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Nature Exchange: Bulgaria
A Leonardo da Vinci funded exchange
with ARCH and Stara Planina Regional Tourist Association
May 29th - June 5th 2009
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THE PLACEMEMT
The Nature Exchange programme we chose to take part in was based in northern Bulgaria. The program was promoted by ARCH with the Regional Tourism Association, Stara Planina being our host company based in Bulgaria. Our guide for the trip was Velislava Chilingrova.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
We arrived in Bulgaria on Friday 29th May and departed on Friday 5th June. Below describes the activities we took part in during this time.
Date
Location
Speaker
Topic
Sat 30th May
Sofia
Rossen Vassilev +
Petko Tzvetkov
The role of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation in policy making and management of protected areas
Ribaritsa
Raiko Raikov
Local Woodcarving
Sun 31st May
Central Balkan National Park
Stoyan Hristov
Designation of zones within the N.P, his role as a ranger, visitor management.
Mon 1st June
Cherni Osam
School principal
School for mountain guides.
The Mayor
Rural development + community involvement in local conservation projects. Waterfall project, Krushuna
Tues 2nd June
Persina Nature Park
Reserve Warden/Ecologist
Designation + Management of the park for its bird life.
Wed 3rd June
Gabrovo
Daniela Toteva +
Maia Radeva + Sylvia Hinkova
Bulgarka Nature Park –it‟s development, role in the community/education + tourism in the area.
Thurs 4th June
Byala reka Eco-Trail
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A look at interpretation on the trail and local amenities.
We arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria late on Friday night (29 May 2009) and were met by Velislava Chilingrova our guide for the week from the Stara Planina Regional Tourist Association (RTA). Many thanks must go to our guide and Ivo, our driver, as without Velislava‟s great translation skills and environmental, cultural and historical knowledge of the country, we would not have got as much out of the trip as we did.
Our first day in Bulgaria began with a meeting with Mr Rossen Vassilev, the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, and his colleague Petko Tzvetkov. This was an excellent introduction to most of the major themes that we would be looking at during our exchange, biodiversity, designated sites, state environmental policies, environmental education and habitat and species management together will a discussion on pressures and conflicts.
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During our weeklong stay we undertook two walks within the Central Balkan National Park. The Park was declared in 1991 covering 716 sq. km and is home to over one thousand plant species, 10 of which can only be found there, has more than 120 nesting bird species, and provides shelter for more than 30 species of mammals including the European wolf and brown bear. The first walk was through an ancient beech forest (with trees up to 250 years old) at Tsarichina Reserve, one of nine strict nature reserves, together covering one -third of the Central Balkan National Park territory, guided by Stoyan Hristov, a Senior Ranger.
Various images from Tsarichina Reserve
The Reserve was designated in 1949. Here we were introduced to some of the pressures facing nature protection of the forests - logging, picking forest fruits, and ATV riders. We also experienced how visitor pressure is managed, through marked and maintained trails, some of which have interpretation facilities, drinking water fountains, rest areas, and scenic overlooks. The second walk was at Byala reka Eco-trail, a site for educational tourism. There were two interpretative themes throughout the trail; the Byala river gorge and natural heritage, which introduced the biodiversity, the forests, water, plants and animals.
We also visited the Persina Nature Park, covering 21,762 hectares including a 40km stretch of the River Danube. Although Nature Parks are not given the same level of protection as National Parks, sections of this site have additional protection through designation as strict nature reserves, managed nature reserves, protected sites and as Natura 2000 sites. We discussed the various pressures facing the breeding birds (that include spoonbills, pelicans, cormorants, white-tailed eagle) and the wetland areas with the park ranger and local park experts. At Bulgarka Nature Park (situated upon the ridge and north slopes of the Balkan Mountain Range and contains the geographical centre of Bulgaria) we had discussions with 2 of the 4 park employees on children‟s programs for environmental education and how the park aims to engage the local community in development/ management of the park. This nature park is also designated in parts as a Natura 2000 Site.
Discussions with members of the non-governmental organization Central Balkan Ecotourism Association in Kalofer, which brings together local businessmen, family hotels, mountain guides, and craftsmen, illustrated how cooperation can ensure that tourism to natural areas conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people and preserves it for
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generations to come. We also met the Kalofer based Central Balkan National Park Senior Ranger and discussed Park management.
