The tree is also famous because it is alluded to in a poem by the Greek poet and Nobel laureate Giorgos Seferis:
“Below the ancient sycamore
madly the wind was playing
with the birds with the twigs
and did not master us”…
For the past decades special attention is placed in orthodox ecological theology, discussed also in the teachings of the Church and in Patristic writings. “The Physiologos”, (is a well known and widely translated didactic text consisting of descriptions of nature and animals, falsely attributed to Saint Epiphaniosfrom which the Centre takes after its name.
Through its actions “The Physiologos” Ecology Centre aspires to contribute to the effort for environmental sustainability and in the ecumenical vision for finding ways to respond to the environmental crisis. Environmental education activities are organized by the Centre, which is in close collaboration with organizations and the local communities.