IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A TRAVELING
NATURE DISPLAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN
CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK, BULGARIA
By
JEFFREY D. PLOETZ
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN FORESTRY
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
2000
The thesis, “Implementation and Effectiveness of a Traveling Nature Display for
Environmental Education in Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria” is hereby approved
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
FORESTRY.
School of Forestry and Wood Products
Signatures:
Thesis Advisor: ____________________________
Blair D. Orr
Dean: ________________________
Glenn D. Mroz
Date: ____________________________
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest gratitude and admiration to Blair Orr, my
advisor and friend for the never ending support and advise both here and abroad. If not
for him my Peace Corps service would have been an all together different story and this
thesis would never of been completed.
I must also thank my committee members Glenn Mroz, Peg Gale and Bruce
Pletka for their support and friendship over all these years. Also a big thanks to Mike
Heslop and Jim Moore for their assistance when computing went aria. As well as Jim
Pickens for without his assistance life would have been much more difficult.
A special thanks to my wife Kerry for her love and support throughout this
process. This extends to the rest of my family as well, especially my parents for their
efforts in proofreading and editing.
Numerous people in Bulgaria also deserve special recognition. This includes all
my friends from the staff of Central Balkan National Park, especially Gergana, Diana,
Nela, Anton, and Ivan for their companionship and support during my service. The team
at the GEF project for without their support most of my projects would have remained on
the drawing board and life would have been much slower. Special thanks to Peter Hetz
and Ian Deshmukh from ARD, Inc. for their support and guidance. Special thanks to
Silvia and her parents for accepting me and Kerry into their family and for all the help
they provide us during our service. And finally Nikola foremost for his friendship and
camaraderie as well as all the help he provided me during our time together.
It is not possible to individually address everyone that has had an impact or an
input throughout the term of my service and this project as the number is to great. I can
only say thank you to all those who remain unmentioned including my fellow Peace
Corps Volunteers.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................................I
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ II
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................IV
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... V
LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................VI
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................... VII
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................VIII
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2 STUDY AREA .......................................................................................... 4
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION ............................................................................................. 4
TOPOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................. 5
CLIMATE........................................................................................................................... 6
NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAND USE ................................................................... 7
AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................................ 8
INDUSTRY ...................................................................................................................... 10
DEMOGRAPHICS ........................................................................................................... 12
EDUCATION ................................................................................................................... 14
BULGARIAN HISTORY................................................................................................. 14
MODERN DAY BULGARIA.......................................................................................... 16
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.......................................................................................... 19
BULGARIAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT ................................ 21
ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................. 28
FLORA ............................................................................................................................. 29
FAUNA............................................................................................................................. 32
BULGARIA’S PROTECTED AREAS ............................................................................ 33
CHAPTER 3 CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK ......................................... 41
PARK STATISTICS......................................................................................................... 41
FORESTS ......................................................................................................................... 42
FLORA ............................................................................................................................. 43
FAUNA............................................................................................................................. 44
Vertebrate .................................................................................................................. 44
Invertebrate................................................................................................................ 45
CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK DEPARTMENT ......................................... 46
MUNICIPAL LANDS INCORPORATED IN CBNP ..................................................... 48
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT CBNP ........................................ 50
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CHAPTER 4 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION .................................................... 54
INITIATIVES IN BULGARIA ........................................................................................ 55
CBNP PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES....................................................................... 56
CHAPTER 5 METHODS.............................................................................................. 60
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAVELING NATURE DISPLAY ................................... 60
IMPLEMENTATION....................................................................................................... 63
SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS.............................................................................................. 67
Tree Species............................................................................................................... 68
Highland species........................................................................................................ 69
Forest Fruits............................................................................................................... 69
Medicinal Species...................................................................................................... 70
Rare Species .............................................................................................................. 70
INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWN OF REPRESENTED SPECIES .................................... 71
Tree Species............................................................................................................... 71
Highland Species ....................................................................................................... 72
Forest Fruits............................................................................................................... 72
Medicinal Species...................................................................................................... 73
Rare Species .............................................................................................................. 74
THE CONTINUED USE OF NATURE DISPLAY......................................................... 74
CHAPTER 6 RESULTS................................................................................................ 76
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION..................................................................................... 76
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................. 81
CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 83
LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................. 85
APPENDIX 1.
MAP OF CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK.................... 88
APPENDIX 2. TRAVELING NATURE DISPLAY PAMPHLET “FLORA OF
CENTRAL BALKAN”................................................................................................... 91
APPENDIX 3. TRAVELING NATURE DISPLAY QUESTIONNAIRE
(BULGARIAN VERSION) .......................................................................................... 100
APPENDIX 4. TRAVELLING NATURE DISPLAY QUESTIONNAIRE DATA
SETS............................................................................................................................... 102
iii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Geographic location of Bulgaria. Source: Heritage Films, 2000 ...................... 5
Figure 2. Topographic orientation of Bulgaria. Source: Meine, 1998............................... 6
Figure 3 "It is just too difficult for someone like me to do much about the environment"
(Dimova, 1995).......................................................................................................... 24
Figure 4. "Government should pass laws to make ordinary people and business protect
the environment" (Dimova, 1995). ............................................................................ 24
Figure 5. "Modern science will solve our environmental problems with little change to
our way of life" (Dimova, 1995). .............................................................................. 25
Figure 6. Structure by availability of interest in the condition and protection of nature
and character of interest (Vuchev, 1997)................................................................... 26
Figure 7. Public perception of the importance of protected areas (Vulchev, 1997). ........ 27
Figure 8. Forest Ecosystems of Bulgaria. Adapted from Aladzhem, 2000a.................... 30
Figure 9. Location of Bulgaria's protected areas. Source: Aladzhem, 2000a .................. 34
Figure 10. Areas designated as CORINE Biotopes. The image is adapted from
Aladzhem, 2000a and was created by Jeko Spridonov. ............................................ 38
Figure 11. Biome and biotic diversity in Bulgaria. Adapted from Aladzhem, 2000a,
created by Jeko Spiridonov........................................................................................ 39
Figure 12. Distribution of forest areas and high-mountain meadows and pastures by
municipality. Adapted from Figure 5 of Iankov, 2000............................................. 49
Figure 13. Students and Park representative discuss the display..................................... 64
Figure 14. Students view the Display. .............................................................................. 66
Figure 15. The Traveling Nature Display at a local school. ............................................ 68
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Age Structure of Bulgaria. Source: CIA, 2000.................................................. 12
Table 2. International environmental conventions and agreements signed by Bulgaria and
other nations. Adapted from CIA, 2000. .................................................................. 21
Table 3. Public’s ranking of national priorities (Vuchev, 1997). ..................................... 26
Table 4. CBNP Reserve Classifications. Sources: (Iankov, 2000, Protected Areas Act,
1998).......................................................................................................................... 42
Table 5. Scientific and common names of selected mammals along with estimated
populations as of 1999. Adapted from Table 4 of Iankov, 2000. ............................. 45
Table 6. Distribution of Municipal forested areas, high-mountain pastures and meadows
now contained within the boundary of CBNP. Adapted from Iankov, 2000. ........... 49
Table 7: List of questions and their type, posed to all student participants. ..................... 67
Table 8. Overall breakdown of display species. ............................................................... 71
Table 9. List of questions given the students................................................................... 76
Table 10: Calculated chi-square values for each question by classroom.......................... 77
Table 11: Tabular chi-square values for 5 degrees of freedom. ....................................... 77
v
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1.
Map Of Central Balkan National Park………………………………….88
Appendix 2. Traveling Nature Display Pamphlet “Flora Of Central Balkan”………….91
Appendix 3. Traveling Nature Display Questionnaire (Bulgarian Version)…………..100
Appendix 4. Travelling Nature Display Questionnaire Data Sets……………………..102
vi
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ASA
Agency for Social Analysis
BSBCP
Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Program
CITES
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species
CORINE
The name of an EU initiative to locate and categorize all site and
biological communities of pan-European importance for conservation.
CBNP
Central Balkan National Park
EU
European Union
GEF
Global Environmental Facility – in Bulgaria this acronym is synonymous
with the USAID/GEF Biodiversity Project
ISSP
International Social Survey Program
IUCN
World Conservation Union (formerly International Union for the
Conservation of Nature)
MP
Management Plan
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NAAEE
North American Association for Environmental Education
NGO
Non-Governmental Organization
NPD
National Park Department
PAA
Protected Areas Act
RAMSAR
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as
Waterfowl Habitat
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UN
United Nations
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
vii
ABSTRACT
Bulgaria’s environment is home to a large number of flora and fauna species. It is
made up of a wide range of regionally and internationally important ecosystems. The
biological diversity found in Bulgaria is larger than in most parts of Europe. With the
current transitional state of Bulgaria’s government and economy, environmental
protection is in the forefront of much international conservation work. The Bulgarian
society’s attitude towards their protected areas is of great concern.
As Bulgarian society moves further from communist ideology, it is imperative
that steps be taken to raise awareness towards the importance of the local environment for
both health reasons as well as economic reasons. There is great potential in Bulgaria for
economic growth through ecotourism and cultural tourism. For this growth to occur in a
sustainable manner, the public must first realize and embrace the importance of their
natural treasures.
Work has begun in recent years towards this new understanding. Programs and
initiatives are underway working to build a new environmental consciousness. An
essential target group are the children of Bulgaria. It is necessary that various methods of
reaching and educating the children towards environmental awareness be explored. This
study represents one such effort, the implementation of a Traveling Nature Display by the
Central Balkan National Park Department in local schools.
The primary intent of the study was to determine the display’s overall
effectiveness for environmental education. A pre-test was given to students to establish a
baseline understanding of the presented subject matter. Following implementation of the
display the students took a post-test to see what they learned from the presentation. A
viii
secondary goal of the study was to determine if the effectiveness of the display was
dependent on the presenter. To determine this, a Park representative presented the
display to half of the participating classes. A teacher presented the display to the
remaining classes. The pre-tests and post-tests were then analyzed using the Chi Square
test of independence. The results showed the display was effective for relaying new
information and concepts and reinforcing previously known subject matter.
By establishing effective environmental education techniques, efforts can focus
on their proliferation, rather than wasting resources on ineffective methods. For there to
be a future for nature conservation and protection in Bulgaria, environmental
understanding must spread to all. Bulgaria will be able to benefit from tourist dollars and
a healthy sustained environment.
ix
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Bulgaria is a land rich in biological diversity. During the communist regime the
environment was largely neglected. Today, Bulgaria is in a state of transition, working
towards an effective democratic government. Reforms have occurred in all levels of
government. Bulgaria aspires to become part of the European Union as well as NATO in
the near future. For acceptance into both of these multinational organizations certain
guidelines must be met. Support from the West is often dependent on the government’s
progress with critical issues such as human rights, judicial reform, the military and the
environment. Primarily, direct support from the United States is facilitated through the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
There has been a concerted effort both nationally and internationally to reform
Bulgaria’s environmental protection of its natural heritage. In recent years the Ministry
of Environment and Waters, several international agencies and organizations, as well as
local non-government organizations (NGO) have made great strides towards this goal.
The Bulgarian government has implemented critical laws regarding governance of the
national park system. A higher level of protection has resulted with many new initiatives
designed to support newly established goals. One area that requires attention before any
permanent progress can be made is to change the attitudes of Bulgarians towards their
environment.
Many resources are currently being directed towards environmental education
both on a national level and within local school systems. For there to be sustainability, a
primary goal of development agencies, proper ground work must be laid. It is imperative
1
that the children growing up during this period of social and economic transition
understand the importance and the future of the Bulgarian environment and feel a
connection to and respect for their local environment.
My primary work in Bulgaria as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer focused
on the environment. I was assigned to the Central Balkan National Park Department
(NPD) as an environmental specialist. During my two years of service, the majority of
projects with which I worked pertained to various aspects of environmental education.
The NPD has worked diligently throughout the region of the park to create materials and
programs in an effort to promote environmental education in the schools. Some of these
projects have been completely from within the office, though to date most have been
accomplished with assistance from the USAID sponsored Global Environmental Facility
(GEF) project and through their work with Peace Corps Volunteers.
The focus of my research pertains to one project created as a broad outreach
program. The Traveling Nature Display project was developed to give the DNP the
ability to distribute information about various environmental topics. It was designed to
reach the population surrounding the park in an effort to inform and educate them about
desired environmental topics. The data collected from this project examines the
effectiveness of the display in educating students about the Park’s flora and related
topics.
Chapter 2 presents the study area along with necessary background information
for an understanding of the context of the project. Topics included are topography,
demographics, history, environmental issue, and protected areas. Central Balkan
National Park is presented in Chapter 3 as this project was designed in an effort to reach
2
the populous surrounding the Park. Topics covered include, park statistics, biological
information, administrative matters, as well as public awareness and perceptions of the
Park.
The subject of environmental education is addressed in Chapter 4. Preliminary
content pertaining to the theory behind environmental education is addressed as well as
current initiatives in Bulgaria. The chapter closes with programs and initiatives
implemented by the Central Balkan National Park Office. Chapter 5 involves the
methods used in this project. It opens with a narrative explaining the development of the
Traveling Nature Display project. The implementation of the display in the local schools
is addressed followed by descriptions of flora species used as bridges to various issues.
To determine the effectiveness of the display a questionnaire was developed to test the
students’ understanding of the subject matter, before and after its implementation. The
chapter concludes with information pertaining to the continued use of the nature display.
The effectiveness of the display is presented in Chapter 6, analysis and discussion. The
data derived from these questionnaires was analyzed using the Chi Square test of
independence. This is followed by a section of recommendations for future work.
Chapter 7 contains conclusions regarding both the project as well as current issues
in Bulgaria. This chapter is followed by a series of appendices including a park map,
pamphlets that accompanied the display, the display questionnaire, and data sets.
3
CHAPTER 2
STUDY AREA
No development projects or efforts conducted by external organizations, agencies,
or individuals will succeed unless proper background research is conducted. Foremost,
any project implemented must have the support of the local people for sustainability to
exist. All aspects of the country where the project is to be implemented must be
thoroughly understood. As part of Peace Corps training, the first three months of a
volunteer’s service consist of learning about the country as well as its local language.
This chapter provides necessary background information pertaining to Bulgaria as
a whole. Subject matter includes background information, culture, history,
environmental issues, attitudes, and protection.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe (figure 1).
The country’s borders are located between 41°14′ and 44°13′ N and 22°21′ and 28°36′ E,
with its geographic center being 43°00′, 25°00′ (Bennett, 1992, CIA, 2000). Modern day
Bulgaria’s border totals 1,808 km. It shares borders with Romania (608 km) to the north,
the Black Sea (354 km) to the east, Turkey (240 km) and Greece (494 km) to the south,
Macedonia (148 km) and the Serbian Province of the Yugoslavia Republic (318 km) to
the west (CIA, 2000).
The area of the Republic of Bulgaria totals 110,910 km2, comprising 110,500 km2
of land and 360 km2 of water (CIA, 2000). In comparative terms Bulgaria is slightly
larger then Tennessee and smaller then Ohio.
4
Figure 1. Geographic location of Bulgaria. Source: Heritage Films, 2000
TOPOGRAPHY
Bulgaria can roughly be divided into five distinct topographic regions (figure 2).
The Danubian plain forms the northern section of the country. The Stara Planina
Mountain Chain (the Bulgarian portion of the Balkan Mountains) extends from the
western border to the Black Sea coast. South of the Stara Planina are the central plains.
The southwestern portion of the county consists of the Rila and Pirin Mountains that in
geological terms are quite young. The Rhodope Mountain chain is much older and lies to
the east of the Pirins along the southern border with Greece. The Black Sea forms the
eastern border and region of the country. Other more ancient mountain chains within
Bulgaria include the Sredna Gora (running parallel to and in close proximity to the Stara
Planina) and the Strandzha Mountains located in the extreme southeast of the country.
5
Figure 2. Topographic orientation of Bulgaria. Source: Meine, 1998
Lowlands (0-200m) cover 31% of the country's total surface area, hills (200600m) 41%, highlands (600-1600m) 25% and mountains (over 1600m) 3% (Biodiversity
Support Project, 1994). The average elevation of Bulgaria is 470 m (Bulgarian Guide,
2000). There are seven mountains in Bulgaria that rise over 2000 m above sea level; the
highest Moussala, at 2,925 m is located in Rila National Park.
The diversity in topography across Bulgaria has bestowed upon the country a
great wealth of unique and picturesque vistas and locales.
CLIMATE
The climate in Bulgaria is described on the CIA web site as “temperate; cold,
damp winters; hot dry summers.” Due to the country’s geographic location and
6
numerous mountain ranges, regional climates across Bulgaria are quite variable. In the
southern portions, for example, it is much hotter and drier because of the influence from
the Mediterranean Sea. The influence from the Black Sea is limited to a narrow strip
along eastern Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria, 2000).
