In the aftermath of a fire, the soil is dry and is exposed to wind and rain. Both will remove the topsoil unless measures are taken to prevent this. One, tried and trusted, method is dry-stone walling which effectively helps to prevent erosion and creates new habitats. This project includes building dry-stone walls or repairing existing ones and giving training to those who wish to create new ones. Planting new shrubs and trees also prevents erosion since the roots bind the soil.
The first dry-stone wall construction and training worskhop took place on Stroggilos mountain in Arakapas and it was co-organised by the Laona Foundation and the European Institute EUCALAND. It was the first voluntary effort to support the ground in a fire-stricken village, especially on a sloping mountain, in which local residents and landscape scientists, members of EUCALAND, participated. A second workshop took place in the same location and 19 additional meters of dry-stone wall were built by local residents and volunteers.
In December 2023 the Cyprus Environmental Initiative (CEI) organised a dry-stone wall construction and training workshop in Kornokipos, in the Pentadaktylos range. More than 30 people joined the experts and built a 27 meter long dry-stone wall aiming to prevent soil erosion and create new habitats.
