News

The speech of David Mavrodiev describing his rejection
Jun 17, 2016
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We publish the speech, which David Mavrodiev has prepared to argument his rejection to obtain the prize of Dimitar Berbatov’s foundation. He has not been able to attend the ceremony, due to date reschedule, therefore Milena Kancheva has been asked to represent him at the ceremony. She is the coordinator of Civil movement “Support to people with development issues”. After it becomes clear that David will not accept the prize and he has a written statement, the floor has not been given to Milena Kancheva. Dimitar Berbatov then announced before all spectators of the event, as well as before all watching the broadcast life on facebook that he is going to give the prize personally to David. Until today, the prize has not been handed.
Open letter to Dimitar Berbatov from David Mavrodiev
Jun 14, 2016
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We publish “An open letter to Dimitar Berbatov”, through which David Mavrodiev (15 years old) – one of the “succeeded kids” – rejected a prize from D. Berbatov. Photo: own archive. Source of the publication: http://www.bluelink.net/novini/otvoreno-pismo-do-dimitar-berbatov.html
Projects of Green Balkans, WWF, BBF and BSPB receive recognition together with the best in Europe
Jun 01, 2016
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Projects of the nature protection organisations Green Balkans-Stara Zagora, WWF, BBF and Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) – members of the Coalition of non-governmental organisations and civil groups “Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria”, are among the 27 ones, which received recognition from the EU Commission for “Best LIFE project 2016” in the category “Nature”. The ceremony took place Tuesday evening in Brussels within the annual “Green Week” of the European Commission.
How to create an eco-island?
May 17, 2016
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A house made of straw, bicycles instead of cars and energy from biomass is just part of the attributes of a self-sufficient eco-island, according to students from Mezdra municipality. The training conducted by the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation in three schools in the municipality last week, showed essential principles of a sustainable and nature friendly living, which has minimal adverse environmental effects , uses energy from renewable sources and utilize the natural resources sustainably and which is completely possible with the contemporary technologies.
 EC fails to regulate new genetically modified organisms
European Commission (EC) has postponed the publication of a legal stance, which is a confirmation that a new “breed” of genetically modified organisms (GMO) has to be subjected to strict tests for safety and labelling. This comes after an intensive lobbying on behalf of the United States Government. The internal documents and correspondence of EC indicate that USA representatives have insisted on suspension of the requirements of the regulation of the European Union on account of GMO for plants and animals produced through modifying genes and other new techniques of genetic engineering. Nongovernmental organisations have got hold of these materials through procedures for access to public information.
Monitoring cetaceans from vessels
“GREEN BALKANS' Federation
Apr. 11, 2016
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During the period April 1 – 4, 2016, as part of the project “Civil Support for Research of Cetaceans of the Black Sea”, a Zeleni Balkani team and volunteers conducted a research of cetaceans in the water territories of Ropotamo Protected Area and Strandzha Protected Area.

Volunteers had the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge from the theoretical trainings, as well as to discern cetaceans in their natural environment. The internationally recognized line transect method for establishing distances was applied in the research of the distribution, density and number of the separate species.
The stork named Belcho has come back home
“GREEN BALKANS' Federation
Apr. 11, 2016
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The stork Belcho, on whom Zeleni Balkani have attached a transmitter returned on March 31st in Belozem village. Its travel from its abode in wintertime in Kenia, the region of Habaswein (more than 5500 km away, as the crow flies,) lasted 25 days.
The real way of Belcho was much longer, and it probably flew more than 300 km per day, in order to get back home…
 The citizens of Shipka suggest an old-growth forest to be declared protected area. The Forestry has it for cutting down in the time of the Forest week.
Apr. 08, 2016
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The coalition of non-governmental organisations and civil groups”Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria” supports the people of the town of Shipka, who want to protect the more-than-one hundred-year-old deciduous forest in the area Gradishka mogila, and suggest that it is declared protected area.

Today, the local initiative committee of Shipka presented to the Ministry of Environment and Water (MEW) a suggestion for starting a procedure for the declaring of a new protected territory under the category “Protected Area” and under the name “Gradishka mogila”, with a total area of 659.14 hectares. The suggested area contains habitats of endangered, rare and vulnerable species and species of high conservation value.
Court has suspended plan for 5000 new beds in Panichishte
Apr. 07, 2016
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Nature at the foot of Rila National Park can take a breath for now

The Coalition of Non-governmental Organisations and Civil Groups “Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria” informs that on March 10, 2016 Pernik Administrative Court decided that the proposal for a detailed site development plan of Panichishte village will have a permanent negative impact on biodiversity in Rila Mountain with its 5000 new beds, and proceeded to suspend it.
UNESCO World Heritage sites belong to all people, but are endangered
Out of the 12 endangered Natural Heritage sites in the EU, two are in Bulgaria.

According to a new WWF report published on April 6th, almost half of the UNESCO Natural Heritage sites are threatened by harmful human activities. These sites supply vital services to both people and the environment, but their existence is jeopardized worldwide by various human interventions such as fossil fuel extraction, mining, and illegal logging.
WWF and FSC invite all citizens to participate in the management of forests
In relation to the Forests week, which this year undergoes under the motto “Improve the forest”, WWF Bulgaria reminds all citizens for the opportunity to participate in the management of this priceless resource.

Each stakeholder can contribute to the sustainable and responsible management of the Bulgarian forests by getting introduced with the draft of the National FSC standard and sending their statement at the given address. The draft can be downloaded from the webpage of WWF Bulgaria, section “News and facts”, subsection “Publications”.
Bulgarians are against logging and construction in the mountains

WWF and Alpha Research presented the results of a survey of the general attitude towards nature conservation.

The international environmental organization WWF presented to journalists a survey of the public attitude of Bulgarians towards the environment, conducted by "Alpha Research". 76% of the Bulgarians defined “logging and deforestation” as the most serious problems in relation to the Bulgarian nature. 65% of the respondents would support a ban on new construction, including tourist and sports infrastructure.
Two films inspired by Bulgarian nature at the Sofia International Film Festival
Mar 27, 2016
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Patrick Smithuis’s The Truth about Bulgaria’s Forests and My Personal Pain are fragments of our bitter Bulgarian reality put together by a foreigner who thinks of Bulgaria as his second motherland. The screenings will take place at 19:00 on March 31st in DNK Contemporary Dance and Performance Space at the National Palace of Culture as part of the special selection New Approach to Society of the Sofia International Film Festival. After the screening viewers will have the opportunity to take part in a discussion on the issues addressed in the films together with director Patrick Smithuis and representatives of the Bulgarian Coalition For the Nature.