It is with deep sadness that the Tour du Valat pays tribute to Thymio Papayannis, an honorary member of our Board of Directors, a leading figure in the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, a visionary humanist and a tireless champion of dialogue between peoples, cultures and nature.
Trained as an architect and urban planner, Thymio Papayannis has dedicated his life to building bridges: between people and their environment, between memory and the future, and between nature and culture. Long before these approaches became central to environmental policy, he was already championing a deeply holistic vision of conservation, based on respect, cooperation and the living connections between landscapes and the communities that inhabit them.
His history is closely intertwined with that of the Tour du Valat and its founder, Dr Luc Hoffmann, with whom he shared a deep friendship, a rare bond of trust and a shared conviction: nature cannot be protected without the men and women who are part of it.
In 1990, alongside Luc Hoffmann, he co-founded the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP), a pioneering initiative for cross-border cooperation in the heart of the Balkans.
A year later, he established and coordinated MedWet, the Ramsar Convention’s first regional initiative, which has become a model of collaboration between governments, scientists and civil society across the Mediterranean.
In 2003, he also founded the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos, continuing his tireless commitment to reconciling nature, culture and human communities. A deeply compassionate visionary, attentive to everyone and driven by a rare combination of kindness and intelligence, Thymio Papayannis has inspired generations of conservationists in Greece, the Mediterranean and far beyond.
In 2012, the Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands) awarded him a prize in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Today, the Tour du Valat community has lost a dear friend, a loyal companion and a vital voice in rethinking our relationship with nature.
Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones, as well as to all the teams and organisations he helped (to) establish and develop.