Forests and rare species were restored in 10 Bulgarian nature reserves to the assistance of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Bulgaria. What exactly was done? The management plan of Russenski Lom nature reserve envisages the logging of foreign invasive trees and forestation of the vacant areas with saplings from local plant species. The project of WWF helps the management of the nature park deal with this initiative and made a series of other natural parks view such activities as a top priority, specifies the head of the project Katerina Rakovska. “The environmental initiative aims at compensating the lack of experience and resources in Bulgaria regarding the management of habitats of the Natura 2000 network.” Just like the Rusnenski Lom nature park, most river habitats in this country are in a very bad state and their restoration is linked with the use of a substantial expert and financial resource, says Mrs Rakovska. Thanks to this project, the water clover (Menyanthes trifoliate) is now growing again in Vitosha Mountain, the Primula deorum (a species from the Ice Age) also known as the Rila Primerose blossoms again in the area of the Rila Monastery. Many local plant species were planted in the Vrachanski Balkan, Russenski Lom, the Blue Stones, Persina, and Shumen Plateau nature parks. The Saarland method of the German foresters, which is an environmentally friendly method for the production of a high-quality wood, is to be introduced in Stradzha Mountain.

A couple of white-headed vultures (Trigonceps occipitalis) started to nest in Vrachanski Balkan nature reserve (part of the Western Balkan Mountain Range) for the first time in the past 70 years. The happy event is a result of the great efforts of the Green Balkans Federation of nature-conservation NGOs which has been working over the past years under the European Life-Plus programme to bring the white-headed vultures back to Bulgaria. The highest vertical limestone cliffs (400 meters) in the Balkans are situated in Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. However, the white headed-vultures stopped nesting in Bulgaria in the 1940s. Since then, these bird species have only been strolling across the Bulgarian territory. In February, 2014, two couples were spotted in the eastern section of the Balkan Mountain Range while playing their love game. The vultures were wing-marked which means they were brought from a foreign country. There are at least 20 vultures in this region, but most birds are too young and inexperienced to start nesting. Environmentalists have witnessed interesting things in the region of Sliven and Kotel (Eastern Balkan Mountain Range). A nesting couple was spotted two years ago there. A female brought from Spain chose a vulture which came from France. “However, we noticed only the male one on the feeding platforms recently and its female partner has vanished which makes us hope that she is nesting somewhere”, activists say. Meanwhile, another couple was spotted to play love games above the cliffs near the town of Kotel.

A photo contest entitled A Grain of Love in Your Lenses ends this year’s campaign of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds aimed at feeding the winter birds. “Share your emotions and colorful experience with the birds through photos and home videos with birds on your feeding rack”, reads the appeal of the organizers. The contest ended on March 10 and people had the opportunity to see these photos and videos on the website /http://photo-forum. net and everyone had the chance to vote in the specially designed gallery. The winners are to be announced on March 25, 2014.

Bulgarians love their nature and entrust environmentalists the most when it comes to protection and conservation, was the main conclusion of the latest survey of Alpha Research sociological agency regarding the attitude of the Bulgarian people towards the nature. 72% of the polled think that the Bulgarian waters and rivers are the country’s most important resource. This is the fourth research on the matter since 2006. Over half of the polled say that environmental protection is important, because they have the fundamental right to live in a clean environment. Highest expectations regarding environmental protection were placed towards the environmental organizations, followed by the scientific institutes and the local authorities. Lowest confidence was marked towards the business and the political parties. Only 13% of the polled believe that business is taking care of the environment. 10% think that the political parties are engaged in environmental activities.The results of the survey were announced by the WWF-Bulgaria. “People identify the urgent actions in this sphere with polluted and destroyed nature and poor-quality management of the natural resources. Our task is to help them understand how to set the legislative and the institutional mechanisms into motion, in order to prevent the abuse of natural resources”, comments Program Manager of WWF Bulgaria Veselina Kavrakova.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov