A petrified forest’s fauna on display

Exhibition teaches about rare species

By Alexandra Kassimi - Kathimerini

The petrified forest on Lesvos offers a unique record of geological history. Formed when lava from volcanic eruptions in the northern Aegean Sea submerged the area 16-21 million years ago, it is a rich source of information about the flora, ecological conditions, climate and tectonic changes that gave the region its present shape. An entire forest ecosystem has been preserved in perfect condition.

The Lesvos Petrified Forest Natural History Museum is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its foundation with an exhibition designed to introduce visitors to rare species of animals.

The smyrnotsichlono is a bird that is under threat of extinction worldwide. Only 700-3,500 pairs remain and in Europe it is only found on Mytilene and more rarely on Chios. The skourovlachos is a migratory bird; in Europe it breeds only in Greece and to a lesser extent in Albania. Also listed in the «Red Book of Threatened Vertebrates in Greece» is the pardokefalos, which can be found in the petrified forest. This rare bird breeds solely in northern and eastern Greece and in a few parts of Bulgaria. The rare stikti turtle lives on Lesvos along with the «little crocodile,» an unusual lizard that appears only in Thrace and the Aegean islands.

«The animals of the petrified forest» is in four sections - birds, snakes, lizards and turtles - and provides ample information. A special educational program caters for young visitors at each school level and the museum runs outdoor educational courses in the geological parks of the petrified forest.

Schools can apply to participate in the courses from March 15 to June 15 at the Lesvos Petrified Forest Natural History Museum, tel 22510.47033 or e-mail lesvosspf@otenet.gr.