Farms and homes in the region were destroyed, threatening the livelihoods of many local workers.

It is estimated that some 450,000 olive trees in the area burnt down during the disaster. 

The Olympia Trees Project was set up in response to the disaster.

It has set a target of restoring vegetation to around 250,000 acres and replanting the trees.

Western Greece Governor Nektarios Farmakis has been put in charge of administering the operation.

A website inviting donations as well as individuals and organisations to participate carries the message: "Help us restore the livelihoods of the farmers."

Yanos Gramatidis, the leader of a Greek legal, firm has put his vintage 1971 Mercedes up for auction to help support the fund.

Greek Financial institution Eurobank has agreed to fund 25,000 trees.

Meanwhile, professional services company Ernst & Young has purchased 1,750 trees, one for each of the company's employees in Greece.

"We hope this initiative will stand as a symbolic reminder to future generations of how we all contributed to a greener future for our country," managing partner Panos Papazoglou said.

Money is also being raised in the United States by businessman Steve de Laet and his wife Dianne, who lead a non-profit organisation called The Arete Fund.

"All the money that we are raising is going straight to the tree suppliers and not through the government," De Laet said.

"Our first campaign was an email campaign which had a fantastic response from friends and people we know that donated a substantial amount of money."

A crowdfunding project has additionally been created to encourage further donations.

Organisers hope this will bring a "message of hope to those who lost everything in the fires, one tree at a time."

Last August, flames were fanned by record high temperatures and could be seen from the premises of the International Olympic Academy above the village of Olympia.

There was also concern about the precincts of the archaeological site where the Flame for the Beijing 2022 Games was kindled in October.

It is the second time in a decade that the region has suffered such a disaster.

The day before the lighting ceremony for the Beijing 2008, a group of prominent sporting personalities planted trees close to the Coubertin Memorial.

The hillside above was completely bare after major fires the previous summer.