Dadia
is a quiet, secluded village of 200 families at the edge of the
extensive forest covering the southeastern foothills of the Rodopi
mountain range which face the narrow plain of the Evros river
stretching to the sea. It lies north of Alexandroupolis, in the
province of Evros in Thrace, the northeastern most part of Greece.
As with most of Thrace, the area of Dadia is alive with historic
memories. The earliest signs of human presence are the meglithic
monuments and petroglyphs in the Derion area dating back to the
11th or 10th century BC.
 Local
legends name as the first inhabitants of Dadia people fleeing
from the great city by the Evros river after a terrible epidemic.
Indeed the remnants of a still unidentified ancient city can be
seen on a hillside overlooking the confluence of the stream Mangazi
and the Evros river. The name Dadia is much more recent of course,
derived from dadi (the name in Greek of the resinous inner core
of the pines, used as a fire starter), an obvious allusion to
the vast pine forests of the area and the main occupation of the
people, woodcutting.
Near
the village, on the top of the steep hill of Gibrena, stand the
ruins of a Byzantine castle. It was built by the emperor Justinian
and was part of a long chain of fortifications placed in strategic
locations to prevent the southward movement of raiders. On the
sides of the hills are the openings of several caves, still unexplored,
used as hiding the openings of several caves, still unexplored,
used as hiding places by the armed groups fighting against the
Turks, the ‘Kleftes’, and, more recently, by Resistance
groups fighting against the Germans. The castle and the people
active around it have been embroidered in legends and feature
in many folk songs.
Another
prominent historic monument is the Monastery of Dadia, located
near the main highway a few kilometres before the village.A carved
marble slab on a fountain dated 1727 is also mentioned in old
texts, suggesting an even earlier origin. Built on a site possibly
used since classical times according to archaeological findings,
the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times through
the centuries. All remains of the older buildings were unfortunately
destroyed during the Balkan Wars, in 1912, and the church was
not rebuilt until the early 1950s.
In
the villages of the area, including Dadia, live many families
of Sarakatsani. The Sarakatsani are transhumant shepherds found
scattered all over Greece but mainly in Thrace, Epirus, Macedonia
and Thessaly. They are considered descendants of primitive pastoral
tribes that have existed in these parts of Greece since pr-classical
times; their dialect retains many archaic terms and the motifs
of their decorative art are distinctly similar to the geometric
style of pre-classical Greece. Having never depended on an agricultural
economy their lice was dominated by the seasonal movements determined
by the needs of their large herds. Their hard life led to the
development of a complex set of social values and customs centered
on the importance of the patrilineal family and their honor.
 As
recently as two or three decades ago they continued their nomadic
way of life and it will become obvious as we progress that their
herds played a significant part in the evolution of the forest
morphology and character. Nowadays most have settled down in the
villages and many have turned to other means of making a living.
The Pistolas family in Dadia, however, still maintains the largest
herds of sheep and cattle and their traditional circular sheep-folds
can be seen at Katrantzides.
In
the 1950s and 1960s, Greece underwent a significant population
movement from the rural areas towards the big cuties. This was
more pronounced in the most distant and undedeveloped provinces
and the area of Dadia was no exception. During this period several
villages lost many of their inhabitants and with them their bitaity
and capacity for growth.
Between
1961 and 1971 the total population of the Evros province decreased
by 7,5%. Agricultural productivity decreased as well and the numbers
of livestock fell dramatically.
After
the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the resultant tension
between the two countries, the Greek government decided to strengthen
this strategic border region with a multitude of programs aiming
to increase local income, to improve the quality of life, to provide
the appropriate infrastructure fore further development and to
stem the flow of depopulation. Those programs were in part financed
by the World Bank as the ‘Evros Development Project’.
Even
on the basis of this brief summary of Thracian history one will
hardly fail to realize why the total population of the Evros province
remained both small and clustered in the villages and towns even
into 1970s.
Until
then land use had remained mild and limited over a long time,
so human influence on nature had not caused the exhaustion of
the landscape we commonly see in the centuries around the Mediterranean.
On the contrary, it had enhanced the already large dibersity of
biotopes existing there.
This
special character of the Evros region had long been recognized,
and with it international importance for wildlife, especially
for large birds of prey and waterfowl. The area lies at the junction
of the European and Asian fauna regions and along one of the major
flyways for migratory birds in the West Palearctic (a geographical
region that includes Europe, extending from the Arctic circle
and the Atlantic to the Caspian Sea and the Urals).
There,
in the old forests and rocky areas of the hills and mountains,
existed suitable nesting habitat in proximity to favorable prey
habitat in the forest openings, nearby lowlands and the delta,
along with an abundance of prey species, particularly during migration.
Because
of the small and clustered population, inaccessibility, military
control and low exploitation of natural resources human disturbance
of nature and wildlife had been almost negligible even into the
nature and wildlife had been almost negligible even into the 1970s.
The combination of those determinants contributed to the evolution
of a complex ecosystem with an amazing diversity of species, an
ecosystem unique in the whole of Europe that supported an exceptional
number of breeding raptor species, many of them now endangered,
with a spectacular nesting reaching 160 pairs of 21 species within
180Km2, mainly in the Dadia-Soufli-Lefkimi forest complex.
 After
1974 the impact of accelerated development under the ‘Evros
Development Project’ was strongly felt in the delta. Large
tracts of riverine forest were destroyed and land reclamation
for agriculture along with canalization and taming of the Evros
river permanently altered the ecosystem. Dams in neighbouring
countries that reduced water flow in Evros river further aggravated
the situation creating problems of water shortage that have become
increasingly acute in recent years.
Adverse
effects were also evident in the forest areas. Reafforestation
projects were initiated, opening up the aged woods for commercial
exploitation; this exploitation was too rapid and led to the loss
of most mature trees with resultant changes in form and structure
of the woodlands.
Oakwoods
on poor soil were cut down and replaced by pine monocultures destroying
invaluable nesting habitat in the process. Simultaneously, destruction
of prey habitat in the lowlands and the delta through scale enlargement
of agriculture, severely endangered several species.
Areport
by B. Hallmann, compiled in 1979 for the National Council for
Physical Planning and the Environment of the Ministry of Coordination,
with support from IUCN/WWF, prompted the Greek government into
action and, in 1980, a nature reserve was created in the Dadia
area by joint ministerial decision.
The
reserve consists of two core areas under strict protection, where
most human activities are prohibited except for traditional land
uses, 6400 and 800ha. In size respectively, surrounded by 39000
ha. of buffer zone.
In
1985, Helmer and Scholte reported the findings of their study
on the herpetofauna of the Evros region and the Dadia reserve
in particular, stating that species occurrence and population
densities are unique in Europe. They called for enlargement and
better management of the protected area as well as inclusion in
a European network of biogenetic reserves.
In
1987, with financial assistance from the European Community, the
Greek government undertook several management projects beginning
with the recruitment of two wardens, from the village of Dadia,
the appropriation of a 4WD vehicle, blocking of some forest roads
and signpostingof trails to be used by visitors.
Since
lack of carrion was accepted as an important factor responsible
for the decline of vulture populations, a suitable site was selected
and fenced–in to serve as a secure feeding area. The wardens
deliver carcasses and offal thus ensuring a regular food supply
for the birds which has significantly contributed to the marked
increase in their numbers.
An
observation hut was built on a hilltop overlooking the feeding
area, offering spectacular views of vultures and eagles and a
neat wooden lodge was constructed near Dadia to serve as a visitor
information center. Plans were also laid out for a guest house
that has recently been completed.
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