Not only did we look at the natural biodiversity that Bulgaria has to offer but we also looked at how traditional crafts and industries are being maintained and how local people are actively involved in developing and maintaining local resources. We met with Rayko Raykov, a teacher in woodcarving at the Professional Forestry School in Teteven, a teacher at the School for mountain guides in Cherni Osam and Silvia Hinkova – Executive Director of the Regional Tourist Association Stara Planina (the host organisation for the nature exchange). Mrs Hinkova discussed the role of the tourist association, potential and marketing of the region and partnerships with local communities. The walk at the eco-trail at the Krushuna waterfalls illustrated how local people are trying to maintain and improve the local environment and its biodiversity. We also met the Mayor of Letnitsa who discussed various local projects, including the project at Krushuna.
Two Thracian temples were also visited, one from the 3rd century BC and the other from the 5th century BC. The second temple had the added benefit of a small colony (5) of bats present. Many Roman ruins were also seen. A full itinerary of the programme has been included with this report.
Kerry Wallace
GROUP OBJECTIVES
Kerry Wallace: “I wish to gain experience of the role of designated sites and their sustainable management in another European country and how they have interpreted the European Directives.”
Lauren Clark: “My main reasons for attending were to learn about the natural heritage of Bulgaria, its protected sites and particularly its Natura 2000 sites. I hoped to learn how another country, that has recently joined the EU, has implemented aspects of the Habitats and Birds Directives, and the procedures for managing Natura 2000 sites in Bulgaria.”
Louise Madine: “Whilst on the exchange, my main interests were to look at how areas within Bulgaria (National Parks, Nature parks, Eco-Trails etc) are managed for tourism, recreation and education.”
Rosslyn Mills: “My main interest on this exchange was to discover how the communities and people of Bulgaria used their surrounding landscape for forestry, education and recreation and how this compared to our use of land in Scotland.”
Tracy Begg: “I am looking forward to visiting Bulgaria to gain some insight into the ways in which a relatively new EU member state interprets legislation and manages sites under the Birds and Habitats Directives and to exchange knowledge and ideas with people working in protected sites in Bulgaria”
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DISCUSSION
The following is a collection of our individual reports which are representative of the discussions we had whilst in Bulgaria.
BIODIVERSITY – HABITATS AND SPECIES
Bulgaria is situated in south east Europe and covers an area of 110 000 square kilometres with a relatively low population of 7.7m (70/ha2). A broad range of habitats can be found including high mountains, forests, fertile farmland, rivers, lakes and coastal regions bordering the Black sea. The extent, condition, management, development and protection of some of these habitats was a focus of the Nature Exchange trip.
A major geographic feature in central Bulgaria is the Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains) which stretch from the western border of Bulgaria to the Black Sea in the east. This mountain range has major climatic influences and acts as a barrier to cold Bora winds from the north and Foehns from the south. Three different climate types converge on the main mountain ridge resulting in frequent strong winds, heavy rain and snowfall and almost permanent cloud cover. Moreover the climatic influences result in differing habitats on the northern and southern slopes.
The Central Balkan National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Europe, covers a significant area of the Stara Planina. The National Park comprises beech forests, alpine meadows and with an abundance waterfalls and rivers, is the main watershed for the Black and Aegean Sea catchment basins.
A key habitat within the park is forest, which comprises 56% of the Park territory. Forest types at different altitudes which, from lower to higher altitudes, include oak forests, oak and hornbeam forests, beech and coniferous (pine, spruce and fir) forest belts. Beech forests are particularly important. Covering about 60 000 hectares, these are some of the largest natural beech forests in Europe. The range and diversity of forest habitats support a diverse range of plants and animals and 17 forest habitats have been identified and are Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive.
The National Park is the largest protected habitat in Europe for brown bear and an important refuge for wolves. Of 30 species of European bats, 18 can be found in the park, including endangered species such as Geoffrey‟s Bat and Schreiber‟s Bat. Other endangered mammal species include chamois and common dormouse.
The range of habitats within the park accounts for the high diversity of birds and 224 species have been recorded. Raptor diversity is high and includes golden and imperial eagle, saker and peregrine falcons, long-legged buzzard and short toed eagle. The park is also important nationally for species such as rock partridge, eagle owl, ural owl, rock thrush and black woodpecker.
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Alpine meadows between 800 – 1300m are herb-rich and floristically diverse and support a high diversity of invertebrates, notably butterflies including Apollo, purple emperor and the endemic Bulgarian arron.
Plant diversity and endemism is high. Over 2000 species of plants have been identified within the Park, more than half of Bulgaria‟s total flora. Meadows and pastures provide a particularly large variety of species (676 vascular plants) including the red listed Transylvanian campanula, ladies mantle and Kerner‟s centaury. The Central Balkan National Park has been recognised as a “Pan Park” for its management planning, which involves local people and trades.
Beech Woodlands
The extent of the forests provide habitat for species requiring large ranges such as golden eagle. The varied structure of the woodland and the condition of the understorey and ground vegetation created by varied topography and management provides a diversity of niches and ecotones for plants and birds. Some birds observed were semi-collared flycatcher, lesser spotted woodpecker, hawfinch.
Alpine Meadows
The alpine meadows within the strictly protected zone of the National Park are not grazed by domestic livestock. All traditional summer grazing was stopped in the early 1990‟s, however grazing by wild herbivores appears low as the meadows we visited appeared under-grazed and overgrown with a small build up of dead vegetation eg thyme was growing in hummocks, while some other alpine plants and heaths were found infrequently, shrubs and trees were also becoming established.
Within the strictly protected zone all livestock grazing was removed in the early 1990‟s. It would be useful to understand the rationale and management priorities and monitoring results on the alpine meadows.
SAC has been involved in European pastoralism and High Nature farming for many years. www.sac.ac.uk/research/projects/landeconomy/featured/pastoral/. Research undertaken by SAC* in the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park on Ben Heasgarnich SAC, notified for upland, alpine & sub-alpine calcareous grasslands has found that the alpine plants diminish in quality and abundance in the absence of grazing and hence the notified habitat has fallen into unfavourable condition.
Grazing levels in the managed zones are more comparable with Scottish agri-environmental management at ewe/ha and 0. cow/ha, however in Scotland there has been a more away from prescriptive grazing rates to more outcome based approaches, allowing the grazier to monitor and manage grazing based on sward height and diversity in order to optimise the development of flowering plants while using grazing pressure to prevent the build up of vegetation “litter” which smothers some of the small less competitive plants.
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Butterflies are abundant on the alpine meadows, including a range of blues, whites, browns, peacock, fritillaries, Balkan heath, clouded yellow.
Other management issues which pose a threat to the protected sites include poaching and use of ATV‟s on the alpine meadows. The Park rangers are too few in number to address poaching, moreover the fact that poachers are armed poses a risk to the rangers.
ATV use is not prohibited in the park, and localised rutting and erosion have resulted. Steps have been taken by park rangers to address the issue in a positive way through inviting ATV users to meetings to discuss and address issues through a voluntary approach.
Outwith the Stara Planina National Park, an important and contrasting habitat is the Bulgarian river valley of the River Danube, at the northern Bulgarian border. The relatively new Nature Park of Persina, designated in 2000, is the only Nature Park in Bulgaria which covers the river and associated habitats. The park includes the largest Bulgarian Island on the Danube, Persina. Key ecosystems within the Belenski Islands complex in the reserve, including floodplain forests and inland swamps were designated as Ramsar sites in 2002.
The Nature Park is a haven for birds including white-tailed sea-eagle, ferruginous duck, pygmy cormorant and corncrake. Large heronries within the park include nesting little bitterns, night herons, spoonbills and purple heron. The narrow riparian zone, mostly black poplar and willows provides habitat for marsh tits, nightingale, golden oriele and lesser spotted eagle.
Narrow fringing riparian woodland
While the fringing riparian woodland bordering the Danube is very narrow, the protected buffer zone is more extensive, including agricultural land, scrub, woodland and wetland. These areas were not included in the visit, but they provide protection to the site from development. The disturbance by boats and tourism appears minimal, however tourism is currently not developed to levels that would pose a disturbance to breeding birds or threat to their habitats. It is recognised that future developments are likely to impact on these sites and whilst current protection and planning regulations appear adequate under very limited pressure, economic development and the demand for tourist facilities along the river are likely to increase in the future which would impact upon the birds and their habitats.
