Bulgaria

Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF) is a NGO that works to conserve biodiversity in Bulgaria and neighbouring countries and assists organizations and institutions involved; supports participation of citizens and local communities in managing natural resources and protected areas; increased public awareness on biodiversity issues. BBF is a successor of the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Program, implemented in the period 1994-2004. Currently the organisation operates in five main areas: protected areas and species; Green Belt and Natura 2000; educational and PR activities; sustainable tourism; campaigns and coalitions. BBF is a member of IUCN, CEEweb, etc.

Green Balkans is a leading organization in the field of conservation of rare species and habitats in Bulgaria. The Organization was established in 1988 being Bulgaria’s oldest nature conservation NGO. For its almost 20 years’ existence, the Organization, supported by its partners and donors, such as the EU PHARE Program, USAID, GEF, REC, UNDP, WWF, EURONATUR, has implemented more than 110 nature conservation projects. Green Balkans’ volunteers and civil groups implemented more than 400 actions, 180 of which were of national significance. Many of these actions were mass protest demonstrations that managed to prevent the perpetration of serious crimes against the nature of Bulgaria.

PAN Parks welcomes the declaration of the International Year of Biodiversity as we also look to the opportunities triggered by natural succession and ecosystem dynamics to protect global biodiversity. In PAN Parks Wilderness areas, the priority is protecting ecosystem dynamics and supporting the protection of biodiversity - ecosystem dynamics link.

Many examples of this could be provided so a page on our website will be devoted to providing a collection of case studies, interviews, articles on the relation of wilderness and biodiversity and the PAN Parks efforts to protect biodiversity through wilderness protection.