestration, superfood, pollen, propolis, fertile soil etc - list is long. They cannot be found in nurseries, they cannot grow in pot, cannot be transplanted.

All trees, plants have their place, utility and beauty - but let's not take pebbles for diamonds. And ἔλεος! sacrifice the latter for summer-use barren carparks.

Another tourism is possible.

Happy Summer 🌞

🌿

Drought.

Amorgos (and a great part of Greece) is experiencing one of the biggest drought in recent times.

It is the third time in 5 years that it hardly has rained in the winter. Even flowers were scarce this Spring.

And now it is only end of June and the mountain is already scorched black, the olive groves and pournaria forests look grey. (This is because when these trees are under high hydric stress their leaves turn upwards, revealing their lighter side, limiting evaporation. So you can tell from afar nature is thirsty.)

Also strangely the refreshing meltemi hasn’t kicked in so the air looks dusty and greyish as well.

It is a very tough year for the amorgian nature. Even sage and origan bushes are completely dry. Some almond trees are turning red.

Some good news though! Broadleaf Greek Oaks (Quercus macrolepis) do resist - even the very young ones.
Actually, they are almost the only touch of green in the scorched mountains.

This very southern species has a prodigious adaptation to dry environment.
Those trees came out of local Amorgian seeds and never got watered. They literally grow out of stones, can withstand more than six months without a single drop of water, literally on a frying pan all day : thanks to their extremely deep tap root.

If they make it to maturity as we hope, they will help balance temperatures with their ample shade and healthy respiration. They even capture rain clouds. In drought conditions, they work as water pumps and make water available for surrounding vegetation as well.

We wish everyone understands the importance of these noble ancient trees for the future of the island (and in the Mediterranean as a whole), and that we start considering the inumerable benefits they bring to the country - like our Friends in Naxos, Paros and Attiki.

Btw if you are here this Fall (end of October), we can regenerate some more! together with local Almond, Carub trees and other local species.

Currently collecting acorns from rare Amorgian Quercus ilex for dissemination. (Δρυς η Άρια)

Full moon rise from Agia Anna, this Saturday.

Hardly has the moon ever been so bright and clear 🌕

Καλό μήνα!
May you find balance in the chaos of the World.🙏
Profitis Ilias, Amorgos, Fall 2020.

The impressive stem of Agave americana ("Αθάνατος"=Immortal) - possibly the tallest flower spike on Earth, reaching ten meters or more.

Good to make rope fibers...and a kind of tequila drink 😜.
Also quite decorative on a beautiful winter beach...😉