The numerous mountain ranges that exist in Bulgaria also have a dramatic effect
on their surrounding areas. The Balkan Mountains have the greatest influence on the
country’s climate as they act as the boundary between the Mediterranean climate and the
southern part of the temperate climatic zone of Europe. In mountainous areas above
1000m, a mountainous climatic zone occurs with relatively low temperatures and a
higher then normal annual precipitation. Snow retention lasts much longer in these
regions as well, often year round at the highest elevations. (Bulgarian Guide, 2000)
NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAND USE
The CIA lists the following as Bulgaria’s natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead,
zinc, coal, timber, and arable land. The Columbia Gazetteer of the World (1998), also
lists iron ore, natural gas, and properly identifies Bulgaria’s coal as lignite. One may say
they both overlooked herbs, as there exists a great diversity of species, which currently
supports a thriving, yet unsustainable export industry. Large amounts of marble are also
extracted from the Pirin Mountains.
Bulgaria is also rich in mineral water. There are more then 600 naturally
occurring springs and 370 drilled mineral sources. The temperatures of springs vary
greatly from 8°C to 101.4°C (Bulgarian Guide, 2000). I once visited Sapareva Banya,
the location of the hottest spring. My group was informed with complete sincerity during
7
our tour of the town, “We are sorry we can not show you the geyser today; the man with
the key is on holiday”. There is a wealth of thermal springs throughout the country that
someday may be potential sources for clean energy production. Currently, many areas
with thermal springs support antiquated communist era resorts and health spas utilizing
the natural mineral baths. In many areas, ruins from ancient Roman baths are common.
While land use itself has not changed much in recent history the structure of the
land tenure has. According to CIA figures from 1993, land use in Bulgaria is divided as:
•
Arable land: 37%
•
Permanent crops: 2%
•
Permanent pastures: 16%
•
Forests and woodland: 35%
•
Other: 10%
The structural change in Bulgaria’s land tenure was the result of the communist
rule in the country from 1946 to 1989. It was during those years that personal farms were
transformed into collectives and villages became responsible for large farming units
rather than personal plots.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture has always been a large part of the Bulgarian society. Prior to World
War II, Bulgaria was considered an agriculture-based society. The communist regime
transformed the method of farming shortly after taking control. They began collective
agriculture in 1946 (Creed, 1998). By 1959, the government had reorganized 98% of the
country’s farmland into collective farms or “cooperatives” (Creed, 1998, Sowards, 2000).
8
The village populations were in some cases moved into larger towns built solely for the
purpose of new industry. This caused a large shift in the rural workforce (Creed, 1998).
By the 1970’s, it became necessary to reorganize the country's 800 collective farms into
161 "agro-industrial complexes". Each complex comprised approximately 60,000 acres
and 6,500 workers (Sowards, 2000).
Collective farms were productive in terms of grain but fell short with more laborintensive crops such as vegetables. For this reason, peasants were permitted to lease land
for the cultivation of these crops. With 10% of the available land, these peasant farmers
“produced 30% of the country’s milk, 40% of its vegetables, fruits, and meat, and 50% of
its potatoes and eggs” (Sowards, 2000).
Since the change in government much of the arable land has been returned to the
original owners. Currently, agriculture accounts for 15% of Bulgaria’s GNP, providing
employment for 20% of its workforce (The Columbia Gazetter of the World, 1998). On a
national level, Bulgaria’s main grain crops include wheat and barley. Other important
food crops include corn, sunflowers, and grapes. Bulgaria boasts vast vineyards that
produce superior wines. It is also home to the Valley of the Roses. Fragrant roses are
grown for the production of rose oil, a major export item. There is also a wide range of
fruit orchards throughout the country; some remain maintained while others have been
left untended. The country is the fourth largest exporter of tobacco in the world (U.S.
Department of State, 2000).
Bulgarians raise sheep, goat, swine, cattle and poultry. Milk from the goat and
cattle are used in the production of Cirene and Kashkaval, the countries two types of
cheese. They also use the milk to produce an extraordinary yogurt. A bacterium used in
9
yogurt production, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (LB) was originally found
in Bulgaria. Many consider Bulgaria the birthplace of yogurt.
Most families maintain at least small gardens of their own to supplement low
household incomes. From the smallest village to the largest town, there are markets
where many types of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and livestock are sold. With the
exception of eggs most fresh produce items are not found in stores.
Most families will have a few fruit trees. They will use a portion of the harvest to
distill their own Ракия1 (Rakia, a brandy type alcohol) which is “the national drink” of
Bulgaria. They believe strongly in its medicinal properties to cure any and all ailments.
Ракия is held in such high regards that a friend with stomach ulcers agreed that his ulcers
may be from drinking wine or beer, but no way could they be from Ракия! It is best
described as a strong Brandy and there is no inappropriate time or place to drink Ракия,
from the office to hiking in the mountains. Be warned, however, you must only drink it
with salad or other hors d’oeuvres lest you may be considered an alcoholic!
INDUSTRY
The birth of industry in Bulgaria truly begins with the reforms made during the
beginning of the communist regime. In 1939 only 25% of the GNP came from the
industrial sector; by 1959 it accounted for 68% (Creed, 1989, Worldmark Encyclopedia
of the Nations, 1960). Between 1948-58 the industrial labor force more than doubled in
size, with most of its growth centered in heavy industry (Sowards, 2000).
1
The Latin alphabet version and English translation follow the Cyrillic Bulgarian words in parenthesis.
10
Most of Bulgaria’s industrial infrastructure today is in desperate need of
modernization. Privatization of the industrial base is a priority of the government, though
political corruption has impeded progress. Huge amounts of capital investment are
required both for modernization of factories and to pay off enormous industrial debt. The
privatization of this sector is proceeding more slowly than expected. International
companies have purchased many Bulgarian companies. Some have been purchased for
the sole purpose of shutting them down to help remove oversupply in some sectors by
foreign investors. Other international companies have constructed large facilities;
American Standard’s largest European factory is located in Sevlievo.
Today Bulgaria’s industries of economic importance include textile, metallurgy,
chemical, pharmaceutical, machinery, electronics, building materials, and food
processing. (The Columbia Gazetter of the World, 1998, Nachev V., 1999, U.S.
Department of State, 2000)
Persons strong in computer technologies are a growing segment of the population
and stand to be a strong factor in the country’s future. In recent years, Microsoft has
even proposed the creation of several technological parks in Bulgaria. Bulgarians are
well known for their “hacking” abilities; many of the world’s computer viruses have
originated in Bulgaria.
A problem facing the future of Bulgarian industry, technology, and, indeed,
society itself is the “brain drain” phenomenon, a problem in many Eastern European
countries. Individuals with the skills that Bulgaria needs to achieve progress are leaving
in search of better lives abroad.
11
DEMOGRAPHICS
In 1999 the population of Bulgaria was 8,194,772. Currently, Bulgaria is
experiencing a negative population growth of –0.52%. In 1997, the year I began my
service, only Ukraine surpassed Bulgaria in population decline. This is due in part to
Bulgarian’s low income. With rising costs and poor salaries, it is difficult for families to
support more then one child. Currently the birth rate is 8.71/1,000 while the death rate is
13.2/1,000. The emigration rate in Bulgaria, referred to earlier as the “brain drain” stands
at 0.66/1000. (Statistics that are stated in the demographics section are estimates derived
from the CIA web site.)
Table 1 shows the age structure of Bulgaria. The life expectancy at birth for
Bulgarians is 72.27 years overall, 68.72 for males and 76.03 for females.
Table 1. Age Structure of Bulgaria. Source: CIA, 2000.
Age Class
% of Population
Number of Males
Number of Females
0-14
16%
674,643
641,943
15-64
68%
2,744,634
2,800,816
65 and up
16%
570,766
761,970
The majority of Bulgarians (67%) reside in urban areas where greater
employment opportunities exist. The result of communist urbanization is apparent; only
33.5% of the population lived in urban areas prior to 1956 (Worldmark Encyclopedia of
the Nations, 1960, Creed, 1998, Embassy of Bulgaria, 2000). A disproportionate number
of elderly people live in the small villages today, causing concern for the future of these
villages as the young continue to leave to find employment elsewhere (Creed, 1998).
12
There are three main ethnic groups in Bulgaria. The majority of the population,
86% are ethnic Bulgarians; Turkish comprise 9% of the population (mainly located in
towns in southern Bulgaria), and 4% are Roma (Embassy of Bulgaria, 2000). I view
these figures as highly skewed and inaccurate. The country has not conducted a
comprehensive census in years. Previous censuses have largely excluded the Roma
population, as many are not considered residents.
