The Rhamnous Earth Day Beach Clean-Up on April 17 was a dramatic success. Rhamnous is the most unspoiled corner of eastern Attiki, the ancient home of the goddess Nemesis. Volunteers mobilized by the Hellenic-American Democratic Association collected an estimated 1800 kg of trash in some 90 huge sacks. They raked the bushes, reached under fences, and formed a huge human chain to pass debris over steep, rocky trails from the beaches to the road. They left the Rhamnous beach, picnic areas, access road and footpath again pristine to enchant a new season of visitors.
Gates of the Rhamnous Polis |
Entering the Rhamnous Polis |
Agia Marina and the Beach |
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Agia Marina after the clean-up |
At the Gates of Rhamnous Polis |
View of the Polis |
More than 60 volunteers took part, including writers, students, teachers, pensioners, and nature lovers. Friendly hikers and visitors saw the work in progress and pitched in. The U.S., Greece, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Ukraine were all represented. Volunteers shared a communal Mediterranean picnic, and then visited the archaeological site to admire the work of archaeologist Vasilis Petrakos and pay tribute to Nemesis at her ancient temple.
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Group Photo
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Brady Kiesling at Rhamnous |
Diane Katsiaficas & Norman Gilbertson |
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It's been a hard day's night... |
Working with Friends |
Mark Weinstein & Chip Ammerman |
The bulk of the trash was packaging materials, including plastic bottles, cans, sacks, styrofoam, and food wrappers, some of it blown from fishing boats, much of it – including old iron, automobile tires and derelict furniture – left by insensitive visitors. This all joined the pile outside the Aghia Marina chapel, bound eventually for Athens' overflowing landfill at Ano Liosia.
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Garbage on the Beach |
Cleaning by the Swamp |
Garbage on the River Bank |
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Christine Ammerman |
George Wallace & Friend |
George Vakondios |
The full list of participants is:
Regina Tassitano & Picnic Detail |
Akrivou,
Anna Akrivou,
Vicky Ammerman,
Aliki Ammerman,
Chip Ammerman,
Christine Ammerman,
John Ammerman, Philip Ammerman, Sophie Ammerman,
Stephen Brown,
James Calliga,
Eleni Christodoulaki,
Cissy Christodoulaki,
George Cooper,
Chloe Cooper,
Will Coriolano,
Alicia Cornish,
Derek Costes,
Christina Counelis,
Christine Counelis,
Yiannis Creighton,
James Deligiannis,
Christos Donnelly,
Rosemary Doukas,
George Fuchs,
Rachel Gales,
Vivian Gerali,
Eleni Gilbertson,
Norman Gregory,
Elizabeth Kalimapetsou,
Ira Katsiaficas,
Diane Khoyna,
Natalia Kiesling,
Brady Kynigou Kynigou,
Penny Littell Littell,
Caroline Lomax,
Sue McGuire,
Colleen Nikolopoulou,
Marion O'Connor,
Teague Papageorgiou,
Nilufer Pardos,
Dafni Pardos,
Jean-Paul Pardos,
Vania Pearce,
Ariel Ramos,
Billy Sanders,
Jan Sarris,
Milton Tassitano,
Regina Tata,
Caroline Veil,
Mandi Waldie,
Lynn Wallace,
Geoffrey Weinstein,
Mark Wheeler,
Elise
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Picnic! |
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Picnic by the Church |
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Cleaning at the beach |
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Volunteers 3 |
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Human chain 2 |
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Stephen Ammerman |
Special thanks are due to the following people and institutions:
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Archaeologist Maria Oikonomakou and the 2nd Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, for permission to work in the archaeological zone and visit the site. |
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Mayor Thanasis Papageorgiou and the Koinotita of Grammatiko, for sending the municipal garbage truck to collect the assembled trash. |
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Mrs. Voula Rentzou and Ram Europe, Greek manufacturers of beach cleaning equipment, for donating heavy-duty garbage bags, t-shirts, hats, and latex gloves. |
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Editor John Psaropoulos and the Athens News for publicizing the event. |
But particular thanks to the volunteers, people who love the Greek landscape, who came together to protect Rhamnous's unique combination of nature and human toil as a treasure for all times and all peoples.
Brady Kiesling, Steering Committee, HELADA
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View of the Swamp/Steam |
Agia Marina Church |
Chip Ammerman 2 |
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Volunteer 4 |
Part of the "human chain" |
Philip & Christine Ammerman |
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Volunteer 5 |
Volunteer 6 |
Brady Kiesling with Garbage |
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Volunteer 7 |
Volunteer 8 |
Volunteer 9 |
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Lynn Waldie and Christos Deligiannis |
Volunteer 10 |
Chip Ammerman & Christine Counelis |
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Volunteer 13 |
Volunteer 14 |
Volunteer 15 |
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At the site |
Regina Tassitano |
Volunteer 16 |
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The Garbage Mountain |
Regina Tassitano and |
Volunteer 17 |
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Volunteer 11 |
Volunteer 12 |
Rosemary Donnelly and |
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