The Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society was 'born' in 1982, at a time when interest for the protection of wildlife, habitats and nature in general was relatively limited.
By the end of the 1970s, what we all know today as biodiversity was already being seriously undermined by indiscriminate human activities that had begun to negatively affect the populations of many species of wild birds in Greece. Fortunately for birds and nature, as these environmental problems were increasing, the number of citizens interested in them increased accordingly, a trend further pushed by other developments such as the establishment -for the first time in Greece- of a Ministry of Environment, the accession of Greece to the EEC etc.
In this context, in 1982, a handful of people already involved in the recording of the avifauna and the assessment of the threats wild birds were facing in our country, went on to establish the first Society exclusively dedicated to the study and protection of wild birds and their habitats in Greece. Their efforts, struggles and personal labor made HOS a reality and it was them who helped the organization stand on its feet and spread its wings.
Since then, and for more than 40 consecutive years, the large family of the Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society, aided by its wider network of volunteers and local collaborators, have been working tirelessly to ensure a sustainable environment for birds and humans, through bird monitoring and research as well as actions for the promotion, management and protection of protected areas.
One more, fundamental, pillar of our work has been the continuous effort to inform and raise citizens’ awareness about the natural environment and wild birds, through information campaigns, events and environmental education programs that ‘spread’ the messages of HOS in every corner of Greece.
Policy is an another, equally important, aspect of HOS’ action. The Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society has been and remains at the forefront of interventions concerning infringments of environmental legislation and international conventions for the protection of the avifauna. We also take a stand, advocating and promoting our positions on critical environmental issues in Greece and internationally, as a national partner of BirdLife International, the largest global partnership for the protection of birds and their habitats.