Оver 40 volunteers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and France took part in activities aimed at supporting the inhabitants of Pomorie Lake during September 1-8. The work brigade started with an official opening in front of the volunteers, which was attended by the Pomorie Mayor– Ivan Alexiev and Stanislav Georgiev – Protected Areas expert at RIEW-Burgas. The Burgas District Governor– Valcho Cholakov sent a congratulatory address.
An agreement proposal for joint management of the Visitor Center was officially handed over to the Pomorie Mayor, Mr. Alexiev during the opening ceremony. We are still waiting for the Municipal Council and Pomorie Municipality official answer, but you can support us by signing our petition here.
The first two days of the work brigade were dedicated to the small island in the lake. Also known as the island of Sandwich Terns, every spring it becomes home to over 2,500 pairs of the rare species. Now, the island has been cleared of vegetation and part of it filled with a suitable substrate, thanks to the voluntary work of dozens of enthusiasts.
The morning bird-watching in the lake introduced volunteers to the bird's diversity – a variety of waterfowl species, migrating white storks and many more.
One of the wooden platforms, located in the southwestern part of the lake was fortified and filled in the remaining days. Most of the time was spent on the large island, built in 2012-2013 and immediately becoming home to over 3,000 pairs of Sandwich Terns. Unfortunately, in the summer of 2018, the terns left the island, the breeding season was compromised, and the reason was never established.
In addition to the conservation activities in the lake the brigade's program included a number of trainings and lectures, which were organized and prepared by the “Natura 2000 in Bulgaria - New Horizons” project team, with the participation of colleagues from other projects. The aim was for the participants to learn about the valuable animal and plant species in Natura 2000 areas in the afternoons.
The third day of the brigade passed with several trainings - to collect information about washed ashore cetaceans, to collect biological information through the application for civil science iNaturalist, conducted by the PhD student Stanimira Deleva, as well as to present information about invasive plant species in the salt lagoon.
Lectures on cetaceans in the Black Sea and their research were held, as well as a presentation by the BioLearn project implemented by Green Balkans. A presentation about bats with a demonstration of methods for studying them – a mist net for catching bats was set up on the lake bank, and a bat detector to eavesdrop on passing bats.
At the same time, the Green Balkans team conducted bird ringings in the morning and evenings during the brigade, in which volunteers also took part. Within all days we managed to ring 83 individuals.
As part of the brigade, we also celebrated the International Vulture Awareness Day, telling young nature lovers about the four vulture species that were once found in the country and our work for their return. The event is part of the "Bright Future for the Black Vulture" project and part of an international initiative aimed at informing the general public about the importance of these interesting and unknown to many of us birds.
The brigade was closed with an official ceremony, at which we shared what was done over the past few days. All participants received certificates, along with additional information materials. We dedicated the last day to the Visitor Center, which will welcome visitors until the end of September, and the Green Balkans team will be able to tell them about our work to preserve the biological diversity of Pomorie Lake.
Thus, in 7 days, the small island was weeded and filled, a wooden platform was fortified, a significant part of the big island was weeded, more than 80 birds were ringed, the dike in the lake was cleaned, volunteers learned more about birds, bats, cetaceans, the Pomorie Lake and wetlands, about Natura 2000…
Once again we are convinced that Bulgarian nature is priceless and it is our responsibility to preserve it! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts – to everyone who joined our cause for a better environment for all of us, for the birds, for the lake! We would also like to thank the Billa Pomorie employees for the provided garbage bags and for being involved in the cause for the protection of Pomorie Lake!
More photos in our Facebook album HERE.
* The annual Pomorie Lake volunteer brigades have been held since 1996 thanks to the joint efforts of the Green Balkans and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). A large number of enthusiasts and volunteers have combined their vacation and love of nature with volunteer work for its protection through the Green Balkans work brigades.
The large island and the wooden platforms in the lake were built in 2012-2013 in partnership between the MoEW and Green Balkans and aim to improve the nesting conditions of rare waterfowl species in the Pomorie Lake complex of protected areas . The aim of the organization is to provide maintenance of the habitats and optimal conditions for nesting birds, by periodically removing part of the vegetation on the island and strengthening the artificial facilities.
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network for nature conservation. More than 30% of the territory of Bulgaria falls within the scope of the network - 120 areas for the protection of wild birds and 234 areas for the protection of natural habitats.
Sandwich Tern
In Bulgaria, the Sandwich Tern nests only on Pomorie and Atanasovsko lakes. Thanks to years of hard work, today the population of the species in Pomorie Lake is the largest on the Balkan Peninsula. Listed as an endangered species and included in the Birds Directive, the Sandwich Tern and its habitats are protected by the Natura 2000 ecological network.
