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The late Byron Antipas was a founding member, and the driving force and Secretary General of the HSPN for 35 years. He was a pioneer, connected with the first environmental actions in Greece at a time when conservation of the natural environment was almost unknown as a concept, and unimaginable for most.
Born in Constantinople, in 1909, Byron Antipas arrived with his gamily in Kavala in 1922. After completing his studies at the local School of Commerce, he was employed at the Bank of Greece, and started to develop his passion for nature as a member of the Hellenic Mountaineering Association - Kavala Section. At the start of WW II he was among the first to volunteer for the 1st Mountaineer Battalion of the Hellenic Army, organized with the assistance of the Mountaineering Association.
After the war, Antipas moved to Athens, became a member of the Central Council of the of the Hellenic Mountaineering Association and wholeheartedly embraced the nascent movement for the conservation of nature.
In recognition of his great contribution, the HSPN has established the “Byron Antipas" Award, which is bestowed upon non-public organizations or individuals who have contributed significantly to the protection of nature and the environment, and have done so in an un-self-interested way over many years.