Tasting the Land – Exploring the living, cultural and agricultural environments of the Halkidiki in Northern Greece
The application period was shortened to 30th of April 2023!
Online: 21-29 August 2023
On-site: 01-08 September 2023
Organized by: Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Venue: Halkidiki, Northern Greece
Background of Summer School / Introduction
Halkidiki, in northern Greece and is about 100 km from metropolitan city of Thessaloniki. It is the seat of the Municipality of Aristotelis. In the place of today's town of Lerissou is the ancient Akanthos, which was famous for its wine. Lerissos is a small town on the east coast of the Akti peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. It is located 160 km from Thessaloniki, and 10 km from the border of the Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain, or Mount Athos. The younger residents of Lerissos are engaged in fishing, shipbuilding, trade, building projects on Mount Athos and the related tourism industry.
Akanthios Oinos refers to the wine of ancient Akanthos. It was the wine that, according to legend, Xerxes asked to taste during the opening of the canal of the same name on the third leg of Halkidiki during the Persian wars. It was the wine that the Persian king drank before the battle of Thermopylae. It was the bone of contention between Athenians and Spartans, as Thucydides mentions, during the Peloponnesian War. It was also the wine that the ancient philosopher Athenaeus mentions in his work "Dipnosophists" and accompanied the banquets of the ancient Greeks. The selection of this location as study area for a summer school class is directly related to the rich history of land use, human settlement, agriculture, and civilization of this region of the world.
When considering the great history of wine making in this region as described above, the different villages, towns and cities, and their associated settlement pattern of agricultural landscapes have experienced significant changes over time, however the cultural character of this region remains. Those changes which have take place over time can be seen in the built and naturalistic environment and in particular the shrinking agricultural landscape as a consequence of land development. This no doubt has consequences on how each are managed for economic growth, resource management, and enjoyment by local inhabitants and visitors (tourism).
This proposed Summer School for 2023 aims to investigate how each of these dynamic characteristics are managed and the interface of each to the land and the people who inhabite it today, with particular emphasis on farm-based eco-tourism experiences, soil and water management at vineyards. For the proposed Summer School 2023 – Tasking Tasting the Land – specific emphasis being placed upon the vineyard known as Domaine Agrovision. This wine grapes growing farm is a 25-hectare estate in Lerissos, located just at the beginning of the third “finger” of the beautiful peninsula Halkidiki in Macedonia in northern Greece. The vineyards are situated between four and ten kilometres from the sea, opposite the island of Ammouliani. Of significance, there is a view of Mount Athos further down the finger of land that characertizes this location.
This proposed summer school will offer students the opportunity to explore each and consequences evident in the living, cultural, and economic environments; how are the products produced; impacts to the land; and, contribution to the local and global food market. Specifically, students will learn how to develop strategies for attracting farm-based ecotourism experieces for visitors, and with that how to best market the experience and product for visitors in the future.
The educational team under the direction of the Czech University of Life Sciences will work in partnership with the Greek NCO – Trace Your Eco, to develop an interpretative program for education that explains how wine grapes are grown and wine produced will be prepared for the visitors, in addition to understanding the unique ecological systems present to this region of Greece. Opportunities for how a visitor can learn about viticulture, the distinctive ecology of this region in northern Greece, and human settlement pattern will be explored. Opportunities for education through hands-on involvement into the workings of a vineyard will be identified. In addition, the summer school program aims to identify, map, and mark a new network of non motorized hiking and biking trails for this region. The goal will be to indentify opportunities that will link some of the vineyards with local villages and other recreation opportunities.
Maximum number of participants
12
Pre-requisites
Trans-disciplinary teams with students of various disciplinary studies from various parts of the world will work collaboratively. It is planned for an estimated 10-12 students maximum from within the ELLS network of schools will participate in the workshop with a limited number of students from each of the partner schools. PhD students are also encouraged to participate.
NOTE: This number of students, 10-12, pertains to the available space for accommodations offered by our Greek partner Domaine Agrovision at the vineyard. Students should be ready to enter their final year of bachelor study or have complete their first year of graduate studies.
Application Method
Application is closed
Application Deadline
The application period was shortened to 30th of April 2023!
Course Content
Learning Objectives
- Students will work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team including both students and experts of different disciplines, cultural backgrounds, and the partner ELLS Universities.
