Myrsini has been living in Prespa since 1988. She was involved in the establishment of the National Parks at Prespa, as a consultant specialising in the biology and ornithology of these areas. She became the Managing Director of the SPP on its establishment in 1991 and has been leading the organisation ever since. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001, for her contribution to the protection of the wetlands of Prespa, jointly with fellow biologist Giorgos Catsadorakis. In 2013 she was honoured with the Viron Antipas Award in recognition of her many years of successful conservation work in Prespa.
Myrsini Malakou
Giorgos Catsadorakis
Giorgos studied Biology at the University of Athens and holds a PhD in ecology. Since 1991, he has been Scientific & Conservation Advisor to the SPP and has been involved in research work for pelicans, and many other threatened birds, fish and mammals, as well as wetland and protected area management and environmental interpretation. He also worked as an advisor to WWF Greece from 1997 to 2018. Amongst eleven books on the natural history of Greece, he has written three about Prespa, pelicans, fish and fisheries, and has published more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Since 2010, he has been Chairman of the Pelican Specialist Group for IUCN-SSC (International Union for the Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission) and WI (Wetlands International). In 2001, he was awarded, jointly with Myrsini Malakou, the Goldman Environmental Prize for his contribution to the conservation of Prespa.
Julia studied archaeology for her first degree and then spent 13 years working as a technical manager in the theatre and music industries. She has been living in Prespa since 2000, working as an organic market gardener and ornithological researcher. Julia has an MSc in Environmental Management and GIS, which she also helps to teach at the University of Ulster, and has been working with the SPP since 2012. Julia has assisted the Managing Director and also managed projects for the SPP. She now works to help build the SPP’s strategic partnerships, with donors and members, as well as through other collaborations and networks, such as PrespaNet.
Julia Henderson
Vivi Roumeliotou
Vivi is an international environmental lawyer holding a first degree from the University of Athens, and a LLM and PhD from the University of London. She has worked as an international, EU and national environmental law expert on various projects and studies and has authored papers in these fields. She has lived in Prespa with her family since 2005 and has been working for the SPP since 2000. Vivi initially co-ordinated the Society’s transboundary work, and now, for more than a decade, its national and international policy work.
Irene’s exciting first contact with Prespa and the SPP was through a volunteer programme run by WWF-Greece in 1996. She studied biology at Sussex University and holds an MSc in Wildlife Conservation & Management from the University of Reading in the UK. She joined the SPP in 2003, to work as a field ornithologist. Since then, she has co-ordinated numerous projects spanning several fields of the SPP’s work, with a particular focus on research and monitoring, wetland management and habitat restoration at the national and transboundary level. She has co-ordinated two LIFE projects, one on the conservation of juniper forests and another on the restoration of wetlands in Lesser Prespa Lake. Irene currently co-operates with the policy department and works on transboundary collaboration through the projects of the PrespaNet network.
Irene Koutseri
Olga Alexandrou
Olga grew up in Thessaloniki and studied Forestry and Natural Environment at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She continued her studies in wildlife at the postgraduate level and obtained a PhD, studying important bird species in the Dadia Forest. She has collaborated with the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli National Park Management Body and with environmental NGOs. She has been living in the village of Agios Germanos in Prespa and working for the SPP since 2012. Her work includes monitoring and researching the rare waterbirds of the Prespa lakes, networking with other organisations and researchers on issues concerning pelican conservation, at both national and international level, and participation in several SPP activities related to wetland management and conservation.
A local Prespiot, Lazaros has been working with the SPP for over three decades. Initially, he was actively involved in the SPP’s information centre, providing guided tours for visitors to Prespa. Currently, he assists in and implements all kinds of conservation field activities. In addition, he is responsible for all day-to-day monitoring and maintenance of the SPP’s assets and infrastructure.
Lazaros Nikolaou
Haris Nikolaou
Haris has been with the SPP since it was founded in 1991, primarily as member of the research, management and monitoring team. Haris participates in planning, organising and implementing all field and monitoring activities related to important habitats, such as wetlands, forests and mountain pastures, or important species such as pelicans and waterbirds. Being from Prespa, he plays a vital role in collecting and bridging traditional ecological knowledge with modern science, and he also participates in the restoration and operation of traditional infrastructure such as the Agios Germanos watermill.
Kiki holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and Biodiversity Conservation and her expertise lies in the ecology and behaviour of birds. She worked at the Antikythira Bird Observatory, where she participated in studies on the Eleonora’s falcon, and in bird research projects in Greece and Sweden. In addition, she has a ringing license from the Hellenic Bird Ringing Centre. She became a member of the SPP team in 2023, supporting the study of important bird species in the Prespa lakes and participating in management and protection efforts for the Prespa National Park.
