The Lake of Agia, 10 km south west of Chania, is an artificial lake of some 17 hectares (45 acres) created from a swamp in the early 20th century to provide a source of hydroelectricity for the city of Chania. As the population of Chania grew, so did the demand for electricity and the hydropower source was replaced by fossil-fuel-powered generating stations elsewhere. The obsolete generating station is now a museum.

The lake is now a Natura 2000 area protected from development, and a picturesque wetland and natural habitat which is popular with sightseers. It is also an important stop for migrating birds, of which more than 200 different species have been observed, some of them rare and threatened with extinction.

Within this context, the Vamos Education Centre for Sustainability and the Environment (part of a national network of such centres) is organising a Bird Festival on Sunday 1st October from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. The event is part of Euro Birdwatch 23, an annual event which is taking place across the continent this weekend, and it is being held in collaboration with the Chania Ecological Initiative and the Small Hydroelectric Station of Agia/Regional Development Company of Crete.

The event will include observation and recognition of rare and threatened species with telescopes and binoculars, and with the help of bird recognition cards, tours of the lakeshore and the Small Hydroelectric Station, searches for threats to the lake’s ecological balance (e.g. the presence of rubbish but also foreign species such as the American bullfrog and Chinese goldfish) and educational games for children.

In addition to providing information about threatened bird species, the event also aims to raise public awareness about wetlands.
(Haniotika Nea, 29/09/23)