- Students will conduct intensive on-site research to explore and document physical, social and environmental characteristics of the vineyard, growing and production techniques, soil science and management, erosion stabilization, marketing and branding of product(s), and opportunities for farm-base agri-tourism / eco-tourism development for visitors.
- Students will identify factors of change in the relationship between people, place, commerce, and environment.
- Students will explore opportunities for marketing these experiences for future visitors.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
As a conclusion of the summer school, the students will have accomplished the following:
- A comparative analysis of multiple locations subject to different factors influencing landscape change as described earlier in this proposal.
- Trans-disciplinary research, documentation and analysis of complex landscape, land ownership, current land use by local family-run vineyards over time.
- Awareness of the factors of change that influence changes in the relationship between people, their settlements and landscape.
- Strategies that can be incorporated to foster farm based tourism / eco tourism.
- Reccomendations for brand marketing of the products and experiences available to a visitor.
- Completion of a final document for publication along with online video summary of the work.
Course Schedule
The proposed summer school will include a pre trip learning block of approximately 9-10 days where students will read assigned literature and participate in online discussions with the teaching partners, beginning at the end of August and early in September, 2023.
Specifically:
- January 2023: Final course plan/syllabus and list of teaching assignments
- February 2023: Course annoucement and call for student applications
- June 2023: Deadline for applicants
- August 21-29, 2023: Online self prepatory with participation by ELLS subject area instructors
- September 1-8, 2023: Field workshop / summer school in Greece
What the student will need:
Students should come prepared to spend most of their time outdoors exploring the natural and built landscape. Therefore, it is suggested that each bring appropriate clothing and good hiking shoes to be comfortable in a variety of weather conditions, from sunny to rainy. Students should also bring a camera (phone camera is OK if it has good resolution). Each may bring their computer for internet searching and for use in the preparation of drawings, interactive media, and final products.
Course Language
English
Course Format
This summer school will blend pre-trip online class meetings followed by in-the-field on-site learning experieces. Specifically:
- An online pre-trip learning conducted by ELLS SA Environmental Science partners will be conducted during the week prior to the excursion to Greece. The teaching partners are expert on facets of viticulture, soil science, eco-tourism and farm-based tourism, branding/marketing; and recreation planning.
- Field excursion/workshop class will follow the online intergrated education.The destination will be Domaine Agrovision; a wine grapes growing 25-hectare farm estate in Lerissos, located just at the beginning of the third “finger” of the peninsula Halkidiki in Macedonia, northern Greece.
- Students will learn hands-on in-the-field from ELLS partner professors and local experts.
- Students will become adept in site related problem solving.
Local Support
CZU currently has a signed MOU with with the Greek NCO, Trace Your Eco, made in 2021. CZU, FES have conducted collaborative research projects with Trace You Eco in September of 2021 in support of a masters‘ student thesis. This research was conducted on the Chalcidice peninsula in northern Greece. As mentioned above, CZU conducted a week-long summer school field workshop in 2021 on the Chalcidice peninsula in northern Greece with Trace Your Eco and students from Thessaloniki; we have an established proven working relationship with our Greek partner.
The the vineyard, Domaine Agrovision, is a 25-hectare estate in Lerissos, located at the beginning of the third “finger” of the peninsula Halkidiki in Macedonia, northern Greece. They have offered to provide free lodging and one meal a day for approximately twelve students and up to three professors on-site at the vineyard. This generous offer makes such a field-based study and research summer school excursion possible.
Number of Credits [ECTS]
7,5
Type of Assessment
Costs
Free accommodation and one meal per day
Accommodation
Accommodation offered by our Greek partner Domaine Agrovision at the vineyard
Health Insurance
Participants are responsible for an adequate health insurance during their participation in the programme
Visa
All participants are responsible for arranging the correct visa if necessary
Contact person for questions
Email: kumblep@fzp.czu.cz
Instructors
Peter Kumble, MLA, Ph.D.
Marek Gielczewski, Ph.D.
Markus Puschenreiter, Ph.D.
Ulf Grandin, Ph.D.
Claudia Bieling, Ph.D.
Invited: Bjarne W. Strobel, Ph.D.
Academic Partners
CZU – Czech University of Life Sciences – Prague
UHOH – University of Hohenheim
SLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
WULS – Warsaw University of Life Sciences
BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
WUR – Wageningen University and Research Centre
Summer School poster
