News

Interactive map of environmental conflicts and good practices already available in Bulgarian

Za zemiata (“For the Earth”) Association

Mar 20, 2015

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20/03/2015 "For the Earth” (“Za Zemiata”) environmental organization

“For the Earth” environmental organization has released the first free online interactive map of environmental conflicts and good practices in Bulgarian.

The map is a growing database of information about environmental conflicts and good practices in the country or worldwide. About 70 cases of environmental conflicts and good practices in the country or worldwide have been published.

Training in organic fruit growing

Za zemiata (“For the Earth”) Association

Mar 20, 2015

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20/03/2015 “For the Earth” environmental organization

- You want to produce your own food and eat healthy produce?
- Interested in organic farming that respects the environment?
- You have got land or yard where to plant saplings?

Do not hesitate and register!

Plovdiv in support of protected areas

Mar 19, 2015

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Yesterday, 18/03/2015, about 100 citizens of Plovdiv joined the National Protest for Protected Areas.
They gathered on “Stefan Stambolov” square and marched along the main street with prams, bicycles, whistles, bells and songs.
The citizens stated their position and demanded responsibility and attention from the institutions with shouting “Where is the state? They gave away the forest!”, “The forest does not have a voice - the forest has us!” and “We will not give Pirin!”

The National Protest for Protected Areas was held yesterday in the following cities – Sofia, Varna, Vratsa, Plovdiv, Petrich, Ruse, Sliven, Sofia, and Stara Zagora.

Stara Zagora joined National Protest for Protected Areas

“GREEN BALKANS' Federation

Mar 19, 2015

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Yesterday, 18/03/2015, nearly 60 citizens of Stara Zagora joined the National Protest for Protected Areas. They gathered in “Fifth October” park and publicly presented their demands and collected signatures in support. Later the protesters marched along the main street, carrying an 18-meter-long national flag, singing the song "My beautiful forest" and calling on citizens to support their cause.

The National Protest for Protected Areas was held yesterday in the following cities – Sofia, Varna, Vratsa, Plovdiv, Petrich, Ruse, Sliven, Sofia, and Stara Zagora.

If you are interested in the field of ornithological research - this course is for you!

Mar 19, 2015

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If you are interested in the field of ornithological research - this course is for you! Who invites you? The research group "Blood parasites in birds" at the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS organizes field training course for modern ecological methods used in ornithology. The group has extensive experience in research related to migration and breeding biology of birds, as well as in environmental studies related to parasites and behavior of birds.

Draft decision of 11-fold expansion of Bansko ski area – a gift for the oligarchy and end of the constitutional state

Mar 18, 2015

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Coalition "Let Nature Remain In Bulgaria” considers the draft decision for the modification of the concession contracts of Bansko ski area as a legal nonsense, a complete ridicule with the legal foundations of the government and a consecutive gift for the oligarchy.

School of ornithology and nature conservation– lecture 17

Mar 16, 2015

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Lecture 17 [17.03.2015">:
Bird species of class Sparrows/ Passeriformes (3rd part)
Despite the relatively small area, there are over 420 bird species located in Bulgaria. The ones willing to learn more, are warmly invited to the lectures of the Bulgarian Ornithological Centre (IBER-BAS). The Ornithology and nature conservation school is free of cost.

Six regional meetings in spring to be held within a project for informal education on sustainable development

“GREEN BALKANS' Federation

Mar 16, 2015

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The project “Platform for popularization and quality of the education on sustainable development” is to hold six meetings in the country in April, May and June with trainers, journalists, NGOs and other educational experts of the formal and informal education to take part, was announced at a press conference in the National press club BTA (11th March 2015). The regional meetings will serve for the needs detection and for feedback from those target groups as concerns the platform structure and contents, as well as will contribute to defining of criteria for quality of the education on sustainable development.

Have Fukushima lessons been learnt?

Za zemiata (“For the Earth”) Association

Mar 16, 2015

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“Greenpeace” published 2 reports that inspect the current state of the nuclear power station, as well as what happens with the nuclear industry of Japan. (1)
A year and a half ago Japan decommissioned all its 48 nuclear reactors. The country is doing without nuclear power.

The TEPCO company, which is operator of the nuclear plant “Fukushima Daiichi”, has used tens of thousands workers during the last 4 years while trying to exercise some control over the site of the disaster, to reduce the risk of further accidents and to lower the emission of radiation in the environment, including in the Pacific. Despite the enormous efforts of these workers significant radiation continues to distribute and the threat of subsequent breakdowns is still high. The scale of the nuclear catastrophe is such that the work will go on for decades.

Support the Bulgarian project in the competition of European Outdoor Conservation Association

Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds/BirdLife Partner

Mar 16, 2015

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A BSPB project – “The brotherhood of phoenix” has been nominated by the company VAUDE in the competition of European Outdoor Conservation Association – association of entrepreneurs dealing with supply of equipment and outfit for outdoor activities for interesting nature preservation projects all over the world. The project that is to win most votes will be funded by the association.

