Our people

She has collaborated with Callisto since 2005, initially taking responsibility for the design and coordination of the organization’s volunteer programmes. Working closely with local communities, she has implemented volunteer forest protection initiatives, community engagement activities, and awareness campaigns led by volunteers. She has also organised volunteer monitoring activities in Protected Areas to help prevent wildlife crime.

In recent years, she has led Callisto’s Environmental Education activities. Working alongside the organization’s scientific research team and communications department, she has developed educational materials for environmental education in both formal and non-formal learning settings, while also coordinating a wide range of educational activities and events for children.

In December 2023, he was elected to Callisto’s Board of Directors.

Since 1994, he has participated in more than 50 research projects related to the conservation of large carnivores and human–wildlife conflict. He works as an independent scientific expert on large mammal monitoring programmes in collaboration with environmental organisations, protected area management authorities, and academic institutions. His work also includes Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for major linear infrastructure projects, Special Environmental Studies, and other specialised research projects.

He has an extensive research record developed in collaboration with scientists from around the world and, in recent years, has also been actively involved in university teaching.

In December 2023, he was re-elected President of Callisto’s Board of Directors.

Over the past 35 years, he has been actively engaged in both scientific research and environmental conservation, with a particular focus on brown bear conservation and wildlife management since 1987.

Drawing on his extensive experience, he has served as Scientific Director of the environmental organisations Arcturos (1994–2004) and Callisto (2004–2025). He has participated in more than 50 research projects, serving as scientific coordinator for most of them. He also leads Callisto’s Bear Rapid Response Team and has supervised the practical training of more than 30 university students within the organisation.

He has taken part in numerous scientific and research missions across Greece, the Balkans, and Europe. He is a member of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE) and the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, and has also served on the Board of the Northern Pindos National Park Management Body as a representative of environmental organisations.

From 2008 to 2014, she served as Press and Communications Officer, designing and implementing communication activities for numerous European and nationally funded projects. Since 2016, she has been an External Associate with the Department of Marketing, Planning and Development of the Research Committee at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

He is a member of Callisto’s scientific research staff, specialising in large carnivores. He participates in fieldwork involving the collection of primary data and is a member of Callisto’s Bear and Wolf Rapid Response Teams, bringing many years of experience in implementing preventive and mitigation measures to reduce damage caused by large carnivores to livestock and agricultural activities.

He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the international scientific journal Society & Natural Resources and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources. He has an extensive academic teaching record, having served as a Visiting Lecturer at several higher education institutions. His work focuses on environmental education, environmental sociology, and quantitative and qualitative social research methods.

His research interests include the social dimensions of environmental conservation and management, collaborative environmental governance, and the relationship between environmental education and STEAM education. As a specialist in the social dimensions of large carnivore conservation and management, he supports the Secretariat of the European Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores. At Callisto, he leads the Social Dimensions Team.

Since 2014, he has been an active member of the Alexandrou Svolou Neighbourhood Initiative, contributing to the organisation of the annual neighbourhood festival The Spring Dinner and to the creation of Thessaloniki’s Pocket Park. Today, he serves as General Manager of mamagea, a non-profit organisation based in Thessaloniki.

In December 2023, he was elected to Callisto’s Board of Directors.

He has been active in social movements since his school years and has worked on environmental conservation issues since the 1980s. He has extensive experience in the design, coordination, and management of European-funded projects, with particular expertise in wildlife conservation, human–wildlife coexistence, and the management of protected areas. His portfolio includes 15 LIFE projects, primarily focused on the coexistence of people and large carnivores, as well as more than 20 cross-border cooperation projects across Southeast Europe between 1994 and 2024.

He has represented Greece’s environmental organisations on the Nature 2000 Committee, which also serves as the National Protected Areas Committee (2002–2005 and 2017–2020), on the Board of the Green Fund (2015–2017), on the Management Body of the Rhodope Mountain Range National Park (2002–2022), and on the Monitoring Committees of the Rural Development Operational Programme (2003–2004) and the Environment and Sustainable Development Operational Programme (2008–2010). He has also participated in numerous international missions.

He was a member of the Working Group responsible for preparing Greece’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2014–2029 and was one of the three authors of the National Action Plan for the Brown Bear in Greece 2021–2026.

In December 2023, he was elected to Callisto’s Board of Directors.

In December 2023, he was re-elected President of Callisto’s Board of Directors.

Since 2014, he has been an active member of the Alexandrou Svolou Neighbourhood Initiative, contributing to the organisation of the annual neighbourhood festival The Spring Dinner and to the creation of Thessaloniki’s Pocket Park. Today, he serves as General Manager of mamagea, a non-profit organisation based in Thessaloniki.

In December 2023, he was elected to Callisto’s Board of Directors.

She has been working with Callisto since 2017 and has contributed to a wide range of projects as a member of the Communications Department. Her work focuses primarily on communication activities, including public awareness events, outreach campaigns, and environmental education initiatives, while also supporting project management.

She has worked in project management, implementation, and communications across Europe and Latin America, contributing to projects in the cultural, technological, social, and environmental sectors.

Since 2021, she has been a founding member of olipoli, a non-profit organisation based in Thessaloniki that designs and implements cultural initiatives aimed at connecting culture with public space, local communities, and the natural environment.

Since 2023, she has been working at Callisto as Finance and Administration Manager, overseeing projects focused on biodiversity conservation and the coexistence of people and large carnivores.

For five years, she also ran her own accounting firm. Since 2019, she has been responsible for Callisto’s Accounting Department, overseeing the financial management of the organisation’s wide range of projects.

He has worked—and continues to work—for media organisations in Thessaloniki and Athens, including Sto Kokkino Radio, Avgi newspaper, Makedonia newspaper, TV100 and FM100. He is also a member of the Alterthess journalists’ cooperative, producing online journalism, videos, documentaries, and podcasts. He is co-creator of the award-winning documentary In a Moment of Danger.

He serves on the Joint Council of the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace (ESIEMTH) and has been actively involved in political, social, and environmental movements since his school years.

Since March 2024, he has been working with Callisto as the organisation’s Press and Communications Officer.

He has been active in social movements since his school years and has worked on environmental conservation issues since the 1980s. He has extensive experience in the design, coordination, and management of European-funded projects, with particular expertise in wildlife conservation, human–wildlife coexistence, and the management of protected areas. His portfolio includes 15 LIFE projects, primarily focused on the coexistence of people and large carnivores, as well as more than 20 cross-border cooperation projects across Southeast Europe between 1994 and 2024.

He has represented Greece’s environmental organisations on the Nature 2000 Committee, which also serves as the National Protected Areas Committee (2002–2005 and 2017–2020), on the Board of the Green Fund (2015–2017), on the Management Body of the Rhodope Mountain Range National Park (2002–2022), and on the Monitoring Committees of the Rural Development Operational Programme (2003–2004) and the Environment and Sustainable Development Operational Programme (2008–2010). He has also participated in numerous international missions.

He was a member of the Working Group responsible for preparing Greece’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2014–2029 and was one of the three authors of the National Action Plan for the Brown Bear in Greece 2021–2026.

She has collaborated with Callisto since 2005, initially taking responsibility for the design and coordination of the organization’s volunteer programmes. Working closely with local communities, she has implemented volunteer forest protection initiatives, community engagement activities, and awareness campaigns led by volunteers. She has also organised volunteer monitoring activities in Protected Areas to help prevent wildlife crime.

In recent years, she has led Callisto’s Environmental Education activities. Working alongside the organization’s scientific research team and communications department, she has developed educational materials for environmental education in both formal and non-formal learning settings, while also coordinating a wide range of educational activities and events for children.

His main research interests include the ecology and conservation of mammals and bird species, as well as the ecology of wildlife diseases. He has extensive research experience, having participated in more than 25 projects on wildlife ecology and conservation, biodiversity conservation, zoonoses, and wildlife diseases.

He has collaborated with Callisto since the organisation’s establishment and is a member of its scientific research team as a large carnivore specialist. He is also a member of Callisto’s Bear Emergency Team and coordinates the Livestock Guardian Dog Network, which Callisto manages in cooperation with numerous organisations and livestock farmers.

Since 1994, he has participated in more than 50 research projects related to the conservation of large carnivores and human–wildlife conflict. He works as an independent scientific expert on large mammal monitoring programmes in collaboration with environmental organisations, protected area management authorities, and academic institutions. His work also includes Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for major linear infrastructure projects, Special Environmental Studies, and other specialised research projects.

He has an extensive research record developed in collaboration with scientists from around the world and, in recent years, has also been actively involved in university teaching.

From the early years of his studies in Greece, he volunteered with environmental organisations and researchers specialising in wildlife conservation. Upon returning to Greece, he began working as a wildlife researcher in collaboration with environmental consulting companies.

Since 2022, he has been working with Callisto on projects related to human–wolf coexistence in Greece. He is currently a member of the organisation’s scientific research team, a member of the LIFE Wild Wolf project team, and a member of Callisto’s Wolf Emergency Team.

