Heraklion usually hosts waves of tourists hungry for history and Instagrammable beaches. This spring, a less typical group arrived: 22 students from New York, each packed with sunscreen, opinions, and notebooks, on a mission to draft the “future of Kastelli.” These students from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) have teamed up with their equally jet-lagged peers at the Hellenic Mediterranean University (ELMEPA). The agenda is “Applied Sustainability,” which sounds suspiciously like homework, but in Greek.
SUNY ESF has never before dropped its students into the Cretan countryside, but “there’s a first time for everything,” as Dr. Christine Georgakakos likes to say, usually right before something unexpected happens. The students, chaperoned by Dr. Tania Ploumi and Dr. Georgakakos, will huddle with Assistant Professor Dr. Konstantinos Vassakis (ELMEPA), local authorities, and anyone who admits to living near the new airport.
What passes for homework? Interviewing the locals, analyzing environmental woes, and maybe sneaking in a beach visit. Their main target: documenting the mess of expectations, anxieties, and economic hopes swirling around the future Kastelli Airport.
The Five Municipalities
The five selected municipalities represent a spectrum: from cautious optimism to “we’ve heard this before.” Each is promised tailored proposals—think less pamphlets and more pragmatic daydreams:
- Archanes-Asterousia: For the eco-conscious who prefer vineyards.
- Minoa Pediada: Soon-to-be airport neighbors—sleeping with one eye open.
- Lassithi Plateau: Altitude-adjusted expectations.
- Viannos: Quietly skeptical.
- Hersonissos: Already bracing for the next wave of sustainable tourists.
Events for the Chronically Curious
If nothing else, the events promise spectacle. Journalists, weary expats, and passing backpackers can witness transatlantic teamwork up close.
Key dates:
- May 12, 2025, 15:00—Heraklion, Decentralized Administration. Opening remarks, followed by polite applause.
- May 13, 2025, 16:00—Kastelli Municipal Hall. Local mayors, PowerPoint, and possibly biscuits.
- May 22, 2025, 17:00—Archanes, Old Electric Hall. Final ideas, audience questions, and nervous presenters.
This initiative, nestled under the careful supervision of the Decentralized Administration of Crete and backed by the Museum of Natural History of Crete (who clearly know a rare specimen when they see one), aims for progress—not miracles. Students are expected to “understand social, economic, and environmental challenges,” and as Dr. Ploumi insists, “connect local voices to global ideas.”
This project may not single-handedly invent a glittering, sustainable future for Kastelli. But it brings fresh eyes and more than a few lively debates. Whether it leads to lasting policy or just a memorable group photo, the future of Kastelli remains both a work in progress and the subject of more than one seminar.
Or as one brave local observed, “We welcome their enthusiasm. If only it was as easy as a group project.”
For anyone seeking more information, enlightenment, or merely curious about how US students fare in Crete: Dr. Tania Ploumi, SUNY ESF | ✉ ktploumi@esf.edu | +1 617-834-3472
