Through the IDAology program, the specific characteristics of the pastoral activity and culture of the shepherds of the mountainous mass will be investigated and recorded.
On Friday 9/10/20 the first active dialogue meeting was held with representatives of Psiloritis civil society organizations in Anogeia and the Psiloritis Geopark Information Center.
The number of participants was limited due to the conditions of the pandemic and consisted of officials from the local government of the Psiloritis Geopark Municipalities, representatives of livestock cooperatives, local media representatives as well as project partners from the local population of the area.
The aim of the meeting was to inform the local community, to create conditions of cooperation and dialogue workshops that will follow in the communities but also the pastures themselves between the citizens, the agencies and the members of the project consortium.
On the part of the consortium, the briefing was carried out by representatives of FORTH, Androidus Project Tank and University of Crete.
A constructive dialogue followed regarding the research and recording of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the world of the Shepherds of Psiloritis, which will take place in the area of the Geopark, with the aim of enriching the program with significant data content.
IDAology is the first attempt to approach the pastoralism of Psiloritis through the combination of scientific research and documentation, technological innovation and diffusion, but above all cooperation with the local actor, for this reason soon and given the restrictive regulations due to Covid19, other meetings will follow with agencies and citizens in other areas of the Geopark.
The project “IDAology: The pastoral experience in the communities of Ida (PSILOREITIS GEOPARK) as an augmented reality experience and a digital repository of the intangible cultural heritage of the mountain”, is implemented within the framework of the RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE Action and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and national resources through the the Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programm (EPANEK).
Within the time period of 30 months and with the main tool of interaction and cooperation with the people who live and work in the mountainous environment of Psiloritis will arise:
1) A research repository as a digital database in more than one language about the shepherd’s life which will include living narratives, recording the action and everyday elements that make up shepherding.
2) A software application to create virtual reality experiences (in a 360 degree digital environment) which will give everyone the opportunity to be transported to the natural environment of Psiloritis experiencing as an active observer the complex reality of pastoralism.
3) A book for students and children where modern technological means of augmented reality will be able to bring to life scenes, heroic traditions from a mountain with its timeless protagonist its shepherd.