The Roma “Gypsy” population is the fastest growing ethnic group in Bulgaria as
well as the poorest and least educated. There are strong prejudices against the Roma
population and they have very few rights as a people in Bulgaria. They are viewed as the
thieves of society and employment is limited. Those employed are often street cleaners
or seasonal workers such as herb harvesters for export companies that exploit this group
for as little as a few loaves of bread for a day’s labor. With so many problems, they also
have the most children. Often their children are sent to special schools for the disabled
simply because they are Roma. International and national humanitarian organizations are
active in Bulgaria in an effort to help this forgotten portion of the population. Bulgarians
do not hide their hatred for the Roma people and many will tell you they are concerned
about how quickly this population is growing.
The main religions of Bulgaria are the Bulgarian (Eastern) Orthodox (85 %), and
Muslim (13%). During communism, religious expression was severely suppressed so
while many may claim to be active in a church, it is in name alone. In recent years
though there are increasing numbers of individuals returning to the church.
13
EDUCATION
Literacy is extremely high in Bulgaria, estimated at 98%. The national language
is Bulgarian, a Slavic tongue that uses the Cyrillic alphabet. The alphabet was developed
by two monk brothers from the region, Cyril and Methodius in 863 AD. Its roots are
found in both the Latin and Greek alphabets. This alphabet is used, with slight variations,
in Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, and the former Soviet republics.
Education in public schools is free and mandatory for children from age seven to
sixteen. When the children complete the seventh grade they must choose their future
path. If they plan on attending university, they continue on to special language schools or
mathematics/science schools. It is mandatory that students pass placement exams for
admittance to these schools. Competition is fierce; cheating and bribery are common.
Those who do not desire a university education attend trade schools. At the university
level students who place in the top percentile on a national entrance exam receive a free
education. There are many universities throughout Bulgaria.
BULGARIAN HISTORY
The region currently occupied by Bulgaria has for millennia been home to a
number of civilizations and empires both vast and small. Bulgarians are a proud and
strong people. They will, without hesitation, enlighten any foreigner with their long
history of oppression and domination.
Archaeological records date human activity in the region as far back as 4600 BC.
Even today people continue to search for the vast wealth of Thracian gold buried
14
throughout Bulgaria’s heartland between the 11th and 1st centuries BC. In September of
2000, a large and previously unknown Thracian temple was discovered.
During the 1st century the Romans conquered the region. Old fortress walls,
roads, aqueducts, and even amphitheaters are common throughout the country. In the 5th
century the area came under the control of the Byzantine Empire. In 681 AD, the
Byzantine Empire recognized the first Bulgarian state formed by a union between the
Slavs and the proto-Bulgars. The country continued to thrive for the next four centuries.
Borders were expanded, reaching from the Black Sea to the Aegean and the Adriatic seas.
Christianity was made the official religion, the Slavonic alphabet was adopted, and
centers of culture and education were established. This was to be the Golden Age of the
Bulgarian culture (Republic of Bulgaria, 2000, U.S. Department of State, 2000).
The Byzantine Empire took control again in 1018. Bulgarians fought this new
rule from the first year and never stopped. Finally in 1186 the Byzantine Empire was
overthrown and the second Bulgarian kingdom began. It too thrived regaining all its past
might and building new centers of arts and culture (Republic of Bulgaria, 2000, U.S.
Department of State, 2000).
Again in 1396 the Bulgarian State was conquered. For the next 500 years
Bulgaria would exist under the often-brutal rule of the Ottoman Empire. Bulgarians still
discuss the fabled atrocities endured during this time. Their inability to forgive and
forget has led to strong prejudice against Turks to this day.
It was with the aid of Russia in 1878 that Bulgaria won its independence again,
but not its previous territory. Over the next few decades Bulgaria battled with and
against its neighbors over these territories in what is known as the Balkan wars.
15
Bulgaria sided with the Central Powers in World War I; this resulted in a national
catastrophe. As a result of their involvement, the 1919 Peace Treaty of Neuilly imposed
harsh constraints on Bulgaria including the loss of territories (Republic of Bulgaria,
2000). Afterward the country experienced years of economic and political instability
(Embassy of Bulgaria, 2000).
Although never fully committed during World War II, Bulgaria again allied itself
with Germany. Reacting to popular public pressure, Czar Boris III defied the Axis orders
and protected 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from deportation (Republic of Bulgaria, 2000,
Embassy of Bulgaria, 2000).
On September 5th, 1944, the Soviet Army entered Bulgaria. In 1946 Bulgaria
became a Republic, private property was nationalized, and for the remainder of the
communist rule Bulgaria remained one of the USSR’s strongest satellite countries.
MODERN DAY BULGARIA
With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Bulgaria moved toward democracy. November
10th, 1989 marks the beginning of democratic changes and in 1991 a new constitution
was adopted. Since then Bulgaria has moved forward to reinstate private land and
property, to privatize industry, to repair and rebuild their government, economy, and
infrastructure as well as to foster positive changes throughout the region. Today,
Bulgaria is viewed as one of the most stable countries in the Balkans and a leader in
democratic reforms.
While they are viewed as one of the stabilizing elements of the Balkans, all is not
perfect. Unemployment continues to plague the country. Cost of living continues to rise
16
and many municipalities struggle to pay their employees and keep their streets lit. Since
my departure from Gabrovo in the fall of 1999, teachers have continued to work while
their paychecks are often weeks or months behind schedule. Streetlights remain dark at
night due to the town’s inability to pay the power bill.
Problems like these are common throughout Bulgaria. The main concern of the
average Bulgarian adult, rightly enough, revolves around providing for his family,
keeping food on the table and heat in the apartment during the cold winters. Personal
responsibility toward the environment and one’s impact upon it is not the average
person’s concern as there are more pressing and immediate issues to tend to. At the same
time, Bulgarians have been introduced to the western way of disposable goods and
prepackaged foods. Recycling, once part of the communist society, is no longer practiced
and the results are painfully evident. Litter abounds on town streets and along transport
corridors. Streams are filled with discarded tires and plastic refuse. Many smaller
communities do not have landfills nor are they included in any municipal garbage pick up
scheme. This leaves few options for disposal, often a vacant hillside or even a stream
flowing through town becomes the dumpsite. In 1998 after unusually strong rain and
rapid snow melt from the surrounding peaks, waters flowed through the village of
Ribaritsa flooding much of the town. As the same waters cleansed the town of the refuse
that had been discarded along the rivers banks, many locals were quoted afterwards by a
Peace Corps Volunteer that their “town had never looked so clean”.
With that said it might seem surprising that most Bulgarian families depend on
the local environment for much of their food. Yet, if you consider the average
environmentally conscientious person, their awareness is based on their education of such
17
subjects. This education is lacking for many Bulgarians due in part to the past
communist regime.
Throughout Bulgaria’s history, her people have relied on the land. Today, many
farm to supplement their income. Average Bulgarian families own small plots of land
called a село (cello, village) where they maintain a гардиня (gardinya, garden). Some
sell their produce in local markets called пазар (pazar, market). Often they raise animals
such as goats, sheep, swine, chicken and sometimes cattle. These гардиня range in size
from a quarter of an acre to several acres. Some include small homes where the
grandparents may live and maintain the гардиня during the warm months. The smaller
селo may have a small shack for storing supplies. All come equipped with a mean guard
dog. The average family селo is often within walking distance of town and no more then
a short trip by bus or train.
Through these efforts the Bulgarians produce an enormous amount of fresh
produce: tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, maize, garlic, pumpkin, and various other
vegetables and herbs. Fruit trees and ornamental flowers are also common place in the
гардиня. Canning for the winter months is a part of life, if not a ritual in Bulgaria
bringing together extended families to help during this busy time. Goats are kept mainly
for their milk from which Bulgarians produce a feta like cheese called сирене (cirene) or
for yogurt production. The other type of cheese, кашкавал (kaskaval), is made from
cow’s milk. Those are the only native cheeses in Bulgaria and most readily available. It
is just in the last few years that imported cheeses have become available. Chickens are
kept mainly for egg production and swine end up as fillets and various forms of sausage.
18
The blessings of a free world have been glimpsed and many have even tasted the
fruits of democracy, yet the negative aspects remain just under the surface. The adults
are too preoccupied with the ensuing rat race that is continuing to spread through the new
society. While much is improving for their everyday needs, the local environment is
worsening. It is for this reason that many Peace Corps Volunteers and various
organizations throughout Bulgaria have looked to the youth as the future answer to this
modern epidemic. Through the youth, we have begun spreading the word of protecting
our home, the Earth. The advent of environmental education in Bulgaria is more recent
than democracy. Much groundwork has been laid and momentum is building. As is
often the case, it is the hope that the children will return home with their increased
environmental knowledge and conscience and spread the message to the parents.