Likewise in the Bulgarka Nature Park, there are designated SAC‟s and proposed SPA‟s, and the park promotes sustainable land use, however we learned that economic forces seem to have significant leverage and exert a higher degree of influence on planning decisions than EU regulatory requirements. It would appear that the use of Environmental Impact Assessment is not used widely as a management tool.
Wider Countryside
The habitat that perhaps offers the most striking contrast in terms of diversity and management compared with Scotland is farmland. While travelling between protected sites or between towns and villages the group discussed the wider countryside and farming
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methods and systems. In UK and across Europe farmland birds have declined as a result of agricultural intensification, moreover bee populations are declining drastically. Bulgaria provided an interesting comparison where agricultural intensification appears to be expanding apace in the low ground.
Much of the remote, marginal and upland areas remain in low intensity, subsistence farming with pastoralism still practiced by some of the older generation. Local and traditional produce and skills are maintained in some regions, preserving the habitat and culture. Cows, sheep and goats are taken in small herds to upland grazed pastures during the day and brought back to the enclosures at night. The landscape is characterised by small scale farming, with a range of small enclosed fields edged by trees and shrubs, banks and tracks with an abundance of small scale cereal and food crops rich in ruderal and arable weeds.
The structure of the landscape with small scale features provides abundant habitat and feeding for farmland bird species such as corn bunting, cirl bunting, black headed bunting, turtle dove, red-backed shrike which occur in high densities in stark contrast with the UK (particularly for corn buntings). Wide field margins with a range of vetches, teasel, grasses and other weed seeds and a rich diversity of arable weeds including alkanets, poppies and cornflowers provide important feeding and breeding habitats for insects and birds. Marsh harrier, lesser grey shrike and imperial eagle occur on the lower farmland.
It is the wide field margins and unfarmed habitats that account, in part, for the much greater species diversity in Bulgaria compared with Scottish farmland, where land seems to be at a premium, and few areas in the lowlands, are unmanaged.
On the lower flatter farmed land intensification and pesticide use was evident, large scale agri-businesses eg in the municipality of Letnitsa and other commercial farming businesses operate e.g. in the Thracian Valley. Key commercial crops included mainly cereals (wheat, maize, barley), but also fruit, sunflowers, roses and lavender. Even over many of the more intensively managed farmland where field sizes are comparable with UK, patches of uncultivated fields/land are still present, contributing to the mosaic and diversity of habitats.
Rose fields have an abundance of pollinating species, mainly honeybees from the large number of hives often placed nearby: the interaction/relationship between farmers and bee-keepers would be of interest in this context and while there is apparently an increase in demand for organic produce in Bulgaria, whether it is likely to be serviced through large businesses rather than local traditional food producers.
*J P Holland, M L Pollock And A Waterhouse: From over-grazing to under-grazing: are we going from one extreme to another? Aspects of Applied Biology 85, 2008 Shaping a vision for the Uplands
Gillian McKnight & Tracey Begg
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PROTECTED AREAS FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
During our visit to Bulgaria we visited a number of protected areas that have been established to protect certain plants, animals and habitats found within the country. Protected areas in Bulgaria include „strict‟ and „managed‟ nature reserves, National Parks, Nature Parks and protected sites. Scotland also has a number of protected area designations for nature conservation and whilst there are differences in the type of protected areas between the two countries there is a common requirement to designate Natura 2000 sites under the European Union Habitats and Birds Directives1.
National Protected Areas
As outlined above, one of our visits to the Central Balkan National Park was in an area adjacent to the Tsarichina strict nature reserve. The Tsarichina reserve is of importance for its forest habitats, including beech and silver fir. There are 55 such reserves within Bulgaria, the first being established in 1933. All activities are prohibited within these areas with the exception of access on marked hiking trails and scientific research carried out under permit from the Bulgarian Government. These areas are therefore relatively undisturbed. When strict nature reserves occur within National Parks, buffer zones are established around these to help protect the reserve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) have been designated in Scotland to protect our natural heritage. If an owner or occupier of a SSSI wishes to carry out an operation that could damage the qualifying interests of the site they must first seek consent to see if this could be done in a way that would not harm the qualifying interests of the site.
View looking south onto Vezhen over the Tsarichina Strict Nature Reserve
During out visit to the Danube we learned about the managed nature reserve on Persina Island. 35 such reserves have been established in Bulgaria. These areas have a similar level
1 Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds (commonly known as the Birds Directive) and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (commonly known as the Habitats Directive).
