University Program Reveals New Environmental Decision-Making Skills for Students

Mankind faces serious environmental problems that, ironically, have been caused or most severely strained by man, the planet’s most intelligent inhabitant. The climate crisis is the main threat to global survival, forcing societies to adapt to new realities. We must update our society’s cultural software and encourage responsibility, awareness, and active participation in conservation. These goals are exemplified in a model eco-community in the Port of Linaria on the island of Skyros. Since 2015, two Greek universities and the port’s public administration entity, the Skyros Port Fund, have been hosting students and volunteers from Greece and abroad with the aim of spreading a new, more resilient, and sustainable way of life, known as the “SKYROS Project.” This project has been an environmental education focus for the local community and visitors who adopt pro-environmental attitudes and act as community stewards who are committed to climate resilience. The SKYROS Project also promoted the creation of an educational kit to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the challenges it poses to the planet. This kit has been evaluated by Greek experts in the field of environmental education who found this innovative approach promising for application in a port context.