At the very least one hopes that the youth of Bulgaria today will mature into
adults who understand the impact that we as individuals and as a society have on our
world and will work to improve the situation. For now, train windows will continue their
double duty of fresh air portals and trash disposals.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
With regard to natural disasters, Bulgaria is relatively safe. Earthquakes and
landslides represent the largest threats. In the higher elevations of the mountains,
avalanches are common during winter months. As there are no settlements in these areas,
avalanches pose no danger to the average Bulgarian.
For Bulgaria as a whole one of the largest environmental issues today is pollution
from the many antiquated factories still in operation and the abandoned industrial
19
facilities left behind in unsafe conditions. Threats to human health and the country’s
biodiversity from the pollution of air, soil, groundwater, freshwater, and coastal waters
has, as in most countries, intensified in recent decades. “Virtually all forms of point and
non-point source pollution – household, agriculture, petroleum and petrochemical,
industrial, and nuclear – are present in the Bulgarian landscape and threaten biological
diversity to varying degrees” (National Report, 1998).
Many towns do not have sewage treatment facilities and those that do often do not
serve the entire town. Frequently raw sewage as well as industrial waste flow directly
into local streams and rivers. Deforestation is a problem as well (CIA, 2000).
Bulgaria has signed most of the international environmental agreements. Table 2
is a list of international agreements signed before or during 1995 by Bulgaria, Russia,
United States, and the United Kingdom.
20
Table 2. International environmental conventions and agreements signed by Bulgaria and
other nations. Adapted from CIA, 2000.
Selected Countries: Participation in Major International Environmental Agreementsa
Climate
Nuclear
Antarctic
Basel
Biodiversity
London Montreal
e
CITES
Change
Test Whalingj
g
h
Treatyb Conventionc Conventiond
Convention
Protocol
Conventionf
Bani
Bulgaria X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Russia
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
U.S.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
U.K.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Explanation of Table 2 contents:
a. Countries that have signed and ratified the agreement as of year end 1995.
b. To ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes.
c. To reduce transboundary movement of wastes to a minimum consistent with
environmentally sound and efficient disposal practices.
d. The Biodiversity Convention binds parties to take action to preserve global species
diversity.
e. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora protects endangered species by import and export permits.
f. The Climate Change Convention encourages all parties to stabilize greenhouse gas
emissions.
g. The London Convention regulates at-sea dumping of hazardous wastes.
h. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer phases out
consumption and trade of ozone-depleting substances.
i. To put an end to the armaments race and eliminate incentives for the production and
testing of all types of weapons, including nuclear weapons.
j. To protect all species of whales from exploitation
BULGARIAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT
Domestic and foreign experts are unanimous in their assessment of the unique
and pristine condition of Bulgaria’s nature (Vulchev, 1997). This section opens with a
poem from the current Minister of Environment and Water of the Republic of Bulgaria,
Evdokia Maneva. From there, findings from two independent public surveys, conducted
under the auspice of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) implemented in
Bulgaria by the Agency for Social Analysis (ASA) in 1994 and the other by the GEF
21
Project in April of 1997, are presented. The sample size used in these surveys are 1183
and 1180, respectively; essentially each respondent in the surveys represents 5000
Bulgarian citizens. The purpose of this section is to reinforce the necessity of
environmental educational and awareness programs throughout the country.
The Green Gold of Bulgaria
There are countries with deposits of gold and this is wealth. There
are other countries that do not have gold but have oil – black gold
– and this is wealth.
Bulgaria possesses neither gold nor oil in significant quantities,
but it possesses a unique and preserved nature, and this also is
wealth – green gold. And while gold and oil deposits will sooner
or later become exhausted or will lose their significance,
Bulgaria’s green gold is virtually inexhaustible.
It is the common responsibility of us all to preserve our green gold
and thus make it one of the sources of wealth and prosperity for
the country.
Evokia Maneva
Minister of Environment and Waters of the Republic of Bulgaria
The Minister’s view is shared by many including myself. There is great potential
for economic growth in Bulgaria from tourism, particularly “Eco” and “Cultural”
tourism. For these avenues of prosperity to be realized though, there are vast changes
necessary in both infrastructure and attitude. The years of communist rule has left
Bulgaria extremely deficient in the service sectors as well as the underlying premise of
customer service. When these avenues are overcome, Bulgaria can and will prosper in
the new era of international adventure travel, for it offers so much for those willing to
explore.
22
The ISSP conducts uniform surveys in countries throughout the world allowing
for comparison of country views on an international level. In 1994 the survey entitled
Environmental Culture and Environmental Behavior was conducted in twenty-two
countries. The figures reproduced here contain information from eight countries. Their
names and abbreviation are as follows: Bulgaria (BG), Czech Republic (SR), “East
Germany” (D-E), Italy (I), the Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Russia (RUS), “West
Germany” (D-W). The information presented here was derived from the publication
Bulgarians on Environmental Problems, printed for the Third Ministerial Conference
“Environment for Europe”, Sofia, 23 –25 October 1995. The data was originally
published in the Environment publication, Machine Readable Codebook, ZA Study 2450.
(Dimova, 1995).
The GEF “Bulgarian Nature Protection” survey was conducted to support the
implementation of the Information, Education and Communication Strategy of the GEF
Bulgarian Biodiversity Conservation Project by providing “up-to-date and reliable
information” (Vulchev, 1997).
The figures included from the ISSP/ASA survey are represented in percentages;
information collected was on a five-point scale (Strongly agree – Strongly disagree).
Figure 3 infers that in 1995 Bulgarians felt they could do little personally to help the
environment. With that in mind, Figure 4 overwhelmingly represents the public opinion
that the government should impose laws to make ordinary people protect the
environment. Figure 3 and Figure 4 can be interpreted in several ways; together they
create the impression of the common person’s inability to act for the betterment of the
environment, be it from lack of understanding, motivation, or interest.
23
80
percentage of respondents
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
BG
PL
CR
RUS
D-E
D-W
I
NL
Figure 3 "It is just too difficult for someone like me to do much about the environment"
(Dimova, 1995).
percentage of respondents
95
90
85
80
75
70
BG
PL
CR
RUS
Ordinary People
D-E
D-W
I
NL
Business Circles
Figure 4. "Government should pass laws to make ordinary people and business protect
the environment" (Dimova, 1995).
The belief that modern science, as shown in Figure 5, will solve our
environmental problems with little effect to our way of life, gives room for concern. As
Bulgarians work towards the “better life”, constantly moving closer to the western way of
disposable everything, conditions will only worsen. Every year, consumption of
disposable goods increases while the country’s ability to deal with solid waste has
24
remained virtually stagnant. Public programs emphasizing personal impact on the
environment and ways to limit that impact are crucial in this time of transition.
60
percentage of respondents
50
40
30
20
10
0
BG
PL
CR
RUS
D-E
D-W
I
NL
Figure 5. "Modern science will solve our environmental problems with little change to
our way of life" (Dimova, 1995).
Figure 6 comes from the GEF Project findings. It shows that only five percent of
Bulgarians over the age of sixteen are interested in the condition and protection of their
natural environment and will search for information pertaining to these issues (Vuchev,
1997). Sixty-six percent of the respondents are willing to accept facts and opinions on
the condition and protection of nature but will not make a concerted effort to search for
such information (Vuchev, 1997). The remaining twenty-nine percent are uninterested
in such issues.
25
Lack of
Interest
29%
Purposeful
Interest
5%
Background
Interest
66%
Figure 6. Structure by availability of interest in the condition and protection of nature
and character of interest (Vuchev, 1997).
When the respondents were asked to rank the national priorities now and in ten
years, it became apparent that the public’s current perception of the national priorities is
the result of lacking information about the actual condition and value of Bulgaria’s
environment. This is confirmed when the ten year ranking is considered, both economic
growth with sustainable use of resources and conservation of the environment are held in
much higher regard (Vuchev, 1997).
Table 3. Public’s ranking of national priorities (Vuchev, 1997).
Current Ranking
1
2
3
4
Task
Increasing of the living standard
Establishing good public order
Guaranteeing high social security
Achieving lasting economic growth
with sustainable use of resources
In ten Years
1
4
5
2
5
6
7
Conservation of the environment
Development of culture and science
Integration in the European Union
3
6
7
26
The public does understand the importance of nature conservation to some degree.
Whether they are willing to take an active role for its conservation remains to be seen.
Figure 7 shows the public’s view on the necessity of protected areas.
unnecessary
2%
completely
unnecessary
1%
hesitant
14%
Absolutely
necessary
61%
necessary to
some extent
22%
Figure 7. Public perception of the importance of protected areas (Vulchev, 1997).
These results are encouraging, as they show a high interest in such areas. One
aspect that must be explained here is that the public’s understanding of protected areas
during the communist rule was that such areas were for the exclusive use of the ruling
party. The average Bulgarian was not permitted access to these areas. For public support
of protected areas to continue as well as increase, a concerted effort must be made to
inform the public of their right to enjoy these areas.