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of protection to strict nature reserves, with additional activities permitted for restoration purposes. For example, at the Persina reserve dykes have been drying out the land but funding has been received from the World Bank for wetland restoration. The works have resulted in an increase in bird numbers in this area.
We visited and learned about the Central Balkan National Park during our stay in Bulgaria. There are 3 such parks within Bulgaria with a total area of 193,049 hectares in comparison to Scotland which has 2 National Parks with a combined area of 566,500 hectares. There are, however, differences in the approach taken between the two countries and how these areas are managed and protected - in Bulgaria all of the National Parks are state owned and exclude nucleated and dispersed settlements. However, in both countries management is guided by the implementation of a National Park plan (management is discussed in the section below).
Persina Nature Park
As explained in the programme overview we had discussions regarding Persina and Bulgarka Nature Parks during our stay. These Parks receive a lower level of protection than the protected areas previously mentioned. Both Nature Parks and National Parks include provision for recreation and education, an aim shared by National Parks, Regional Parks and Country Parks in Scotland.
Another type of protected area we encountered during our stay was at Krushuna waterfalls. The waterfalls are a popular attraction but this resulted in accumulation of rubbish and problems with car parking and wild camping. The establishment of this site as a protected area was driven by the local community and means that certain activities are now prohibited to help conserve the area. At the entrance to the waterfalls there is information indicating
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activities that are prohibited. Members of the local community run a stall and collect a small donation for those wishing to visit the waterfalls.
Many of the designations outlined above overlap, as is also the case with protected areas in Scotland. In addition to this, areas can also have European (Natura 2000) and international (Ramsar) designations.
Natura 2000 and Ramsar
Both Scotland and Bulgaria are signatories to the Ramsar Convention2 and have established sites for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (commonly known as Ramsar sites). The area of the Danube we visited at Belene has been designated as a Ramsar site (Belene Islands Complex) for its wetland habitats and bird populations.
Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 and as such is required to implement the European Union Habitats and Birds Directives. Under these Directives there is a requirement to designate Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) - Natura 2000 sites - for rare and endangered species and habitats. Whilst we understand that there is still some ongoing work within Bulgaria approximately 30% of the terrestrial area of the country has been designated as a Natura 2000 site. In Scotland 239 SACs and 146 SPAs have been designated, equating to 9.6% and 8.2% respectively of the terrestrial area of Scotland (note that some SACs and SPAs overlap).
All of the Central Balkan National Park has been designated as a Natura 2000 site (the Tzentralen Balkan Site of Community Importance and Special Protection Area) for habitat, bird and species interests. These include its beech forest habitats, alpine meadows and grasslands, and species such as the Eurasian pygmy owl, imperial eagle and golden eagle. There are also overlapping Natura 2000 designations at the two Nature Parks that were visited. There are specific requirements for considering plans and projects that could affect such Natura 2000 sites. Contact has been made with the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (whom we met during our stay) to gain a greater understanding of how development that could affect a Natura 2000 site is considered within Bulgaria and to draw further comparisons between this and the situation in Scotland.
By Lauren Clark
2 The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat
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MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
As outlined above there are a number of different types of protected areas within Bulgaria. The Republic of Bulgaria is 40% larger than Scotland in terms of area and population and therefore has roughly the same population density. However in Bulgaria Natura 2000 sites alone cover a third of the country (with 90 different habitat types protected and 100 species of plants and animals), while in Scotland, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) alone, which underpin the majority of our terrestrial Natura 2000 sites, account for 12.9% of the country. With Bulgaria required to manage a third of their country for nature conservation it was interesting to see how they manage to undertake such a task, as in Scotland we find it challenging to manage just an eighth of our country.
We visited two different areas of the Central Balkan National Park, all of which is also designated as Natura 2000 sites. One of the Park’s aims is to ‘Respect nature by keeping human interference to a minimum’. Although the management issues facing their Park are similar to the ones we face in Scotland, State ownership enables management of the Park to be better co-ordinated.
There are five different management zones designated within the Park:
1. Strict nature reserves – see discussion above.
2. Limited human impact – these zones are buffers around the reserves and act as wildlife corridors between reserves.
3. Multi-function zone – only environmentally friendly activities can be carried out eg collection of firewood, wild fruits and mushrooms (for personal use). Pasture grazing (by sheep, cattle and horses only, goats are prohibited) is the most popular use. Grazing can only be carried out under permit for a particular area, time and for a specified number of stock. The stocking density within the park pasture is 0.5 hectare (ha) per sheep and 1ha per cow. Out with the park it is 0.2ha per sheep and 0.4ha per cow.
