Ilias Strahinis, biologist-herpetologist, is giving a lecture on the reptiles of mainland Greece and Pieria prefecture.

While in other countries the contribution and significant role of snakes in ecosystems, biodiversity, healthy crops and public health is widely acknowledged, in Greece most people see snakes as a pest. The truth is that snakes are wild animals enjoying international protection, as they bring benefits to the environment and to humans. On top of that, most snake species in Greece are non-venomous and pose no threat whatsoever to humans.

Lalitsa came to realise this discrepancy in perceptions and decided to organise an information session for professionals who come in contact with or must handle snakes. In cooperation with biologist-herpetologist Ilias Sahinis, it was decided that the Fire Service staff would greatly benefit from such information. In the context of this action, the participants learned about the different snake species of Pieria prefecture and mainland Greece up to River Nestos and how to handle them.
The action was carried out in the summer of 2018 at the premises of Katerini Fire Service. Lalitsa funded and implemented the action, which was recorded on digital media. The lecture has been uploaded on our youtube channel Lalitsa Storyteller, ensuring that this useful information will be disseminated to other Fire Services staff across Greece in a cost-effective manner.