27
ENVIRONMENT
Bulgaria is located at the crossroads of three bio-climatic regions. The midEuropean continental, Eurasian steppe, and the Mediterranean overlap to create a range of
transitional climatic conditions (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994). Bulgaria is home
to a wide variety of plant and animal communities, supporting examples from most of the
European habitat types (National Report, 1998). The complex topography found
throughout Bulgaria has resulted in a number of unique as well as representative
communities and ecosystems. These include: “alpine, sub-alpine coniferous forests,
meadows, wetlands, peatbogs, and lakes; old growth coniferous and beech forests; oak
woodlands; caves and mountain gorges; Mediterranean and sub Mediterranean plant
communities; steppe grasslands; riparian shrub and forest vegetation along the Danube
and smaller rivers; important inland, riparian, and coastal wetlands; sand dunes, coastal
limestone communities, and other unique habitats along the Black Sea coast” (National
Report, 1998). The range in climate and relief found in Bulgaria has created ideal
conditions for the botanic diversity, perhaps the third richest in Europe (Biodiversity
Support Program, 1994).
Flora and fauna found today in Bulgaria are influenced by both the Mediterranean
and European climatic regions. The mountains of Bulgaria contain a substantial amount
of the country's biodiversity, placing them high in global importance. Due to unique
conditions found in some of the mountainous areas many endemic species, as well as
relics from the tertiary and glacial periods, can still be found. All these factors make
regions of Bulgaria a high priority for conservation.
28
FLORA
Bulgaria has between 3550 to 3750 vascular plant species as well as 52 species of
ferns. In addition, there are 4000 species of algae, 670 mosses, as well as 600 lichens
(Meine, 1998). A notable characteristic of Bulgarian flora is the significant occurrence of
endemic species. There are more than 200 Balkan and 270 Bulgarian vascular species and
subspecies representing about five percent and eight percent, respectively, of all known
Bulgarian floras. (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994, Meine, 1998). Endemic species
primarily occur in the mountains, the largest number, 90, occurring in the Central Balkan
range, about twenty of them are local (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994, Meine,
1998).
The Red Data Book of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, Volume One: Plants,
(1984), lists thirty-one species of higher plants that had become extinct in the previous
fifty years. Another 150 species are listed as threatened with extinction, while the Law
for the Protection of Nature protects an additional 330 species.
The climax vegetation in Bulgaria is Quercus (xerothermic, xeromesophylic and
mesophylic) up to 1000m, Fagus between 1000m and 1500m and coniferous woodland
up to 2200m, in which Pinus peuce, Pinus sylvestris and Abies alba are common.
Between 2,000m and 2,500m the vegetation is predominantly sub-alpine and from 2,500
to 2,925m it is alpine (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994).
29
Figure 1. Forest Ecosystems of Bulgaria. The legend for this map is located on page 31. Adapted from Aladzhem, 2000a.
30
31
FAUNA
The diversity of Bulgaria’s animal species ranks first in Europe (Aladzhem,
2000b). To date ninety-four mammal species, 405 bird species, thirty-six reptiles, sixteen
amphibians, 207 Black Sea and freshwater fishes, approximately 27,000 invertebrates
(including insects) have been identified (Aladzhem, 2000b). Bulgaria’s rich fauna is
believed to include up to 35,000 species, with 20,000 identified so far. The country falls
into the palaearctic zoographic region and many of the species are at the southern edge of
their natural distribution (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994). Bulgaria has a broad
representation of Central European, Euro-Siberian, East Mediterranean, Mediterranean
and Steppe species (Biodiversity Support Program, 1994). The preservation of
substantial tracts of habitat has enabled the survival of many species endangered or
extinct in neighboring European countries. Species such as brown bear (Ursus arctos, L),
wolf (Canis lupus, L), golden jackal (Canis aureus, L), European wildcat (Felis silvestris,
L), European otter (Lutra lutra, Brun), the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna
peregusna, Blasius) and the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica, Blainville)
are still found in the protected areas.
The National Report for the Biological Diversity Conservation in Bulgaria,
(1998), states that seven invertebrate, three fish, two snakes, three birds and two (possibly
three) mammals, and six indigenous animal breeds are extinct. The Law for the
Protection of Nature, a Bulgarian law designed to protect species diversity, lists fortyfour species of mammals, 327 bird species and 31 species of reptiles and amphibians
(Republic of Bulgaria Red Data Book, 1985).
32
BULGARIA’S PROTECTED AREAS
Bulgaria has developed a comprehensive system of designated protected areas.
While nature protection has existed in various forms for many years in Bulgaria, with the
passing of the 1998 Protected Area Act the classification system of these areas has been
standardized. Categorizations of these areas now comply with the system developed by
the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The objective for which an area is managed is
the main criteria for its classification. This unified international system for the
categorization aids in the development of legislation for protected areas and sets
parameters for their management (Aladzhem, 2000b).
The network of protected areas in Bulgaria cover approximately 4.3% of the
country. Figure 8 shows the dispersal and categorization of these areas throughout the
country. Bulgaria’s official goal is to protect 7.5% of the country’s area (National
Report, 1998).
33
Figure 1. Location of Bulgaria's protected areas. Source: Aladzhem, 2000a,b
The IUCN system is comprised of six main categories for protected areas. Their
definitions, described below are from the IUCN publication “Guidelines for Protected
Area Management Categories”, 1994:
Category I
Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness Areas
Ia. Strict Nature Reserve
These are areas of land and/or sea possessing some outstanding or
representative ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/or species,
available primarily for scientific research and/or environmental monitoring.
34
Ib. Wilderness Area
This is a large area of unmodified or slightly modified land and/or sea,
retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant
habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural
condition.
Category II
National Park
This is a natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (a) protect the ecological
integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (b)
exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of
the area and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational,
recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally
and culturally compatible.
Category III Natural Monument
This is an area containing one or more, specific natural or natural/cultural
features that are of outstanding or unique value because of their inherent rarity,
representative or aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area
This is an area of land and/or sea subject to active intervention for management
purposes to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the requirements
of specific species.
35
Category V Protected Landscape/Seascape
(Known as Nature Parks in Bulgaria)
This is an area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction
of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with
significant aesthetic, ecological and/or cultural value, and often with high
biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is
vital to the protection, maintenance and evolution of such an area.
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area
(No such areas exist in Bulgaria)
This is an area containing predominantly unmodified natural systems managed
to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of biological diversity, while
providing at the same time a sustainable flow of natural products and services
to meet community needs.
Bulgaria’s network of strict nature reserves (IUCN Category I) protects 80,000 ha.
Eighty-three percent of the total reserve area is located within twenty-nine reserves that
exceed 1,000 ha; sixty percent of that area is located within the boundaries of national or
nature parks (Aladzhem, 2000b).
Bulgaria’s protected areas include three National Parks (IUCN II), Rila (83,211.1
ha), Central Balkan (71,669.5 ha) and Pirin (40,066.7 ha), nine Nature Parks (IUCN V),
seventy reserves and more than 500 natural landmarks. Pirin National Park is listed as a
Cultural and National Site under the World Heritage Convention. More than fifty of the
protected areas, approximately 43,000 ha, in Bulgaria are included in the UN List of
National Parks and Protected Areas (Aladzhem, 2000b).
36
Bulgaria participates in numerous international conventions and programs.
Participation in these conventions and programs signifies the Bulgarian government’s
dedication towards the protection of the environment. Some of the programs listed are
mandatory of all EU or EU candidate countries. Participation in these programs also aids
in the acquisition of international funding for such conservation efforts. According to the
Biodiversity Support Program (1994), Aladzhem (2000), and the CIA (2000), the
international conventions and programs for which Bulgaria is a participant are:
•
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as
Waterfowl Habitat (RAMSAR); there are four such sites in Bulgaria.
•
The Convention on the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage
(World Heritage Convention); there are six such sites in Bulgaria.
•
UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program; there are seventeen such biosphere
reserves in Bulgaria.
•
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for Wild Flora
and Fauna (CITES).
•
The Convention on the Conservation of Europe’s Wild Flora and Fauna and
Wild Habitats (Bern Convention)
•
The Convention for the Preservation of Migrating Wild Animal Species (Bonn
Convention)
•
The Global Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation
•
CORINE Biotopes, an EU initiative whereby countries must locate and
categorize all sites and biological communities of pan-European importance for
conservation.
37
•
Natura 2000 and a parallel initiative for non-EU countries named Emerald is another
program for the conservation of European flora and fauna. Upon signing the program
will include about 4.3% of the country.
