The People at Callisto...
Spyros Psaroudas, co-founder and President of the Management Board of CALLISTO, is an agriculturist with a Master Degree in Agricultural Economics. He has got involved in social movements since his student years and in environmental protection issues since 1980s. He has long experience in the development, management and coordination of Nature Conservation projects from the early 90’s, including seven LIFE projects dealing with conservation of Large Carnivores and several trans-border cooperation projects in the South-East Europe (1994-today). He has been substitute member of the “Natura 2000 Committee” that operates as the National Committee for Protected Areas in Greece, and Special Expert – Consultant of the Council of Europe on issues related to the development of the Pan-European Ecological Network in SE Europe. He represents the nation-wide acting Environmental NGOs in the Management Authority of the “Rhodope Mountain Range National Park”, and in the Steering Committee of the ”National Operational Programme for Environment and Sustainable Development 2007-2013”.
Email : spyros(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Constantinos Godes, partner and co-founder of Callisto, was born in 1960 in Thessaloniki and studied Biology and Geography in the USA. He carried out an MSc in Aquatic Ecology in the UK. He has worked at the Institute of Marine Biology in Crete as scientific researcher and in 1992 he co-founded the environmental organization Arcturos in Thessaloniki, where he was in charge of the creation of the Bear Refugee in Nimfaio. From 1994 to 1997 he worked at the Innovation Relay Center of the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece, before returning to Arcturos as coordinator of the Balkan actions and director of the Greek Shepherd Dog Breeding Center. In July 2004, together with other scientists, he founded Callisto, where he is partner and vice-president. He likes animals, snowboard, cinema and beaches without umbrellas. He reads whenever he can.
Email : cgodes(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
G. Mertzanis is doctor of Biology and scientific coordinator of Callisto holding a PhD in the biogeography and ecology of the Greek brown bear and has a large experience in scientific research dating from 1985. He is ordinal member and represents Greece in international organizations dealing with the bear and the large carnivores (IBA, IUCN/BSG, LCIE).
He contributed in the compilation of the National and Pan-European Action Plan for the Bear that was composed by all European countries under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the cooperation of the EU.
From 1994 to 2002 he has been working as scientific coordinator in three LIFE-Nature programs funded by EU and implemented by Arcturos, aiming in the conservation and management of the brown bear in Greece.
From 2002 to 2005 he has been coordinating the program “Monitoring of the impacts of the construction and operation of Egnatia motorway on large carnivores, with emphasis on the bear and its ecosystem”.
He consumes solely organic products, he is a fanatic anti-smoker and he adores mountainous adventures.
Email : mertzanis(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Giorgos Iliopoulos is a biologist and collaborator of Callisto. His love for nature led him since very early to walk on the mountains of our country, following the tracks of the wild animals that insist and manage to survive in the hostile world of humans. From 1994 to 1997 he has been participating in bear protection programs (LIFE Arctos I and II), mainly as a field researcher, as well as in other relevant educational activities. Since 1998 he occupies himself systematically with his big love, the wolf, having started the first program in Greece for the wolf’s study and protection (LIFE “WOLF” 1998-2001). Since 2002 he is carrying out a PhD in the Biology Department of the University of Thessaloniki on the biology of wolf, as always. Since 2002-2005 he has been working as one of the scientific coordinators in the first monitoring program of the impacts of big motorways on large carnivores, this time following the tracks of wolves in Grevena.
Email : yliop(ΑΤ)otenet.gr
Thanos Tragos is a biologist and partner of Callisto. Since 1999 was part of the scientific field team in the program LIFE-Grammos/Rhodope and in the program “Monitoring of the impacts of the construction and operation of Egnatia Motorway on large carnivores in Panagia-Grevena section”. He has a large experience in monitoring and recording the biology and ecology of the brown bear, as he participated in radiotelemetry programs in Rhodope and Pindos.
Email : tragos(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Giannis Isaak is a forestry technician and partner of Callisto. He was part of the scientific field team in the programs LIFE-ARCTOS and LIFE-GRAMMOS/RHODOPE, as well as in the program “Monitoring of the impacts of the construction and operation of Egnatia Motorway on large carnivores in Panagia-Grevena section”. The last 9 years he is working in the field, carrying out radiotelemetry of bear and studying the biology and ecology of the bear in Greece. He is interested in apiculture and he likes mountaineering, walking in the nature and all types of DIY.
Email : isaak(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Periklis Tzovlas is an agro-economist and partner of Callisto. Since 1995 he is working as Officer of European Programs and Initiatives, with emphasis on the Programs of the European Social Fund.
Since 2000 he is director of Vocational Training of KEK Praxis, which is mainly interested in the professional education of adults on Computers and Economy- Management of Agricultural and Environmental Professions.
He has been consultant on environmental issues in Municipality of Chalkida.