Kiki Bairaktaridou
Fotini Papanousi
Fotini studied Rural and Surveying Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She received an MSc in Civil Engineering, specialising in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, from the University of Patras. She has been working as a freelancer for more than 16 years in various areas of work that involve topographic surveys and environmental studies. She has been working for SPP as a GIS & Data Management Officer since 2019.
Androniki is a Civil Engineer with an MSc in the Design of resilient, sustainable and smart infrastructures, specialising in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Infrastructures at the University of Patras. She has worked as a research associate in the Environmental Engineering Lab at the University of Patras, involved in laboratory and field activities. Since 2022, Androniki has been working for the SPP as co-ordinator of the ‘Prespa’s Green and Blue LifeLines’ and the ‘Prefeasibility study on rehabilitation of Agios Germanos River’ projects.
Androniki Tourlouki
Alexandra Demertzi
Alexandra studied Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a Master of Sciences in Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development from the department of Civil Engineers of AUTh. She was introduced to the unique Prespa’s nature through her PhD research on the biodiversity of the forests of the Prespa National Park (PNP). In the past, she has collaborated with environmental NGO’s and Management Units of several Protected Areas in Greece, mainly focusing in rare and endangered species of the Greek avifauna. She has worked with SPP on various occasions mainly on the production of environmental interpretation material, and since 2024 forms part of the SPP community as a member of the Research and Monitoring team. Supports the strategic planning of the research and monitoring of the species and habitat types, as well as activities on research and conservation of biodiversity of the PNP.
Nikos holds a PhD in biology, specialising in the history of ecology. Since 2006, he has been working in environmental research, management and education, with a particular interest in environmental policy, the relationship between nature and production and, more recently, landscape history. He has collaborated with environmental organisations, environmental consulting companies and universities. With extensive experience in project management and a particular love for Prespa, he took on the co-ordination of the Finance and Administration Department in 2024.
Nikos Nikisianis
Eleftheria is from Prespa and has been working as the secretary of the SPP since 1997, providing secretarial and administrative support across its many activities.
Eleftheria Patsea
Artemis Mekasi
Artemis studied economics at the University of Thessaly and holds an MSc in Business Administration and Ιnformation Systems from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has been working at the SPP since 2023.
After completing her studies in the political/social sciences and communications field, Marianna worked in the media and advertising sector. She has been working with the Society for the Protection of Prespa since 2008, initially in the Communications Department and then in fundraising. Marianna supports the SPP in the development and submission of fundraising proposals and communication with its donors.
Marianna Vlassi
Zenia Anastasiadou
Zenia studied Journalism & Mass Media Communication at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She worked for 16 years in the TV industry as a journalist, editor-in-chief and project manager. She moved from Athens to Prespa in 2015. From 2018 to 2022 she worked in the Society for the Protection of Prespa as a co-ordinator for social and cultural projects of the PoliPrespa project and continues to work on supporting the PoliPrespa online platform for community engagement following the close of the project in 2022.
Hara studied Audiovisual Arts at the Ionian University and specialized in alternative forms of film exhibition and curation, with an emphasis on participatory approaches, community engagement methods and the construction of new audiences at the University of Edinburgh. Since 2012, she has worked in international film festivals and film production companies, and since 2018 she has worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in refugee accomodation centers. In 2024, she began her collaboration with SPP to include an environmental perspective into her professional career.
Hara Vlachou
Korina Flevari
Korina studied Journalism and Communications at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and is currently in her last year of an MA in Cultural Management and Communication. She attended a summer school in Cross Media Platforms at Charles University of Prague and European Studies at the University of Applied Sciences in the Hague. Korina worked as a journalist for digital platforms and she has been working for SPP since 2024.
Vasso has been working at the Society for the Protection of Prespa since 2004, initially taking care of the Information Centre, implementing guided tours and environmental education programmes. Since 2010 she has been part of the SPP’s Communication Department, largely planning and implementing environmental education activities, as well as assisting conservation research, such as carrying out interviews with members of the local community.
Vasso Nitsopoulou
Andreas Vasiliou
Andreas is a political scientist and historian, and a PhD candidate at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He was born and raised in Northern Euboea. He has been active in fields such as political communication and sustainable tourism. He joined SPP in 2024 as an assistant in the communication department.
Myrsini Malakou
Myrsini has been living in Prespa since 1988. She was involved in the establishment of the National Parks at Prespa, as a consultant specialising in the biology and ornithology of these areas. She became the Managing Director of the SPP on its establishment in 1991 and has been leading the organisation ever since. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001, for her contribution to the protection of the wetlands of Prespa, jointly with fellow biologist Giorgos Catsadorakis. In 2013 she was honoured with the Viron Antipas Award in recognition of her many years of successful conservation work in Prespa.
Giorgos Katsadorakis
Giorgos studied Biology at the Univ. of Athens and holds a PhD in ecology. Since 1991, he has been Scientific & Conservation Advisor to the SPP and has been involved in research work for pelicans, and many other threatened birds, fish and mammals, as well as wetland and protected area management and environmental interpretation. He also worked as an advisor to WWF Greece from 1997 to 2018. Amongst eleven books on the natural history of Greece, he has written three about Prespa, pelicans, fish and fisheries, and has published more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Since 2010, he has been Chairman of the Pelican Specialist Group for IUCN-SSC (International Union for the Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission) and WI (Wetlands International). In 2001, he was awarded, jointly with Myrsini Malakou, the Goldman Environmental Prize for his contribution to the conservation of Prespa.
Irene Koutseri
Irene’s exciting first contact with Prespa and the SPP was through a volunteer programme run by WWF-Greece in 1996. She studied biology at Sussex University and holds an MSc in Wildlife Conservation & Management from the University of Reading in the UK. She joined the SPP in 2003, to work as a field ornithologist. Since then, she has co-ordinated numerous projects spanning several fields of the SPP’s work, with a particular focus on research and monitoring, wetland management and habitat restoration at the national and transboundary level. She has co-ordinated two LIFE projects, one on the conservation of juniper forests and another on the restoration of wetlands in Lesser Prespa Lake. Irene currently co-operates with the policy department and works on transboundary collaboration through the projects of the PrespaNet network.
Olga Alexandrou
Olga grew up in Thessaloniki and studied Forestry and Natural Environment at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She continued her studies in wildlife at the postgraduate level and obtained a PhD, studying important bird species in the Dadia Forest. She has collaborated with the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli National Park Management Body and with environmental NGOs. She has been living in the village of Agios Germanos in Prespa and working for the SPP since 2012. Her work includes monitoring and researching the rare waterbirds of the Prespa lakes, networking with other organisations and researchers on issues concerning pelican conservation, at both national and international level, and participation in several SPP activities related to wetland management and conservation.
Kiki Bairaktaridou
Kiki holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and Biodiversity Conservation and her expertise lies in the ecology and behaviour of birds. She worked at the Antikythira Bird Observatory, where she participated in studies on the Eleonora’s falcon, and in bird research projects in Greece and Sweden. In addition, she has a ringing license from the Hellenic Bird Ringing Centre. She became a member of the SPP team in 2023, supporting the study of important bird species in the Prespa lakes and participating in management and protection efforts for the Prespa National Park.
Haris Nikolaou
Haris has been with the SPP since it was founded in 1991, primarily as member of the research, management and monitoring team. Haris participates in planning, organising and implementing all field and monitoring activities related to important habitats, such as wetlands, forests and mountain pastures, or important species such as pelicans and waterbirds. Being from Prespa, he plays a vital role in collecting and bridging traditional ecological knowledge with modern science, and he also participates in the restoration and operation of traditional infrastructure such as the Agios Germanos watermill.
Lazaros Nikolaou
A local Prespiot, Lazaros has been working with the SPP for over three decades. Initially, he was actively involved in the SPP’s information centre, providing guided tours for visitors to Prespa. Currently, he assists in and implements all kinds of conservation field activities. In addition, he is responsible for all day-to-day monitoring and maintenance of the SPP’s assets and infrastructure.
Fotini Papanousi
Fotini studied Rural and Surveying Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She received an MSc in Civil Engineering, specialising in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, from the University of Patras. She has been working as a freelancer for more than 16 years in various areas of work that involve topographic surveys and environmental studies. She has been working for SPP as a GIS & Data Management Officer since 2019.
Androniki Tourlouki
Androniki is a Civil Engineer with an MSc in the Design of resilient, sustainable and smart infrastructures, specialising in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Infrastructures at the University of Patras. She has worked as a research associate in the Environmental Engineering Lab at the University of Patras, involved in laboratory and field activities. Since 2022, Androniki has been working for the SPP as co-ordinator of the ‘Prespa’s Green and Blue LifeLines’ and the ‘Prefeasibility study on rehabilitation of Agios Germanos River’ projects.