4. Tourist zones - areas where chalets, campsites, picnic areas or network of trails already existed.
5. Infrastructure zone – the infrastructure already existed, e.g. telecommunication towers, roads, water pipes, buildings.
State ownership of these areas also means that development pressure can more easily be controlled. The main pressures facing the Park are construction of buildings, off-road driving and skiing developments. We were impressed by the innovative way in which the Park Rangers have tackled the issue of off-road driving. They joined the off-road drivers Internet forum and informed the drivers of the damage they are causing and the work that the Park are doing to try to restore it. They also set up informal meetings to discuss the issues and possible solutions. This resulted in the rangers putting up signs and opening up disused roads.
Informal recreation is well managed within the Parks, with most trails being multi-use and some designated for mountain bikers or hikers. Within the Nature Parks specialized routes have been developed for fans of extreme sports, horseback riding and mountain biking. Some areas have even constructed artificial climbing walls to try and reduce the damage to sensitive habitats. Within Persina Nature Park, on the Danube, there was only restrictions placed on fishing boats during the bird breeding season as other forms of recreationally activity, such as bird watching, were undertaken at very low levels or there was not any
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demand. Development along the coastline within the Park was prohibited with the exception of temporary fishing huts.
Other issues facing the National Park include the continuation of traditional management practices: grazing and forestry management. Traditional grazing practices on the high mountain meadows have declined as a result of economics and communist policy. The workforce that once would have carried on such practices was encouraged to move from the villages to work in factories within towns. Just like in Scotland it is the Government who provides the funding to encourage or maintain traditional grazing practices. In the Central Balkan National Park people are paid (100 Euros per hectare) to graze for 3 months, they also pay a shepherd. Within the forests clear felling is prohibited and individual trees are marked that can be felled. We were impressed by this management technique as it ensures continuity of the habitat.
One factor that Bulgaria has in its favour is that large areas of the protected sites remain inaccessible, either through the protection associated with designation as a nature reserve or due to the terrain, and this means that these sites can remain in a relatively natural state.
The National Parks have 10-year management plans in place and some of the nature parks are in the process of developing plans. The development of such plans in Bulgaria appears to be more like the development of a local plan in Scotland in that there is wider public consultation and involvement. Meetings are held with local people to show how they can help them develop the plans and plan developments in environmentally friendly ways. As Nella Rachevitz, the Director of the Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria says:
‘We are here to turn our love of nature into a common vision for its protection. Much is to be done, but working together we can best reach our goal!’
Bulgaria is at a very important point in the countries development. The pressure on the natural environment currently appears to be at low levels, with the exception of development associated with the skiing industry and along the black sea coast. However, as visitor demand increases the pressure on the environment will increase and it is our hope that Bulgaria will continue to value their natural heritage, their National asset and make the most of the benefits that it can provide.
By Kerry Wallace
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, TOURISM, RECREATION
AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Community Involvement
During our visit we spent some time in the Municipality of Letnitsa where we visited an inspirational project at the Krushuna Waterfalls, a community owned project born out of frustration towards the damage and abuse that the popular beauty spot was receiving from the influx of visitors. The local community took ownership of the site in 2007 this included the waterfalls and their surrounding wooded area.
Images from Krushuna Waterfalls
The community began by arranging for volunteers to be present on the site on holidays and weekends, collecting a token entry fee from visitors* this was a successful deterrent for those who came to abuse the site. The funds raised in the initial months allowed for an access barrier to be fitted on the main access route, restricting the access by cars all week, it also provided adequate funding for the employment of two full time staff members who would collect entry fees seven days a week for the entire year. In the first three months the scheme brought in over 22,500 Lev allowing the community to develop the site by improving access, with better bridges and stairs that formed an eco-trail around the waterfall, quarry and caves. As well as this the money provided match funding for a small Tourist Information centre within the town. In May 2009 the project brought in over 15,000 Lev by charging for access, this money will be used to further improve the site.
