Communities in Bulgaria
Green seat - Ecocentrum, Praveshka Lukavitsa village
FIRST PRACTICE: PREPARATION OF A LEGAL PROPOSAL FOR THE DECLARATION OF A PROTECTED NATURAL PARK "PREDBALKAN"
KIND OF PRACTICE: Scientific-applied development.
DOCUMENT AUTHOR: Environmental Association of Predbalkan, working team of the Association.
PLACE: Region of the Botevgrad Forebalkan.
CONTEXT, FIELD OF INTERVENTION:
Creation of a high-ranking protected area.
PERIOD:
not defined beginning 2004
POPULATION, PARTICIPANTS:
It covers the population of 28 small and medium-sized settlements and focuses on sustainable and innovative activities for environmental management and the development of ecotourism livelihoods for large groups of indigenous peoples.
COORDINATORS:
A team from the Association, together with representatives of local municipalities.
METHODOLOGY (HOW THE PRACTICE WORKS):
"Environmental Association PRALBALAN" was established in 2002 with the purpose of initiating the registration of a protected territory of the same name. The overall geological and geographic survey of the territory was carried out; the characteristics of the natural environment - air, soil and water; hitherto protected areas and endemic wet and steppe areas, caves and caves; biodiversity - flora and fauna, including protected species and centuries-old trees; the different cultural and historical monuments and ethnographic features: remains of Thracian and Roman fortresses and fortification shafts, Thracian mound necropolises, Roman gold mining equipment, Roman roads and bridges, remnants and restored medieval and Renaissance monasteries and churches, accepted models of Thracian spiritual culture in modern Christian customs - vows; over 850 km of innovative ecotourist routes have been developed as a basis for ecotourism infrastructure and a number of conceptual projects under different European programs. An Ecotourism Visitor Information Center - ECOCENTER was built at the Green Headquarters of the Association located in the geographical center of the Natural Park Praveshka Lakavitsa, Pravets Municipality. In 2009, a licensed Center for Vocational Training in Ecology, Ecotourism and Cynology was established and successfully operated.
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS:
The association strives to attract wide circles of the local community: among local government representatives, among the different age groups of schoolchildren, senior citizens and disabled people, chitalishte and museum workers, local farmers and others.
TIME TO BE SUCCESFUL (HOW MANY TIME THE PRACTICE TAKE TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES):
The Association strives to achieve its objectives in the medium term with a trend of sustainable development and maintaining its main activity - methodological support of ecotourism economy in the region while preserving the environment environment and the restoration of the cultural and historical heritage.
VALIDITY (IF THE PARTICIPANTS THINK THAT THE PRACTICE RESOLVED THE PROBLEMATIC):
The Association strives for the long-term practice of the future and works for its continuous realization with all available means and efforts.
IMPACT:
The Practice of the Association aims to influence the preservation of the environment and the cultural and historical heritage and on their basis to develop the ecotourism livelihood of the population.
INNOVATION:
A comprehensive long-term strategy for the development of ecotourism economy in the region has been developed.
RESOURCES OR CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR THE PRACTICE:
The practice requires the joint efforts of local communities and the Association for the development of environmentally-focused projects, mainly within the framework of European programs.
LIMITATIONS:
The limitations are in the comparatively small working team of the Association and in the insufficient working interaction with the municipalities.
LEARNED LESSONS: :
Various forms of training are applied in the practice of the Association: long-term and short-term courses on the professional training line carried out by the Center; seminars and information meetings with different age groups of the population from primary school students to retirees from the Clubs for Seniors and for People with Disabilities. Depending on the form of training, the following are issued: diplomas, certificates and certificates of the trainees.
SUSTAINABILITY:
Practice strives to maintain lasting sustainability in an unlimited future.
Repeatability: The practice seeks to develop an innovative methodology to be borrowed and replicated by other similar Bulgarian and foreign organizations and local communities.
REPLICABILITY:
CONCLUSION:
Practice, albeit hard to measure in numbers, is particularly successful, sustainable in terms of its environmental friendliness, contributes to the formation of members' sense of community and people's participation, and is effectively working.
CONTACT (PRACTICES AUTHOR AND ORGANIZATION):
Prof. Dr. Andrei Mitsulov, Chairman of the Association,
Ecocenter, Praveshka Lakavitsa village, Pravets municipality, Bulgaria;
e-mail: predbalkan@abv.bg