Email: v.theodosiadis@callisto.gr

Since then, she has been a member of Callisto’s scientific research team. Her work focuses primarily on scientific documentation and interventions addressing the impacts of infrastructure and development projects on ecosystems and large mammals.

Email: eleni@callisto.gr

Since then, he has worked as a postdoctoral researcher on numerous projects in collaboration with the University of Kent, Harokopio University, and the National Observatory of Athens. At Callisto, he is an external collaborator of the Social Dimensions Team, where his research focuses on the social aspects of large carnivore conservation and management.

His broader research interests include protected area governance, applied ecology, the energy transition, and the history of exile after the Second World War.

Email: d.bormpoudakis@callisto.gr

She began collaborating with Callisto in 2018 as an intern and subsequently contributed to research projects focusing on large carnivores and human–wildlife coexistence. Since 2025, she has been a member of Callisto’s scientific research team, specialising in large carnivores with a particular focus on the brown bear.

Email: papazekou@callisto.gr

He grew up in Volos and is a political scientist with a Master’s degree in Crisis Management. He is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where his research focuses on participatory decision-making processes.

At Callisto, he contributes to the design and implementation of initiatives that strengthen the connection between nature conservation and active citizen participation.

Email: a.poulakis@callisto.gr

He studied Environmental Science at the University of the Aegean in Mytilene (1996–2001), where, as part of his undergraduate thesis, he used live traps and radio transmitters to study the rodent Apodemus mystacinus. He then completed a Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Patras (2001–2004), where his research documented the presence of mammal species in the Grevena region.

It was during this period that he first became involved with Callisto, a collaboration that continues today through his participation in field research, particularly on wolf ecology. He enjoys exploring the countryside alone or with friends and is always intrigued by unpaved roads leading to unknown destinations. He believes that every living being on Earth, human or non-human, deserves respect and protection.

Email: kiriakselin@yahoo.gr

He is a member of Callisto’s scientific research staff, specialising in large carnivores. He participates in fieldwork involving the collection of primary data and is a member of Callisto’s Bear and Wolf Rapid Response Teams, bringing many years of experience in implementing preventive and mitigation measures to reduce damage caused by large carnivores to livestock and agricultural activities.

He studied Political Science and Public Administration at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He completed a joint Master’s degree in Urban Culture across four European universities and, in 2021, earned his PhD specialising in Human Geography, Urban Sociology, and Cultural Management.

He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Thessaly, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit of Manchester Metropolitan University, and a scientific advisor to the environmental organisation mamagea.

His research interests include the commons, participatory planning, cultural mapping, community festivals, placemaking, and the relationship between people and place. His methodological approach is tailored to the needs of local communities, promotes collaboration at the local level, and seeks to strengthen participatory processes for developing more inclusive public policies.

He has co-organised numerous participatory planning workshops on public space, housing, and urban experimentation, including The Spring Dinner and the Pocket Park initiative in the Alexandrou Svolou neighbourhood of Thessaloniki.

Email: g.chatzinakos@callisto.gr

He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the international scientific journal Society & Natural Resources and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources. He has an extensive academic teaching record, having served as a Visiting Lecturer at several higher education institutions. His work focuses on environmental education, environmental sociology, and quantitative and qualitative social research methods.

His research interests include the social dimensions of environmental conservation and management, collaborative environmental governance, and the relationship between environmental education and STEAM education. As a specialist in the social dimensions of large carnivore conservation and management, he supports the Secretariat of the European Platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores. At Callisto, he leads the Social Dimensions Team.

Her research focuses on large carnivores and their interactions with people, human–wildlife conflict, the challenges of coexistence, and the impacts of transport infrastructure on biodiversity and its management. She has worked on biodiversity conservation through both fundamental and applied research in collaboration with universities, organisations, and scientists from around the world.

She began collaborating with Callisto in 2015 and is now a member of the organisation’s scientific research team specialising in large carnivores, as well as a member of Callisto’s Bear and Wolf Emergency Teams. In recent years, her work has focused on promoting human–wildlife coexistence in northwestern Greece, where she has built strong relationships with local communities.

Email: maria@callisto.gr

He is a member of Callisto’s technical staff and participates in field activities involving the collection of primary data. He is also a member of Callisto’s Bear and Wolf Emergency Teams. In addition, he has contributed to volunteer forest protection programmes, particularly in the Valia Kalda National Park.

He is a member of Callisto’s technical staff and participates in field activities involving the collection of primary data. He is also a member of Callisto’s Bear and Wolf Emergency Teams. Over the past decades, he has participated in more than 20 research projects and has extensive experience in implementing preventive and mitigation measures to reduce damage caused by large carnivores to livestock and agricultural activities.