•
The Pan-European Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Strategy is another
international program with which Bulgaria is involved. The strategy is being
implemented over a twenty-year period of time, in five years stages.
Figure 1. Areas designated as CORINE Biotopes. The image is adapted from Aladzhem,
2000a and was created by Jeko Spridonov.
The map in Figure 9 shows the distribution of CORINE classified biotopes. The
map was produced after four years of study, with 141 locations having been identified in
38
Bulgaria thus far representing 12.6% of the country. Thirty-six of these sites are of the
highest European significance (Aladzhem, 2000b).
Figure 2. Biome and biotic diversity in Bulgaria. Adapted from Aladzhem, 2000a,
created by Jeko Spiridonov.
Bulgaria is a country rich with natural beauty. Currently the work of many
organizations and agencies is the protection of that beauty. Some work on a national
scale while others are focused regionally or locally. Even the best of intentions will
eventually fail unless proper methodology is implemented for the protection of these
areas. A key component to any successful conservation program is awareness of and
education of the average citizen regarding the purpose of nature protection. All the
39
money in the world cannot protect an area from those who do not care or understand its
significance and purpose. Only education and awareness can provide that protection.
This awareness and education must be implemented on both the national and local
levels. The focus of this study will now be narrowed to the regional level, as my work
was conducted with the Central Balkan National Park. The following chapter first
explains the physical aspects of the CBNP, then its administrative structure. Attention
will also be given to issues regarding the park’s establishment and future including the
local attitude towards the park.
40
CHAPTER 3
CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK
Central Balkan National Park protects the highland portion of the Bulgarian
Balkan Mountains as well as the largest expanse of remaining old growth European
beech forest. Within its territories are numerous protected habitats and species that no
longer exist in other regions of Europe. Its preservation is considered to be of
international conservation value for these and other reasons. A detailed map of the park
is found in Appendix 1.
In recent years great strides have been made to ensure this preservation. This
chapter will explore the park itself, its importance, and the administrative structure of the
park. Issues pertaining to the park such as public support and awareness will also be
discussed.
PARK STATISTICS
Central Balkan National Park (IUCN category II) was established in 1991.
Encompassing a total area of 71,669.5 ha, it protects the highest portions of the Stara
Planina Mountain. It is Bulgaria’s third largest park. CBNP includes forests and high
mountain meadows, nine strict nature reserves (IUCN category I), one protected locality
(IUCN category IV), and fifteen natural monuments (IUCN category III). Eight of the
Strict Nature Reserves are included on the UN list of National Parks and Protected Areas,
the reserves Boatin, Tsarichina, Steneto, and Dzhendema are designated as biosphere
reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program. CBNP is also included in the
41
BirdLife International List of Important Bird Areas and is defined as a CORINE site
(Iankov, 2000).
Table 4. CBNP Reserve Classifications. Sources: Iankov, 2000, Protected Areas Act,
1998.
Reserve
Area in ha UN list of National Parks
and Protected Areas
Boatin
Tsarichina
Dzhendema
Steneto
Peeshti Skali
Stara Reka
Sokolna
Northern Dzhendem
Kozya Stena
Total
1,597.20
3,418.70
4,220.20
3,578.80
1,465.70
1,974.70
1,250.00
1,610.00
904.3
20,019.60
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
UNESCO
Biosphere
Reserve
X
X
X
X
Year of
Declaration
1948
1949
1953
1979
1979
1979
1979
1983
1987
FORESTS
Forested areas within the park total 44,000.8 ha and the remaining 27,668.7 ha are
high mountain meadows and open areas. Mt. Botev is the highest peak in CBNP with an
elevation of 2,376m. In areas of elevation greater than 2,200m an extremely fragmented
alpine zone is evident (Iankov, 2000).
CBNP vegetation is divided in to six belts:
• Alpine belt (above 2,200 m)
• Sub-alpine open woodland belt of dwarf pine and juniper brush (1,500-2,200 m)
• Coniferous belt (no continuous belt within the park, ranges from 1,300-2000 m)
• Beech belt (700-1,600 m)
• Xeromesophyllic and mesophyllic oak and hornbeam forests (up to 800 m)
• Xerothermic oak forests (up to 640 m, southern slopes of the park only)
42
One of the major objectives and purposes for the designation of CBNP was the
preservation of the largest remaining tracks of old growth European beech, Fagus
sylvatica L, forests in the world, covering 31,535 ha or 44% of the total park area. Large
portions of the stands within the National Park are older than 150 years. The average age
of tree species within the Park is 123 years with a standing timber stock of 7,464,626 m3.
The majority of forest communities in the park are broad-leaf, high stem forests,
comprising 72.8% of the parks forested areas. Another 15.7% of the forested areas
consist of coniferous species (Iankov, 2000).
The forests of CBNP are blessed with great diversity. Many forest stands are
comprised of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) as
well as small populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), black pine (Pinus nigra
Arnold), and mugo pine (Pinus mugo Turra). The English yew (Taxus baccata L.) is also
found in the park. Stands of a Balkan endemic, Rumelian pine (Pinus peuce Griseb.) can
be found on some northern slopes. Balkan maple, Acer heldreichii Orph., another Balkan
endemic, is also found in the park.
FLORA
Between 1,800 – 1,900 vascular plant species and sub-species occur in the park.
Eighty-one plant species are included in Bulgaria’s Red Data Book as well as nine from
the European Red List, and ten from the IUCN list. The Law for the Protection of Nature
protects thirty species from disturbance by man. Within the park boundaries can be
found many endemic and relic species. There are ten local, ten Bulgarian, and sixtyseven Balkan endemic species found. The high number of threatened species in addition
43
to the high occurrence of endemic species signifies the park’s exceptional value for
conservation (Iankov, 2000, Aladzhem, 2000b).
FAUNA
Vertebrate
CBNP is home to 210 recorded species of vertebrates, of those, sixty are
mammals, 122 are birds (derived from nesting and mating records only), fourteen are
reptiles, eight are amphibians, and six are fish. A large number of these species, 52%, are
viewed as having a population small enough in size to make them of conservation
significance. When separated by type, there are twenty-nine mammals, seventy-two
birds, five reptiles, two amphibians, and one fish. When species are considered in terms
of individuals rather then populations, the total number of species regarded to be of
conservation significance increases to 67% of all park species (Iankov, 2000, Aladzhem,
2000b).
Mammals recorded in CBNP are divided into three types, bats, small mammals,
and large mammals. There have been eighteen bat species identified thus far with
another five to seven species likely. The small mammal species, numbering twenty-five
in all, appear to have stable populations. There are six recorded species of large
mammals including wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), European wild boar
(Sus scrofa L.), European red deer (Cervus elaphus L.), roe-deer (Capreolus capreolus
Gray), and the Balkan chamois (Rupicarpa rupicarpa balcanica).
44
Table 5. Scientific and common names of selected mammals along with estimated
populations as of 1999. Adapted from Table 4 of Iankov, 2000.
Scientific
Name
Canis lupus
Vulpes vulpes L.
Ursus arctos
Meles meles Brisson
Mustela putorius L.
Lutra lutra
Martes martes Pinel
Martes foina Pinel
Felis silvestris
Sus scrofa
Cervus elaphus
Capreolus capreolus
Rupicapra rupicapra
Common
Name
Wolf
Fox
Bear
Badger
European Polecat
Otter
Pine marten
Stone marten
Wildcat
Wild boar
Red deer
Roe deer
Balkan Chamois
Numbers
25 - 30
130 -170
55 - 60
unknown
unknown
10 - 12
60 -80
unknown
70
350 - 400
400
1,000 - 1200
< 80
As apparent in table 5, the populations of practically all listed large mammals and
selected small mammals are critically low. Poaching is the main threat for many of these
species. With the low populations of many mammal species in CBNP, their continuing
importance must be stressed even further as many of these species are extinct in much of their
original European habitat.
Invertebrate
There are 2,387 known invertebrate species found in CBNP. This represents only
a portion of the 6,500-7,000 species hypothesized to live in the region. Included in this
number are “261 rare species, 168 endemic species, 108 relict species, thirty-six species
included in the global and European lists of endangered species, IUCN (19), CORINE
(21) and ten species protected in Bulgaria” (Iankov, 2000).
45
CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK DEPARTMENT
Park managers and biologists alike desire CBNP to develop into a sustainable
well-managed park, serving both as an area of nature conservation and as a center for
national and international tourism. The park requires vast infrastructure improvements to
promote sustainable operations in these ways. Enormous amounts of money are required
to make these improvements as well as to maintain the current level of protection desired
by the scientific and conservation communities.