Email : ptzovlas(ΑΤ)kekpraxis.gr
Lazaros Xatzinakos is a partner of Callisto. He was born in 1957 in Thessaloniki, but he is originally from the frontier Pisoderi in the Prefecture of Florina, where he unsuccesfully promoted in 1985 its spatial organisation, as an area of natural beauty. He studied civil engineering in the Polytechnic School of Ksanthi. However, in the climate of political change-over, journalism gained him. He soon became director of the newspaper “Thessaloniki” (1992) and later in 1998 he undertook its re-publication, together with “Macedonia”. Before and after he published, conserve and shut down a dozen of publications (“Epixeirein”, “Ellinikos Vorras”, “Eksostis”, ‘Eksipno xrima”). In 2004 he gave a printed form in the program “10 hour lecture on petrol” (“Perivallon 01”). Today he is working in the Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers. In Callisto he edits articles and plants, while sympathizes with the other “wild” partners of the mountains. Even though from a mountain himself, he loves the sea: his 24year old “Orka” (Dufour 2800) raises her sail cloths between Skopelos and Diaporo.
Email : milame(ΑΤ)otenet.gr
Thanasis Zaxaropoulos is a partner of Callisto. He was born in 1959 in Grammatiko Karditsas and he lived his beautiful twenty years in Pireas. He studied Civil Engineering and he has an MSc in Regional Development. He was interested in the Developmental Agencies of the Local Authorities in a local level- Consultant in the Municipality of Pireas, in prefectural level- Director Consultant in the Development Agency of Karditsa- in transregional level- President and General Director of PINDOS-Centre of Strategic Planning, in national level- President and General Director of the Encouragement Unit of LEADER II Network, while being Vice President of the Greek Union of Development Agencies for a decade. He is working in the regional level, as General Director of the Centre of Entrepreneurship and Technological Development of the Region of Sterea Ellada. He lives with Giouli, George and Nikos in Trikala and sometimes in Pertouli where he owns a little house, which, even though it is small, has enough space for all the good friends. He likes worried beads, old pocket watches and sheep hooks, while he gets furious-in between other things- with the pollution of Pinios. He makes tsipouro, unsuccessfully most of the times, while he is very good as a drinker.
Email : zaharopoulos(ΑΤ)keta-pese.gr
Iliana Bousiaki has studied Political Sciences in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and in Facoltà di Scienze Politiche Cesare Alfieri in Florence, Italy. She carried out an MSc in Politics and Communication studying at London School of Economics and Political Science in London. She came at CALLISTO in 2008 and later on she became full member of the NGO (partner in the Society). She is now Head of the Communication Department of CALLISTO.
In the past she has worked in a Public Administration Consultant company as a junior consultant. Working at CALLISTO gave her the opportunity to broaden her knowledge on enviromental issues and to enforce her interest about nature.
She loves walking in the city center, chocolates and television.
Email : bousiaki(AT)callisto.gr
Orestis Boskos is the man of Rhodopi. Grown up in Volakas village, prefecture of Drama and resident of Xanthi town, he is actually present at every event that demands intervention, information, dialogue, individual or collective participation for the preservation of Rhodopi’s natural beauties. He is an official eco-tourist guide specialised in Rhodopi mountain range and Nestos river and represents “Callisto” in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. In addition, he has worked in the organisation coordination of television and cinema productions and is still a winter ski instructor.
Biologist and partner of Callisto, arrived in Callisto in 2005 to work initially on volunteers’ education and thus found himself with them in Rhodope mountain, Grammos, Vovousa. He participated mainly in INTERREG Project in Rhodope, but he also offers his help in other tasks, such as article and project proposal writing.
He grew up in Kavala, where his family still lives, he finished the Department of Biology in Thessaloniki and he continues his studies in the same department carrying out a PhD that attacks the dominant language of the modern ecology (he faces the contradictions that obviously arise with condescension).He generally participated in associations in every social space he existed and in other kinematic groups. On the other side he cooks (very well), eats (even better), studies in the Department of Political Sciences (rarely) and reads (rarely), exclusively scientific books and detective novels.
Email : nnikisia(ΑΤ)bio.auth.gr
Social worker and volunteer since always, she found herself working the Department of Volunteers in Callisto on the coordination and encouragement of the volunteers since 2005. She is partner of CALLISTO. Collaborator in INTERREG, Youth and Ministry of Occupation projects, she found (and lost) herself with them in mountains and forests, where she fell in love with the animals and the trees and became a bit of amateur ecologist.
She works simultaneously in NGO on immigrants and minorities issues and she lets a bit of time for the Voluntary Work of Thessaloniki. In the past she participated in relevant organizations in Patra (where she studied), in Kastoria (where she grew up) etc., and she is still trying to help wherever she can, not as much as she would like though, thus she probably feels a bit guilty for that. She keeps the needed professional distances, but she likes getting around with immigrants from the East, as they share the same music tastes. Before she goes to sleep, she watches documentaries on bears and stuff.