For additional information:
Polina Hristova – Communication Specialist – tel. 0882508721, e-mail: phristova@greenbalkans.org
Polya Ruseva – Communication Specialist – tel. 0894059156, e-mail: ptoncheva@greenbalkans.org
The information activities are part of the:
An agreement proposal for joint management of the Visitor Center was officially handed over to the Pomorie Mayor, Mr. Alexiev during the opening ceremony. We are still waiting for the Municipal Council and Pomorie Municipality official answer, but you can support us by signing our petition here.
The first two days of the work brigade were dedicated to the small island in the lake. Also known as the island of Sandwich Terns, every spring it becomes home to over 2,500 pairs of the rare species. Now, the island has been cleared of vegetation and part of it filled with a suitable substrate, thanks to the voluntary work of dozens of enthusiasts.
The morning bird-watching in the lake introduced volunteers to the bird's diversity – a variety of waterfowl species, migrating white storks and many more.
One of the wooden platforms, located in the southwestern part of the lake was fortified and filled in the remaining days. Most of the time was spent on the large island, built in 2012-2013 and immediately becoming home to over 3,000 pairs of Sandwich Terns. Unfortunately, in the summer of 2018, the terns left the island, the breeding season was compromised, and the reason was never established.
In addition to the conservation activities in the lake the brigade's program included a number of trainings and lectures, which were organized and prepared by the “Natura 2000 in Bulgaria - New Horizons” project team, with the participation of colleagues from other projects. The aim was for the participants to learn about the valuable animal and plant species in Natura 2000 areas in the afternoons.
The third day of the brigade passed with several trainings - to collect information about washed ashore cetaceans, to collect biological information through the application for civil science iNaturalist, conducted by the PhD student Stanimira Deleva, as well as to present information about invasive plant species in the salt lagoon.
Lectures on cetaceans in the Black Sea and their research were held, as well as a presentation by the BioLearn project implemented by Green Balkans. A presentation about bats with a demonstration of methods for studying them – a mist net for catching bats was set up on the lake bank, and a bat detector to eavesdrop on passing bats.
At the same time, the Green Balkans team conducted bird ringings in the morning and evenings during the brigade, in which volunteers also took part. Within all days we managed to ring 83 individuals.
As part of the brigade, we also celebrated the International Vulture Awareness Day, telling young nature lovers about the four vulture species that were once found in the country and our work for their return. The event is part of the "Bright Future for the Black Vulture" project and part of an international initiative aimed at informing the general public about the importance of these interesting and unknown to many of us birds.
The brigade was closed with an official ceremony, at which we shared what was done over the past few days. All participants received certificates, along with additional information materials. We dedicated the last day to the Visitor Center, which will welcome visitors until the end of September, and the Green Balkans team will be able to tell them about our work to preserve the biological diversity of Pomorie Lake.
Thus, in 7 days, the small island was weeded and filled, a wooden platform was fortified, a significant part of the big island was weeded, more than 80 birds were ringed, the dike in the lake was cleaned, volunteers learned more about birds, bats, cetaceans, the Pomorie Lake and wetlands, about Natura 2000…
Once again we are convinced that Bulgarian nature is priceless and it is our responsibility to preserve it! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts – to everyone who joined our cause for a better environment for all of us, for the birds, for the lake! We would also like to thank the Billa Pomorie employees for the provided garbage bags and for being involved in the cause for the protection of Pomorie Lake!
More photos in our Facebook album HERE.
* The annual Pomorie Lake volunteer brigades have been held since 1996 thanks to the joint efforts of the Green Balkans and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). A large number of enthusiasts and volunteers have combined their vacation and love of nature with volunteer work for its protection through the Green Balkans work brigades.
The large island and the wooden platforms in the lake were built in 2012-2013 in partnership between the MoEW and Green Balkans and aim to improve the nesting conditions of rare waterfowl species in the Pomorie Lake complex of protected areas . The aim of the organization is to provide maintenance of the habitats and optimal conditions for nesting birds, by periodically removing part of the vegetation on the island and strengthening the artificial facilities.
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network for nature conservation. More than 30% of the territory of Bulgaria falls within the scope of the network - 120 areas for the protection of wild birds and 234 areas for the protection of natural habitats.
Sandwich Tern
In Bulgaria, the Sandwich Tern nests only on Pomorie and Atanasovsko lakes. Thanks to years of hard work, today the population of the species in Pomorie Lake is the largest on the Balkan Peninsula. Listed as an endangered species and included in the Birds Directive, the Sandwich Tern and its habitats are protected by the Natura 2000 ecological network.
For additional information:
Polina Hristova – Communication Specialist – tel. 0882508721, e-mail: phristova@greenbalkans.org
Polya Ruseva – Communication Specialist – tel. 0894059156, e-mail: ptoncheva@greenbalkans.org
The information activities are part of the:
