Wild Seeds
A Mediterranean network for the regeneration of nature and community
In many areas of the Mediterranean, ecosystems are increasingly affected by soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and desertification. Native wild seeds hold immense power for environmental restoration and building resilience against climate change. However, knowledge regarding their collection and management remains fragmented.
The project “Wild Seeds for Mediterranean Rewilding: Ecological Knowledge Exchange”, co-funded by the iac Berlin | Bosch Alumni Network, comes forward to address this challenge. It connects members of both the scientific and local communities from Sicily, Puglia, Valencia and Attica, creating an international knowledge-sharing hub centred on Mediterranean nature.
The Greek Participation
Peripatos actively participates in this network, bringing a unique, socio-cultural perspective to the table. While science provides the biological answer to the problem, we seek the social one.
Focusing on Attica, and specifically on the wildfire-stricken slopes of Mount Penteli, our preliminary research highlights a harsh reality:
- The Paradox of Resilience: With 14 major wildfires over the last 40 years, nature’s clock has broken. The mountain no longer has the time it needs to heal on its own.
- The Evacuation Culture: The dominant coping strategy has turned into a perpetual flight. We are learning how to abandon the forest, not how to coexist with it.
- Ecological Grief: Urban citizens feel helpless, turning into passive observers of a disappearing landscape, and becoming emotionally disconnected from their environment.
The Seed as a Social tool
For us, wild seeds are not just biological embryos; they are carriers of memory and resilience. Shifting our focus toward native seeds requires us to share local knowledge, touch the soil and wait. It is a “slow culture” approach to a “fast burning problem”.
From Theory to the Soil
The journey of Wild Seeds has already begun:
- International Webinar (May 2026): The first open online seminar was successfully held, where Collettivo Rewild Sicily (Sicily), QG Enviro (Puglia), Connecta Natura (Valencia), and Peripatos (Attica) shared their experiences and diverse approaches of their respective regions.
- Meeting in Sicily (September 2026): Network members will meet in Palermo for an intensive workshop focused on good practice exchange and experiential learning alongside environmental experts.
- Local Actions in Attica: Equipped with the expertise we gather, we are designing participatory, social and artistic actions open to the local community of Attica, reconnecting urban citizens with the peri-urban forest.
Meeting in Sicily (September 2026)
We stepped away from the fast pace of daily life and gathered three days between the Ficuzza Forest and Lago Scanzano.
Surrounded by nature together with dear friends and our partners, we walked through the woods, listened to the sounds, exchanged rewilding knowledge across the Mediterranean, and re-discovered how nature and community teach us how to co-create.
We immersed ourselves in a vital idea: every seed dropped in the right place, at the right time, becomes a powerful tool for reforestation and care.
Local Action in Attica – The Guardians of the Seeds
What does such a tiny seed hide inside? An entire story waiting to be discovered!
As part of our environmental and cultural initiatives, Peripatos invites families to discover the peri-urban forest at the foot of Mount Penteli.
Through a multi-sensory experience and active games, we bond with the forest: we listen, smell, observe, touch, and taste its secrets. To wrap up our journey, we create our own artwork using fallen natural treasures to take back home.
Join us for a gentle, playful adventure in nature, guided by deep respect for its wonders.
🔻 New date❗️
📅 Sunday, November 8 2026
⏰ 10:30 – 12:30
📌 Important Information
- Age Group: Suitable for children aged 4+ (guardian accompaniment is required).
- Route: Easy and short walking distance.
- Language: Greek
- Admission: Free participation. However, as spots are limited, registration via the Participation Form is required.
Photos by Heather Gill and Vince Veras on Unsplash