We were treated to a meeting with the Major of Letnitsa following the site visit, whilst with him and Sonia (municipality employee in charge of Economic and Environmental Projects) we discussed further improvements that could be made to the site in the future, it was suggested that a sign for families would be beneficial, warning about the steep access and uneven surfaces. An organised group of conservation volunteers could be established, as well as a “Friends Of” scheme, for those out with the local community to contribute to the upkeep of the site.
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The support offered by the Major and his employee was fantastic, they appeared to understand the importance of the site and the bond that the community had with it. This is something that we struggle to achieve in Scotland. We were very aware that the site brings a great deal of revenue into the municipality and has already been used as leverage for EU funding; I sincerely hope that any money achieved through the success of Krushuna project is returned to the community.
*Token fee of 1 Lev / person (approximately 50p)
Tourism
Compared to Scotland, which relies on tourism as an important income for the national economy, Bulgaria appears to be in the early stages of developing tourism and in particular eco-tourism. Although hotels, restaurants, outdoor activities, museums and some tourist information centres were available in the larger towns, in the rural areas these were less evident or absent. We did hear that in rural areas around the national park, local people were being encouraged to look into running Bed and Breakfasts and guesthouses to national and international tourists. It was interesting that camping and caravanning are not popular in Bulgaria and maybe the provision of more campsites could encourage more visitors.
One of the best examples of an information centre I noted was the Eco-centre in Kalofer. The Central Balkan Ecotourism Association, a successful collaboration between local family hotels, mountain guides, craftspeople and businessmen is run as an NGO. Established in 2002, it aims to develop sustainable ecotourism, provide local jobs and run local interests and activities with conservation and sustainable developments in mind. The centre is located in Kalofer‟s town centre and has a welcoming appearance from the start, with signage at the front door indicating that local information for attractions, accommodation and activities are available.
The staff were all very friendly and it was nice to see that the souvenirs they sell here are all local products o support the local area. With the local office for the Central Balkan National Park (CBNP) rangers also located in the building, it gave us the chance to hear more about managements and developments in the National Park (NP) and land-use conflicts that they have to deal with.
Recreation
Away from the Black Sea coast, Bulgaria has a lot to offer in terms of outdoor activities. Whilst on the exchange, we had the opportunity to walk on a number of trails through the beech forests of Bulgaria. Many of the protected areas we visited did not have visible fencing to keep people out of restricted reserves and it appears that by providing marked trails, the rangers in the CBNP can for example, direct people away from areas that they are managing for wildlife.
With low annual visitor numbers in some areas of the NP (approx. 6000 people) compared to 200, 000 people/year we get at one of the properties I work on, it may be that in the
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future, if visitor numbers increase, it will be harder to encourage people to stay in the areas designated for their use. Hopefully if this does become a problem it will be easier for Bulgaria to manage as they can have strictly protected zones where people are prohibited from entering whereas in Scotland, with the right to roam with regards to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, we are limited as to what we can do. I hope Bulgaria do keep these different levels of access in place so that important designated sites are protected in the future.
Education
A number of the trails we walked on had very good interpretation panels in Bulgarian and English allowing a wide range of people to learn about the environment around them including the flora, fauna and its management. With some of their displays being interactive and also suitable for children to use, it means that they can get their message across to an even larger audience. Similar interpretation can be seen in Scotland but I think more places in both Bulgaria and the UK could benefit from such interpretation and sharing ideas to contribute to this.
Another idea I think that is successful in Bulgaria and that Scotland could do more with is the Bulgarian concept of “green schools”. During our time in the country we heard about the school groups that visit the rural areas to camp or stay in chalets. This allows the students to spend time outdoors learning about their country‟s natural history, providing opportunity to experience it first hand and the knowledge to respect it. Rangers and local nature park staff offer assistance with these trips and they appear to be very successful, with staff boasting 200+ attendees in one particular event.
We have similar schemes to this in Scotland, with the introduction of Eco Schools in primary education, and the Forest School Initiative, aimed at toddlers to adults on the increase. However it is difficult in the UK to fully explore their potential, as we are so heavily governed by Health and Safety guidelines. I hope that this will not become the case in Bulgaria as EU regulations take hold.
