As part of the ERASMUS + PROGRAM, entitled "Little steps make a big difference. Together we care for our home ", as well as the environmental program titled "In my school yard ", with responsible teachers Mrs. Filippidou Anna and Mrs. Kydonieos Kyriaki, the environmental group of the 11th Gymnasium of Heraklion, visited the facilities of the water purification process at the refinery in the area of Agriana in the Municipality of Hersonissos as well as the Aposelemis dam. The environmental team was also accompanied by Mr. Patsakis Giannis.

Aposelemi Dam is the largest water supply project in Crete and was constructed to solve the vital irrigation needs of the northern beaches of eastern Crete, from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi.
The dam is near the villages of Potamies and Avdou. It concentrates the water of the Lasithi Mountains (Lassithi Plateau) while its capacity exceeds 30,000,000 m3.
Nowadays, the largest artificial lake on the island appears in the dam. There have been various species by converting the area into a wetland.
Aposelemi dam is a source of life and breath of development in the area and it is an amazing area for walk and recreation. Visitors can observe or photograph birds with impressive colours, many of which are migratory.

There was the village of Spentylli in the area, which was evacuated because it was within the boundaries of the artificial lake of the dam and the inhabitants of the settlement were compensated by the state for their properties. As water fills and empties the Aposelemis dam, the Spentylli disappears and appears! This is an attraction for visitors.
The village was inhabited both during the Venetian domination and during the Ottoman domination. Recently, the archaeologist Athanasia Kanda found 65 skeletons, which according to surveys probably come from a Minoan cemetery.

However, he educational walk did not stop there ...! The fruitful and pleasant educational adventure continued with the visit of our environmental team at the LYCHNOSTATIS Museum at Hersonissos Harbor!

The students attended the environmental education training program entitled "The sea lily returns to the shores."
The students came in contact with nature, soil, seeds, planting process and ways to rescue a protected plant species: the prehistoric sea lily, "pancratium maritimum", endemic to the northern coast of Crete before its spreading mass tourism.
The aim of the program was to substantially and symbolically enrich the local flora, physiognomy initiation as well as to stimulate children's collectivity.

The children attended a short presentation from which they extracted botanical and archaeological information about the plant. Then they recognized the sea lily in the courtyard of the Museum at its current stage. They observed the bulbs, the seeds and took on specific roles, they involved in all stages of planting a plant species, and worked as a group.
Through the specific training program the students tried to discover the richness of the folk culture of Crete with the ultimate aim of sensitizing them, preserving and promoting the newer cultural heritage and historical memory.