Vivi Roumeliotou
Vivi is an international environmental lawyer holding a first degree from the University of Athens, and a LLM and PhD from the University of London. She has worked as an international, EU and national environmental law expert on various projects and studies and has authored papers in these fields. She has lived in Prespa with her family since 2005 and has been working for the SPP since 2000. Vivi initially co-ordinated the Society’s transboundary work, and now, for more than a decade, its national and international policy work.
Julia Henderson
Julia studied archaeology for her first degree and then spent 13 years working as a technical manager in the theatre and music industries. She has been living in Prespa since 2000, working as an organic market gardener and ornithological researcher. Julia has an MSc in Environmental Management and GIS, which she also helps to teach at the University of Ulster, and has been working with the SPP since 2012. Julia has assisted the Managing Director and also managed projects for the SPP. She now works to help build the SPP’s strategic partnerships, with donors and members, as well as through other collaborations and networks, such as PrespaNet.
Zenia Anastasiadou
Zenia studied Journalism & Mass Media Communication at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She worked for 16 years in the TV industry as a journalist, editor-in-chief and project manager. She moved from Athens to Prespa in 2015. From 2018 to 2022 she worked in the Society for the Protection of Prespa as a co-ordinator for social and cultural projects of the PoliPrespa project and continues to work on supporting the PoliPrespa online platform for community engagement following the close of the project in 2022.
Hara Vlachou
Hara studied Audiovisual Arts at the Ionian University and specialized in alternative forms of film exhibition and curation, with an emphasis on participatory approaches, community engagement methods and the construction of new audiences at the University of Edinburgh. Since 2012, she has worked in international film festivals and film production companies, and since 2018 she has worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in refugee accomodation centers. In 2024, she began her collaboration with SPP to include an environmental perspective into her professional career.
Vasso Nitsopoulou
Vasso has been working at the Society for the Protection of Prespa since 2004, initially taking care of the Information Centre, implementing guided tours and environmental education programmes. Since 2010 she has been part of the SPP’s Communication Department, largely planning and implementing environmental education activities, as well as assisting conservation research, such as carrying out interviews with members of the local community.
Alexandra Demertzi
Alexandra studied Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a Master of Sciences in Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development from the department of Civil Engineers of AUTh. She was introduced to the unique Prespa’s nature through her PhD research on the biodiversity of the forests of the Prespa National Park (PNP). In the past, she has collaborated with environmental NGO’s and Management Units of several Protected Areas in Greece, mainly focusing in rare and endangered species of the Greek avifauna. She has worked with SPP on various occasions mainly on the production of environmental interpretation material, and since 2024 forms part of the SPP community as a member of the Research and Monitoring team. Supports the strategic planning of the research and monitoring of the species and habitat types, as well as activities on research and conservation of biodiversity of the PNP.
Marianna Vlassi
After completing her studies in the political/social sciences and communications field, Marianna worked in the media and advertising sector. She has been working with the Society for the Protection of Prespa since 2008, initially in the Communications Department and then in fundraising. Marianna supports the SPP in the development and submission of fundraising proposals and communication with its donors.
Artemis Mekasi
Artemis studied economics at the University of Thessaly and holds an MSc in Business Administration and Ιnformation Systems from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has been working at the SPP since 2023.
Eleftheria Patsea
Ritsa is from Prespa and has been working as the secretary of the SPP since 1997, providing secretarial and administrative support across its many activities. Her many responsibilities include maintaining administrative archives and record keeping, managing the switchboard and central email account, and organising and supporting of meetings and other SPP events and activities.
Korina Flevari
Korina studied Journalism and Communications at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and is currently in her last year of an MA in Cultural Management and Communication. She attended a summer school in Cross Media Platforms at Charles University of Prague and European Studies at the University of Applied Sciences in the Hague. Korina worked as a journalist for digital platforms and she has been working for SPP since 2024.
Nikos Nikisianis
Nikos holds a PhD in biology, specialising in the history of ecology. Since 2006, he has been working in environmental research, management and education, with a particular interest in environmental policy, the relationship between nature and production and, more recently, landscape history. He has collaborated with environmental organisations, environmental consulting companies and universities. With extensive experience in project management and a particular love for Prespa, he took on the co-ordination of the Finance and Administration Department in 2024.
Andreas Vasiliou
Andreas is a political scientist and historian, and a PhD candidate at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He was born and raised in Northern Euboea. He has been active in fields such as political communication and sustainable tourism. He joined SPP in 2024 as an associate in the communication department.