Two and a half years after the first presentation of the Greek edition at the packed Portianou Cultural Centre, we are pleased to announce that the English edition of the great work, titled “The Plant Wealth of Lemnos. A source of prosperity for the local community”, will be presented in Lemnos on August 4, at 9.00 p.m., in the Archaeological Site of Prehistoric Myrina, on Argonauton Street, at Romeiko Gialo.
The English edition will allow young people of Lemnos who are born abroad to study the agricultural history of a place with an unbroken millennia-old tradition and to connect with their roots and appreciate their intangible heritage. Of course, apart from the expatriate Lemnians, a large number of visitors, mostly European, come to our island every summer, familiarising with and enjoying the identity of the place; a copy of the book in English will make them the best ambassadors of Lemnos in their countries!
The book presents the results of 12 years of research on the natural resources and agriculture of Lemnos. In a model compilation, 21 scientists of different disciplines cover with their texts a wide range of topics, from rural traditions stretching back to prehistoric times, to the soils, flora and agricultural wealth of Lemnos. Emphasis is given to the traditional uses of native plants – with detailed descriptions of the landraces of Lemnos and their multidimensional importance – along with specific proposals for how the local community can make good use of them. Brimming with illustrations, this book lends itself to many readings; instructive, cultural, scientific and social, accenting both resilience and continuity.
The book’s scientific editing was carried out by Penelope Bebeli, Professor of the Agricultural University of Athens, and Ricos Thanopoulos, associate of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources. The English translation was done by Christoforos Gerondoudis, leading figure of the initiative, the linguistic editing by Julian Hoffman, and the artwork, as in the Greek version, by Marina Dimopoulou. Special mention should be made of the continuous and enthusiastic contribution of the residents of Lemnos, for their invaluable information on the local landraces.
The original Greek edition of the book was funded by the Swiss MAVA Foundation in the framework of the “Terra Lemnia” project, coordinated by the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, the Association for the Protection of the Environment and Architectural Heritage of Lemnos “Anemoessa”, the University of the Aegean and other renowned institutions and organisations in Greece and abroad.
The book will be available for purchase during the presentation of August 4, as well as in selected bookstores in Lemnos.