Further Education
An area that I found particularly interesting was the dedication that Bulgarians have to further education in land based studies / recreational careers. During our visit we were given a guided tour of the Forestry School in Teteven where young adults / teenagers are provided with standard higher education whilst incorporating skills that will allow them to join the forestry sector upon graduation. We also had opportunity to talk with a teacher in
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woodcarving from the School in the evening Mr Rayko Raykov, who provided us with a superb overview of the work that he and his students produce.
Various images from Teteven Forestry School
Later in the week we visited the Mountain Guide School in Troyan, where we met with the head teacher. For me this school was one I would have tried to attend had I been born a Bulgarian. The students are taken in from the age of 11 (although there is a primary school within the school grounds) and provided with a residential education, this includes standard lessons with an introduction to mountain guide skills, climbing and skiing for example. As the children mature into young adults they are provided with the experience and knowledge they will require to find employment following their graduation aged 18.
The skills that both of these secondary schools provide are invaluable to the country‟s economy and future tourism. They provide young adults with the confidence and experience to enter employment instantly after graduation, in comparison to our oversubscribed degree courses and heavy competition for graduate schemes. It is my opinion that we as a nation would benefit greatly from education systems such as these, in particular for students within mainstream education who would benefit from being taken out of mainstream education and allowed to develop physical or practical life skills.
By Louise Madine and Rosslyn Mills
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CULTURAL HERITAGE
Thracian Tombs
There are over twelve hundred massive earth mounds in the southern half of Bulgaria and only about thirty of these structures have been excavated, where they have found astonishing Thracian temples and artefacts. This would suggest that it is an exciting time to be an archaeologist in Bulgaria. As mentioned we visited three of these excavated Thracian tombs, the oldest dating back to 4,000BC.
Various images from Thracian tombs
The stonework in the tombs was outstanding, the mind boggles as to how such large slabs of stone (marble and granite) were moved, carved and placed in these remote locations. The tombs have been preserved due to their disguise under earth, evident only by large mounds on particularly flat areas of land, these tombs have survived many changes in the landscape and in the countries turbulent history, the tome of Theo which we visited had even survived a full scale battle in the 17th Century which took place almost on top of a tomb entrance!
Traditional Crafts
Bulgaria has a long and rush history, it was ruled by the Turkish people for more than five hundred years. Bulgaria finally gained their independence in eighteen seventy eight. In recent times the communist Russian Government ruled them. They again achieved independence in the mid nineteen eighties and are now one of the youngest members of the European Union, throughout all of these periods they have maintained a strong tradition in crafts. We witnessed this at a visit to the village of Etar which was established and funded by the local community in 1968. Here they have preserved many crafts and traditional arts such as woodcarving, pottery, leather working, woodturning, blacksmithing, knife making, wool dying, silversmiths, goldsmiths, traditional baking and traditional coffee shops.
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Various images from Etar Museum
All of the premises were staffed by local craftsmen, who sold their wares on site. The museum was inspirational it demonstrated the success of such projects in promoting sustainable use of local materials to provide a wage for these traditional craftsmen, as well as the funds to support the community. Most of these crafts were powered by waterwheels on the local river. For me this experience has reinforced the importance of preserving such things in our own culture and how valuable this can be.
By Nory Anderson
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CONCLUSION
Although not a problem at the moment, we wonder if tourist numbers visiting Bulgaria may increase in the future as eco-tourism continues to grow. With its wealth of flora and fauna and stunning mountains and forests it could become a highly popular destination. Maybe there are opportunities for links with Scotland to help encourage sustainable and responsible management of tourists to prevent pressures being put on Bulgaria‟s environment.
This Nature Exchange programme has been a valuable experience in a number of ways. It was a great opportunity to experience and learn about the culture and nature of a country that I have never visited before. Whilst meeting a range of people working in tourism and conservation in Bulgaria and gaining useful information from them, I was also able to make valuable contacts with the people in my group and discuss issues and ideas we have come across in our work in the UK. Hopefully these links can be continued and also with some of the speakers we met in Bulgaria.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank the many people we met with in Bulgaria for the warm welcome and enthusiasm they had in promoting their country. We would like to thank in particular Velislava Chilingrova our fluent and patient guide, our driver for the week Ivo, who kept us safe and entertained with his eclectic choice in music.
We would like to thank the staff of the Regional Tourism Association, Stara Planina for preparing such a varied and interesting week. And we are all very grateful to the Leonardo Di Vinci Fund and ARCH for providing opportunity to experience Bulgaria in this way.