Email : gelasto(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Fani Arampatzidou, environmentalist, is a partner of Callisto. She was born in Thessaloniki, studied Environmental Sciences in UK and took a MSc in Environmental Engineering. She came back and now lives in Thessaloniki in order to make her dreams come true in her hometown. She is interested in education and children as she believes that this is the only way to save both the natural and the social environment from the frantic course of people. She has started a PhD in the Pedagogical Department of Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki, but she is probably letting it to mature for the moment, as its subject “environmental ethics in education” is something new born in our country. The last five years she has been mostly working as an educator in a variety of bodies. She adores theatre, travelling and walking in the mountains.
Email : farabatzidou(ΑΤ)callisto.gr
Fotis Anastasiadis is Callisto’s Project Manager. He was born in 1977 in Thessaloniki. He has studied Environmental Engineering in Xanthi where he has “managed” to visit all the taverns of the area and to participate at “Gefyra”, “Polites en drasi” and many other volunteering groups. He came back at Thessaloniki and he has worked as Management and Administration Consultant until he came at Callisto. He is a maniac user of excel files. He loves city center where he lives with his unsuccessfully house-broken dog, Dallas. When he doesn’t walk his dog, he likes cooking, listening to annoying music and watching cinema movies.
Email : fanastasiadis(AT)callisto.gr
Lazaros Poulios was born in 1978 in Thessaloniki. He studied International Relations and Politics in New York College. After his graduation he continued his studies in U.K. He studied Theory of International Relations, in Lancaster University. When he came back to Greece he tried to build up a career in various working places but there was always something missing from his life. In the done of 2008 he was recruited by Callisto. His environmental awareness was that missing “thing” that he needed to fulfill. The fact that his origins are from a mountainous village Livadi (1.300 altitude) lead him to adopt this new working experience. Since he talks to much they (Callisto) decided to put him in Communications And Fundraising Dept. in order to convince people for the needs of Callisto. Apart from being a worker/volunteer in Callisto, he plays the guitar and he used to be a projectionist in the cinema). His greatest love above is Iraklis Sports Club. He is a member of the antifascist movement. A beloved fellow colleague says that Iraklis is his psychosis.
Email : poulios(AT)callisto.gr
Maih Vasilikou works for the Communication and Media department of Callisto. She has studied French Philology in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has been working as a journalist and later on as a public relations and advertisement consultant in “Thessaloniki” newspaper, in 102FM and Flash radio, while she was participating in television productions of ZDF together with the Association of European Journalists.
The last years, she is coordinating environmental education and awareness programs in “Korais” school, in the framework of the Environmental Education Consultancy Office that she is running. In 2004 she implemented a program relating to petrol, which was regarded as one of the best proposals of the Corporate Social Responsibility.
In her free time, she occupies herself in a homeodynamic farm on experimental agriculture issues, therapeutic horse riding and education for people with special needs.
Email : mvassilikou(ΑΤ)gmail.com
Mr. C. Pilidis is a PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol but rumor has it that in reality he is a spy and most likely a double one. At the moment he claims to be a mammal reseacher of bears wolves and ungulate species but he thoughroughly studies the effect of beer on human organism in combination with the excessive consumption of pasta. He is concerned about climate change, the future of the planet of videogames and football and in his spare time he occupies himself with the ecology, population status and habitat use of wild fauna using non-invasive genetic monitoring methods and some geographical information system applications. We can’t know them all.
Email : pilidis(AT)callisto.gr
Klairi Kountouri has studied economic sciences at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki and she has worked as accountant’s assistant for several years. She is now working in CALLISTO as financial manager and accountant. She was born and raised in Heraclion, Crete but since 2001 she lives in Thessaloniki. She is actively involved in many movements- antiglobal, antiracist, student, environmental.... She participates in the greek environmental movement of Green Attack, helping at campaigns against forest fires and campaigns for the prevention of city green spaces which are under the threat of urbanization.
Email : klairi(AT)callisto.gr
Born in 68 in Austria, she decided as a three year old girl to become
a vet - and so she did, Susanne Riegler finished the Veterinary School
of Vienna in 1997 worked for some years in an animal Rescue Center in
Vienna, before she moved to Norwich, East Anglia. There she worked as
a Veterinarian at Howards Surgery. In 2000 she moved to Greece and
from that time the protection of the Brown Bear started being a very
important part of her life. As a member of Callisto’s fieldteam and
Bear Expert Team she is in charge of any wildlife that needs medical
attention.
Email : werieglers(AT)yahoo.de
Armin Riegler was born in 1973 in Muerzzuschlag, Austria. While working in an animal rescue shelter, he finished the school of animal carer and veterinary assistant in Vienna. In 1999 he moved to England to gain more experience in pet and wildlife nursing in Harmsworth Memorial Hospital of the RSPCA and later on on a rescue farm in Frettenham,East Anglia. In 2000 he started working through a LIFE - Program with Arktouros being part of the field team and outdoor expert. Since the foundation of KALLISTO he is a stable Member of the Field and Bear Expert Team and finished his study of bioresources and environmental management in January 2009 at the University of applied Life Science Vienna (BOKU)
Email : werieglers(AT)yahoo.de