The voluntary tree planting that took place in Mylopotamos, Kythira, November 30, after the devastating fire of the summer, was not simply an environmental action. It was a deeply human, collective act that deserved not only to happen, but also to immortalize.
This immortalization was undertaken, in a discreet and meaningful way, by Stamatina Tambaki. Through her camera lens, that day was not captured as an «event,» but as experience: faces bent over the soil, hands planting, silent gazes, children alongside adults, people of different backgrounds united around a common purpose.
As she mentioned in her post, she stood there not only as an observer, but also as someone who still carries the memories of the fire—the moment when the village was violently uprooted from its daily life. Through her lens, tree planting is transformed into optimistic response to disaster.
Stamatina Tambaki's post, accompanied by photos of the event, published verbatim below. Not as a simple republication, but as a small tribute to an act that deserved to be remembered—not only as a mark on the land of Mylopotamos, but also in the collective memory of Kythira.
Here is Stamatina's post:
«Voluntary tree planting in Mylopotamos, Kythira, by volunteers from the island following the devastating fire that ravaged our village last summer. This was the second fire since 2017 to cross almost the same spot.
We would like to acknowledge the presence of the members of the «Melissa» Association, our Dutch hikers, the Kythira Nautical Sports Club, the members of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the members of the «Portokalia» Association, the members of Animal Aid Kythera, the members of the Kythera Foundation for Culture and Development, the Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection, the Commander of the Kythera Fire Brigade, and, of course, the members of the Mylopotamos Public Works Association. We would like to express our warmest thanks to Kythera News.
We warmly thank the parents who brought their children. All the residents of Mylopotamos. We warmly thank the people who have held positions of power in the past and who were present today in a selfless manner. The members of the Municipal Council. We would like to thank our fellow residents from Albania. Our fellow residents from Pakistan. The people of Kythira who live in Athens and came here just for this event. All our fellow villagers who came from other villages as a sign of support. We would like to thank the supermarket in Karvounades for the bottles of water and the Potamos bakery for the discount given to the Mylopotamos Association on the supply of sandwiches. We would like to thank the President of the Association of Public Works for the traditional tsipouro served at the end of the work.
The time has not yet come for me to express exactly how I feel. The memories of the fire are still very fresh. My feelings are confused. The only experience in my life that I couldn't photograph. Denial, pain. But today, there is hope, a glimmer of light. I saw that glimmer in everyone's eyes. Hiding behind a lens has many rewards. And with a particularly persistent backache that has been bothering me for the last few months, I am very happy today that I managed to be there.
I know that some came because they had to, others because they suffered like us—we experienced the fire and, believing we were saying goodbye to our home for the last time, boarded the boat in Limniona and arrived in Kapsali, as refugees on our own island—and they sympathized with us, some as a minimum moral obligation according to the organization they represent. There are also those who came just for the photo op. Those who feel awkward about the publicity surrounding the issue and stayed a little more aloof and quiet. Those who came to clean up and distribute wood to those who need it. Those who enjoyed it and felt that they were really offering something important to the place. Those who had to record the events. Some may feel remorseful because they could have been more active in the community of the island where they live, and today they may feel a little better. Some did not come at all.
I respect them all. And if just one tree survives from all those planted today, which our children will admire and enjoy tomorrow, it will be a SUCCESS! Today, we did not simply participate in an activity that will end tomorrow. It is a serious commitment to the future of our children. It is the Kythira of tomorrow!
So let's continue planting trees, let's set other days for cleaning up the burnt areas and collecting wood for anyone who needs it, let's keep watering the newly planted trees regularly and let's show that we're a real community, not just for show, not for political parties, but for our shared love for the island we've chosen to live on.
(Please let me know in the comments if I have forgotten anyone. I have deliberately not mentioned any names because we all represent something and I would prefer to emphasize that. If we have to thank someone personally, it is Thanasis Samios and those who helped him with the preliminary work of digging the holes in the previous days, providing guidance on proper tree planting, and supervising all the tree planting sites in Araios, Agios Petros, and Mylopotamos today, and of course for the completely voluntary offer of his agricultural expertise without remuneration. That's going the extra mile. He was the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the one who will always keep an eye on things. Let's follow his example and continue the wonderful work we started today!»
Translation to English. .