THE FOSSIL FOREST
About 15 millions years ago
Lesvos was covered by tropical and
subtropical forests, a unique
characteristic both for Greece and the Mediterranean. This special
vegetation was due to the great water resources that the island had and
continues to have till today, but mainly to the active volcanoes that
existed under the ground. This tropical forests with the gigantic trees
were suddenly covered by lava and volcanic ash, following an intense
volcanic activity.
The water running through these
volcanic grounds for thousands of years crystallised the trunks of the
trees. The stone trunks preserved till today, at an area of 150.000 acres
on the north-west side of the island, are mainly comprised of quartz and
opal, while the characteristics of the trees are clear. The Fossil Forest
has been proclaimed as a Preservable Monument of Nature and visitors are
free to visit the greater part of it.
Visitors to Lesvos have a number of alternatives if they wish to visit the
various concentrations of fossilized trunks. In order to take full
advantage of the park, however, first they should pay a visit to Natural
History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in the village of Sigri to
get trail and park information. Museum displays include finds from the
Petrified Forest and an account of the geological history of the evolution
of the Aegean, from the processes which led to the creation of the
Petrified Forest 20 million years ago up to the present-day ecosystems.
Then visitors can either visit the Petrified Forest Park, the Sigri Park,
the Plaka Park, the Nisiopi islet protected area, or choose routes on foot
which link the fossil areas.
The Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest was established in 1994 in order
to study, research, promote, preserve and protect this invaluable
"testimonial" of life in the distant past.
The year 2000 marked the establishment of the European Geopark Network,
its objective being the cooperation of geologic parks and monuments at a
European level for the development of geotourism. The Natural History
Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest is a founding member of this
network.
In 2001, the museum was awarded the Euro site Management Award for its
effective management of the Lesvos Petrified Forest. In February of 2004,
the Petrified Forest of Lesvos was inducted into the Global Geopark
Network of UNESCO.
According to its educational policy, the Museum runs educational programs
for school groups, students and families, tours for adults and educational
seminars in order to familiarize the general public with the Petrified
Forest, its natural history and the geological heritage of the earth.
