Counting stars in Mount Parnonas

How does the Constellation of the Eagle relate to the Bonelli’s Eagles of the Peloponnese?

Between the 14^th and 16^th of July, the Team of Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society together with the Management Unit of The Southern Peloponnese Protected Areas of NECCA participated in the 15th Panhellenic Expedition of Amateur Astronomers. This star-gazing event took place in Mount Parnonas, one of the Bonelli’s Eagles favorite places and our team didn’t miss the opportunity to introduce the endangered eagle-symbol of the Mediterranean landscape to all the night sky enthusiasts.

The afternoon of Friday 14^th was dedicated to the ‘stars’ of the daylight sky: the Bonelli’s Eagles, while from dusk until Sunday morning the Astronomical teams taught our team how to read the constellations of the summer night sky.

We started the three-day astronomical event with lots of fun and energy with our very own childrens’ workshop, aiming to introduce the Bonelli’s Eagle to our little friends. More than 60 children of all ages participated in our specially designed educational activities and learned more about the fearless eagle of the Mediterranean Sea.  By creating masks and/or figures of the Bonelli’s Eagle, and also of his favorite food, the Partridge, the children filled the space of the event with the feathered inhabitants of Mount Parnonas, while older children learned about the difficulties that the young Bonelli’s Eagles face until they reach adulthood playing our floor game, which is part of the educational material of the LIFE Bonelli eastMed Program.  

Later that day, visitors of all ages  watched the educational presentations of both the Management Unit of The Southern Peloponnese Protected Areas of NECCA  dedicated to the nature of Mount Parnonas as well as the one of the Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society about the endangered Bonelli’s Eagle and the eagles of the Greek countryside!

After the sun set, the astronomers traveled us up to the starry sky, where we discovered that we can see eagles even at night in the summer triangle!