The Bulgarian project is focused on keeping the Egyptian vultures in Bulgaria – one of the most charismatic birds in the world, which is becoming extinct more quickly than the bird dodo that has turned into a symbol of the species threatened with extinction. The Egyptian vulture may be not so popular like dodo, but should it disappear in order to start talking about it? “The brotherhood of phoenix” needs your support to reduce the trouble caused by humans to the birds and the cases of poisoning of Egyptian vultures in Bulgaria.

National protest day in defense of the “protected” areas – 18 March 2015, Wednesday

Mar 13, 2015

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Coalition "Let Nature Remain In Bulgaria" heads the national protest in defending the nature conservation on 18 March 2014, Wednesday. After the end of the business day, protest processions will be held in Sofia, Plovdiv, Russe, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Vratsa and Varna. Other cities are expected to join in the next days. A national petition in the defense of the “protected” areas – reserves, national and nature parks - is foreseen to be launched.

Call for more investment in world's protected areas

Mar 12, 2015

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Call for more investment in world's protected areas. The world's national parks and nature reserves receive eight billion tourist visits a year, generating around $600bn of spending, according to research of a Cambridge University team.

(translation of a BBC article: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31593858 )

Youth Festival For the Earth

Za zemiata (“For the Earth”) Association

Mar 11, 2015

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We, “YOUTH for the Earth”, invite you to the youth festival “For the Earth” on March 14 at Underground gallery/studio at Stochna gara;, 4, Vladayska river, floor 4.

The event presents various initiatives of young people in Bulgaria for protection of the environment. Projects from the entire country will be included, with more than 25 stands and spaces for sharing.

Public Debate on the topic “Forests, biodiversity and spatial planning”

Mar 09, 2015

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The final series of debates on the Association for Research Practice project “Let us talk openly: citizens and politicians debating the policies on environment protection” starts tomorrow.
More about the project, the debates and the one-year monitoring of the development of the environment protection policies.

An Estonian oak, standing in the center of a football field won the title “European Tree of the Year 2015”

Mar 09, 2015

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Nearly 185 thousand people across Europe participated in the online voting for favorite tree from February 1st to 18th. This year for the first time participants from 14 countries took part in the contest, and thus each of the finalists faced serious competition and the race for the first place was hot till the very end. The oak on a football field in Estonia won by the significant of advantage of 6 thousand votes. The runner-up was the great plane tree in Tata, Hungary, and the third place went to the Spanish Poplars in Remolinar.

The imperial eagle Kralcho cured in the Green Balkans Rescue Centre was found shot near the Elhovo village Malomir some days ago!

“GREEN BALKANS' Federation

Mar 09, 2015

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We purposefully waited for the holidays to pass in order not to spoil the mood with this unpleasant news! In fact, that the eagle itself has been found is putting it too strong, since its remains have been found – feathers and bones.

We will recall you who is Kralcho and why it is such a heavy loss for the Green Balkans team.

First sentence for illegal logging in relation to construction activities in Bankso ski zone within the territory of Pirion National park

Mar 06, 2015

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The coalition of ecological NGO’s and citizen’s groups ”For the nature in Bulgaria ” welcomed the decision of the Regional court in Razlog which passed a sentence on illegal felling in National Park Pirin based on building of ski zone in Bansko.

Graduation of young environmentalists under a training program in Germany

Bulgarian “Biodiversity” Foundation

Mar 03, 2015

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On 27th February 2015 our colleague Yordanka Dineva successfully graduated from her 18-month specialization “Klaus Toepfer” 2013-2015, including over 500 hours intensive training.

Link to the programme: http://www.bfn.de/klaustoepferfellowship-about+M5054de7a952.html

20 environmentalists from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Caucus developed their professional skills in nature conservation. The curriculum included 4 training modules each of 12 days at the nature academy on Vilm island, Germany, as well as training trips to international and German institutions, parks, biosphere reserves, information centres, local entrepreneurs and NGOs.

The other side of Bansko

Mar 02, 2015

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On 23rd February 2015 a group of young skiers, boarders and mountain lovers sent a friendly letter to the women competitors participating in the World cup on ski alpine disciplines, supergiant slalom and alpine combination for women in Bansko 2015. The letter tells them for the illegally planned extension of the ski zone Bansko and for the enormous negative effect which it will cause on the unique nature of the mountain of Pirin.

WWF prepares new resettlement of sturgeons in Danube

WWF Danube - Carpathian Programme in Bulgaria

Mar 02, 2015

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WWF Bulgaria started again breeding of small sturgeons, which we will release in the Danube during the next months. In November 2014 we released over 10 thousand small sterlets in “Persina” Nature Park and prepared for new resettlement of more 40 000 sturgeons. Last week the first sterlets started hatching. At the moment they are as big as about 2 mm. On their belly is the yolk sac which is to feed them for several days. When all fish got hatched, they will be transferred into earth basins where they will live in conditions close to the natural, will feed on zooplankton and will prepare to go back in the Danube where their parents come from.