News & events

The Milos Mining Museum Educational Programs cycle for this year’s school season  was completed in May.
On May 23, 2016 38 pupils of the 2nd and 3rd  Grades of the Adamas elementary school visited the Museum. They participated in groups in the educational program All Around Us, and learned in an interactive and fun way all about the industrial minerals of the island with the help of the homonymous board game and the guidance of the educators-facilitators of the Efpalinos educational institution, which undertook the programs design and implementation. The program was carried out in the Museum’s special Milos Industrial Minerals and Interactive Unit wing.
On May 25, 2016 the pupils of both sections of the Adamas elementary school 4th Grade walked the Miloterranean Route “Sarakiniko”. Τhe children, along with their teachers and the Museum’s representatives started the trekking from Agios Konstantinos and, walking through an interesting but rough path, experienced the unique geological formations and the natural beauties all the way from Mytakas to Sarakiniko, from where they returned to their school on a bus.
Sponsor of both programs was Imerys Industrial Minerals Greece S.A.
We would like to thank the Directors, teachers, and pupils of all the schools (elementary and high schools) of Milos, and wish that next year’s educational programs of the Museum will have the same success and will be attended with the same enthusiasm as this year.

The Milos Mining Museum educational program“Milos obsidian: Tracing Prehistory”  took place between March, 31 and April 1st 2016 with the participation of 48 pupils of the Α1 and Α2 classes of the Milos highschool. The program’s venue was the Wing of the Zafiris Vaos’ Obsidian Exhibition, which complemented the Musuem’s other permanent exhibitions in 2011.  Aim of the program was to update the participating pupils on the origin, the processing, and the uses of this characteristically Melian rock, as well as on the value attributed to it by man since the prehistoric times.
Within the framework of the program, the pupils had the chance to learn about the volcanic activity and rocks and to get to know the sources and techniques of obsidian carving through research and observation. The educational activity was completed with a visit to the Bombarda area (in Lagada), where the children saw the natural obsidian deposits at the “Nychia” hill.
The transportation of the pupils to and from the Museum was undertaken by Imerys, sponsor of the educational program.

On the 14th, 15th and 18th of April 2016, the Milos Mining Museum organized trekking walks of Miloterranean routes for the pupils of the Adamas primary school, and the high schools of Milos and Folegandros within the framework of their visit to Milos.
On the 14th of April, the program started from Alykes, where 80 pupils of the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th grades of the primary school, along with the teachers and the director of their school, were guided through the site by geologist Alekos Petrakis as part of the informational program aimed at raising awareness on the Alykes site. Following the guided tour, 44 pupils of the last two grades of the primary school walked the 2nd Miloterranean route – “Volcano” guided by Mr. Alekos Petrakis and the forester George Petrakis. The latter informed the children about the island’s unique natural environment making special “stops” in relevant sites of particular interest, such as Kedrolivado (cedar meadow) with the centenarian cedar trees.
On the 15th of April, 92 students of the 2nd and 3rd Milos high school grades, accompanied by their teachers, also walked the 2nd Miloterranean route – “Volcano” guided by Mr. Alekos Petrakis. They admired the geologic formations and, having crossed the Fyriplaka crater, they reached Kalamos where they toured the area of the natural vents (fumaroles).
The Folegandros high school visit of Milos island on April, 18 included a visit to the Milos Mining Museum and a trekking walk of the 4th Miloterranean Route – “Aggeria”.
The almost spring-like weather helped the children who walked the 3,5-hours-duration Miloterranean routes. The transport of the children was taken over by Imerys, sponsor of this educational activity.

The Milos Mining Museum began its current year’s cycle of educational programs by inviting the children of the island’s nursery schools. Thus, in February 23-24, 2016, 76 children from the Adamas, Triovassalos, Plaka, Trypiti, and Pollonia kindergartens participated in the program «Transplanting a local plant», and in the artistic happening that followed focusing on the environment.

The children planted lentisks in pots after they had first made themselves the mixture of perlite and turf (peat) following the instructions by the forester Mr. Giorgos Petrakis. Ms. Christina Sfakianaki, artist, organized the happening offering the children a pleasant and creative pastime.

At the end of the two-hour program each child took the lentisk that it had transplanted, while each nursery school will decorate its class with its own “tree” created by the children’s drawings and collages of colored leaves.

The childrens’ transportation to and from the Museum was undertaken by Imerys, the sponsor company of the educational program.

With the aim to update the teachers of Milos as well as to promote the cooperation and the exchange of views on the MMM’s educational programs, a presentation was held on Thursday, February 4, at the Museum’s projection hall on its activities and programs planned for 2016.

The presentation was attended by 22 teachers from the island’s nursery and elementary schools, as well as from the Milos high school.

The MMM’s work and its current year’s program of activities was presented by Mrs. Anna Vogli, Member of the Museum’s managing committee, who along with the Museum’s Director, Mr. Manoussos Kantsos, answered the questions asked by the teachers.

This year’s educational activities will be carried out from February through May, according to the following program:

February: «Transplanting a local plant», for the children of the 5 nursery schools

March: «The obsidian of Milos: tracing prehistory», for the high school pupils

April: «With Colors and Aromas», for the children of the elementary schools

Miloterranean Geo Experience geological and cultural walks, for the high school pupils

May: «All Around Us», for the children of the elementary schools

Miloterranean Geo Experience geological and cultural walks, for the children of the elementary schools

The event was concluded with a visit to the Zaphiris Vaos Obsidian Collection and the Interactive Touch Unit recently added by the Museum in its Minerals Section which will complement the “All Around Us” educational program.

Within the framework of their Geography lesson, 49 pupils of the Milos high school 1^st Grade visited the Milos Mining Museum for educational purposes on January 29, 2016.

The Museum’s Director Mr. Manoussos Kantsos welcomed the children and updated them on the Museum’s work and activities and answered their questions as well as those of the teachers who accompanied them. A presentation on the rocks and minerals of Milos was delivered by the geologist Mr. Alekos Petrakis. During their 2-hours visit the children visited the Museum’s all exhibition units and watched two documentaries with the stories of old miners at the Museum’s projection hall.

Special interest was expressed for the Miloterranean Geo Experience geological and cultural walks organized by the Museum since 2013, while the possibility of organizing spring hiking excursions for the high school pupils was also discussed.

In the Milos Mining Museum’s (MMM) 1^st floor exhibition area -Mineral Wealth section- an Interactive Touch Unit was recently installed presenting the minerals of Milos.

Aim of this interactive exhibit is to challenge the visitor’s imagination, especially the child’s, giving him the opportunity to investigate the minerals he sees around him and enabling him to make the direct connection to the island of Milos. This is achieved by means of the map that is part of the exhibit, the touching experience and the enlarged picture of a specific mineral. At the same time, the screening of images from the mining sites themselves, helps the visitor recognize the island’s various landscapes and place his experience of visiting the museum within the broader context of his acquaintance with the island of Milos.

The new exhibit will complement the implementation of the educational program All Around Us organized on a permanent basis by the MMM.

The 6th International Conference on Sustainable Development in the Minerals Industry – SDIMI 2013 was held between June 30^th – July 3^rd 2013, at the Milos Conference Center – George Eliopoulos, on the island of Milos, with the participation of 190 registered conferees, scientists and academia as well as industry representatives from 29 countries. Among over 100 scientific papers, the Miloterranean presentation was a refreshing interval attracting the audience’s attention. The conferees had the opportunity to visit one of the seven Miloterranean routes, “Aggeria”, on a special guided tour organized during the conference.

 «We feel very fortunate», emphasized in his presentation Mr. Spiros Tzintzos, S&B Milos Operations Manager, «to operate on an island endowed by nature with a unique geology, accounting for its rich mining past and present and its natural beauty, that attracts tourists from around the world”. Mr.Tzintzos went on to explain how Miloterranean Geo Experience was conceived and why, making also reference to the island’s balanced development of tourist and mining industry over so many years, that has made Milos a notable example of sustainable development, not only in today’s Greece, but in the whole world as well.

Miloterranean Geo Experience, a new Milos Mining Museum initiative sponsored by S&B, was presented today at “The Hub Events”. The event, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Tourism, was attended by representatives of public authorities, tourism and business associations, and personalities from the fields of culture and science, as well as a large audience. Welcoming speeches were addressed by G. Damoulakis, Mayor of Milos, as well as Κ. Michalos, Chairman of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Miloterranean Geo Experience is a tourist brand aiming at enriching the island’s tourist product by utilizing the unique volcanic origin of its landscape and the island’s rare geology. More specifically, 7 maps with detailed routes complemented by concise text, guide the visitor’s discovery of the island’s unique geology, wealth of mining history and present, and its beautiful natural environment revealing a so-far “secret” Milos. Geologists, mining engineers, foresters, cartographers and historians combined their expertise and insights to take the visitor on an unprecedented journey to this Cycladic scenery, aiming to the creation of a novel experience beyond highlighting Milos’ uniqueness at a global level.

Mrs. Nicole Kyriacopoulos, representative of the Milos Mining Museum Management Committee, underlined: “The Milos Mining Museum is an open organization constantly renewing itself, innovating and educating. Its new initiative, Miloterranean Geo Experience, emerged through the Milos visitors’ persistent admonition for the creation of a more complete guiding tool to the island’s sites of geologic, industrial, and mining interest”. Thomas Androulakis, S&B Group Sustainable Development Manager pointed out: “By sponsoring Miloterranean, S&B proves that it supports both mining and tourism as pillars of Milos’ sustainable development, particularly in the context of our country’s challenging times”.

Mr. Thodoris Anagnostopoulos, the event’s host, engaged the audience in a presentation that revealed some of the Miloterranean routes’ secrets. It was shown how a touristic brand can interconnect sciences –from Geology to Archaeology- so intricately, that knowledge and hiking transform into an experience: the Miloterranean Geo Experience.

For more information visit www.miloterranean.gr.

The Milos Mining Museum Management Committee representative N. Kyriacopoulos presenting the work of MMM

 

The educational activity “From Millstone to Bread” was organized on March 11, 2013, for the second consecutive year at the Milos Mining Museum. 50 pupils from the 3rd grade of the Primary Schools of Milos and Adamas, accompanied by their teachers, took part in two consecutive rounds of the program. Ms Mini Radou, an educator specialized in museum activities, designed and realized the program this year, as well. 

The program evolved around myths and role-playing, with the small children performing enthusiastically. Through music and theatre , the children learned about the contribution of millstone to the island’s economic development and its usefulness in people’s lives. They also had the opportunity to grind wheat in the two original millstones offered for the program’s needs by Mmes Anastassia Vikeli and Anthoussa Psatha-Marouditsi, who, along with Ms Argyro Kamakari-Xydous also got voluntarily involved in the organization of the program.

Upon leaving, the ΜΜΜ’s small friends took with them a pouch of ground wheat as well as a treat from the “sweetest bread of their life”, as by now they had realized how much time and work is needed for a slice of bread to reach their table.

The program “From Millstone to Bread” is now part of the Milos Mining Museum’s yearly educational activities, offered to the island’s elementary schools and organized with the contribution of volunteers from the local community.