When the revised Protected Areas Act (PAA) of 1998 was passed, the Regional
Environmental Inspectorate for Central Balkan National Park office in Gabrovo became
the Directorate of Central Balkan National Park (NPD) operating for the first time
directly under the umbrella of the Ministry of Environment and Waters. As with Rila and
Pirin National Parks, this change eliminated the problems of dual ministries controlling
the same lands. Previously both the Ministry of Environment and Waters and the
Committee of Forestry operated offices managing the same lands with often opposing
views and objectives. More often than not, the two branches worked against each other
even if their end goals where the same. From the standpoint of the Peace Corps
Volunteers working in these departments, it was very frustrating. Several potential joint
projects developed by Peace Corps Volunteers never resulted into a tangible project
because of the inability of these offices to work together.
At the same time this change in control produced an enormous workload for the
new Directorates. In the case of CBNP, the park is linear in shape spanning
approximately 85 km along its axis and 10 km wide. This poses problems in the
46
management of the park, as travel along its axis, not including travel time into the
interior, requires four to five hours. To compensate for the linear shape, the
administrative structure of the park has regional offices near key points of entry. The
majority of the regional offices have been created in the last two years; some were
transferred from the Committee of Forestry after the PAA passed.
The head office in Gabrovo is now assisted with the help of seven regional offices
established in the towns/villages of Troyan, Tazha, Ribaritsa, Stokite, Karlovo, Kalofer,
and Klisura. Park rangers have been hired as well and base their operations from these
offices or sites within the park. The number of rangers is half as many as required by law
according to Section III Article 68 of the PAA, which states, “The protected territories,
exclusive state properties, are divided into guarded sectors of up to 1,500 ha”. Current
budget restrictions do not enable the DNP more then twenty rangers. At this time each
ranger is responsible for covering approximately 3,580 ha. This overload makes
protecting the park very difficult since most of the park is not accessible by vehicle.
The PAA also requires in section II article 55 the creation of independent
management plans for all protected areas. This was a long and tedious 3-year project that
has just recently been completed and is in the final stages of approval from the Council of
Ministers.
This project was on-going during my entire twenty-seven months of service in
Bulgaria. During my term of service, meetings were conducted by the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF) project to discuss and analyze the scientific data collected
by Bulgarian experts and Park personnel. The Wilderness Fund, a non-governmental
47
organization supported by the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Project, was
granted control for development of the highland portion of the Management Plan.
The NPD has many tasks ahead in order to properly educate the public and
provide the needed protection for the Parks’ biodiversity. A major priority of the NPD is
the renovation of several small chalets. These chalets will act as a base of operation for
several park rangers. From these chalets Park rangers will be more accessible to tourists,
will be able to provide interpretation services and will conduct their other duties such as
patrolling the park. One of the projects I took part in was acquiring funds for the
renovation of two such chalets.
To raise the public’s awareness towards the importance of the park other work is
necessary. There is a need for the creation of signage and nature trails in the park,
interpretive information and public programs. Environmental education programs for
both the public as a whole and the children in the schools are needed in the region
surrounding the park. Coordination of projects requires the assistance of regional offices
along with their local municipalities and schools.
MUNICIPAL LANDS INCORPORATED IN CBNP
The Park is located within the administrative territories of eight municipalities
(Teteven, Troyan, Apriltsi, Sevlievo, Anton, Pirdop, Karlovo and Pavel Banya). These
municipalities included numerous towns and villages with a total of thirty-three mayoral
offices. The municipalities surrounding the park provided forested and pastoral land
towards its creation. The distribution of these lands are found in Table 6, their ratios are
presented in Figure 12. In all cases the townspeople have suffered a loss, be it
48
agricultural land, pastoral land, forested land, gathering and hunting privileges, etc. This
loss has in many cases manifested itself into negative feelings towards the park. To fully
understand the importance of education and the people’s expectancy for returns, it is
necessary to realize exactly what was given up.
Table 6. Distribution of Municipal forested areas, high-mountain pastures and meadows
now contained within the boundary of CBNP. Adapted from Iankov, 2000.
Forested Land
6,263.5 ha
13,921.3 ha
1,209.8 ha
2,687.8 ha
2,790.8 ha
7,480.5 ha
9,545.0 ha
102.1 ha
High-mountain pastures and meadows
4,287.2 ha
11,780.8 ha
2,084.9 ha
504.6 ha
1946.8 ha
3,960.6 ha
3,103.8 ha
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
High-mountain
meadows and
pastures
Pa arlo
ve vo
lB
an
ya
on
K
nt
vo
A
ie
vl
si
Se
ilt
pr
A
oy
Tr
ve
te
Te
an
Forests
n
1,000 ha
Municipality
Pavel Banya
Karlovo
Anton
Sevlievo
Apriltsi
Troyan
Teteven
Pirdop
Figure 12. Distribution of forest areas and high-mountain meadows and pastures by
municipality. Adapted from Figure 5 of Iankov, 2000.
49
The loss of these lands is directly correlated to the loss of economic revenues and
livelihoods. Prior to the inception of the Park, much of the area was actively farmed,
used as pasture for livestock, or managed for timber production. In the current poor
economic situation of Bulgaria, it is difficult for the local people to support an economic
loss, especially when the purpose is not fully understood. The Bulgarian Parks system
desperately needs international visitors that will stimulate the local economies of those
municipalities that gave up their land for the Park creation. Individuals that lost their
right to use the park’s land for financial gain or for sustaining their families need to see
some benefits soon. Preservation for future generations is a difficult concept to accept
when conditions do not allow one to provide for the present. In reality, many of the local
people are unaware of the Park’s existence or completely misunderstand its purpose.
Both are points for concern, as this unawareness also represents possible “violation” of
Park rules and regulations, in essence the disturbance of potential fragile ecosystems.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT CBNP
For those individuals negatively affected by the parks’ creation to wait for the
economic benefit from tourism that may or may not ever be realized, is in a word
difficult. For those who are unaware of it all together or lack a complete understanding,
steps must be taken. Certain projects are planned or underway in many communities for
the parks promotion as well as to enable communities to better benefit from tourism
dollars, but the economic benefit from these activities will not be seen for some time. In
the mean time it is imperative for awareness programs and positive press to promote and
strengthen public support for the Park.
50
In 1998 the GEF Project conducted a survey throughout the region of the park to
determine the extent of public awareness concerning the park as well as the public’s
attitudes towards the park. The results emphasize the importance for education and
awareness programs. Since the implementation of this survey, much work has been
conducted by the DNP that has made some headway in regards to the preliminary results.
The survey results reveal the populations surrounding the park feel that their lives
and livelihood are inextricably linked to the mountains and forests (Iankov, 2000). The
survey also indicates that the regional populous is not completely aware of key issues
pertaining to protected areas such as institutional control, management, regimes, rules as
well as their conservation values on all levels be it regional, national or international
(Iankov, 2000).
Below are some of the statistics produced from the 1998 survey as printed in the
CBNP Management Plan, Final Draft (i.e. Iankov, 2000). The responses from informants
in the study showed:
•
40% were unable to explain the meaning or the purpose of protected areas.
•
75% had no understanding of the government institution responsible for managing
the Park.
•
81% did not know the National Park existed.
•
45% of those who did know of CBNP could not say where its boundaries were.
•
Only 17% had some idea of the Parks boundaries.
Even with such an alarmingly high lack of awareness, when those surveyed had a
chance to express their expectations and recommendations for the Park administration,
51
two thirds of the informants favored high levels of conservation and protection, while
50% even recommended restrictive activities (Iankov, 2000).
Over the last few years, the DNP has made a concerted effort to promote
awareness and understanding of the Park. They have been largely successful in their
mission. During November 2000, the DNP will be conducting the final set of public
hearings concerning the development of the Parks’ Management Plan. These public
hearings allow the office to assess the public’s needs and desires regarding the long-term
management goals of the Park.
There have been several public hearings throughout the creation of the CBNP
Management Plan in an effort to involve the local people. This is seen in part as a means
to foster a connection between local citizens and the Park. At the same time it has acted
as a platform for those opposed to the Park to lobby officials for the reinstatement of
public lands. Lobbying by timber interests at earlier such hearings led to government
decisions to reinstate some thousand plus hectares of buffer zone, along the northern
portions of the Park, back to municipal control for timber extraction.
As the Management Plan nears adoption, it is hoped that such issues will finally
be put to rest and the phase of implementation can begin. Eventually, through the goals
and objectives outlined in the Management Plan, the regions should become ecologically
and economically viable. Tourism, an underutilized development strategy in Bulgaria, is
regarded as an integral component for the future of the Park.
In order to accomplish this, educating the average citizen will remain a priority.
New initiatives will be formulated, tactics applied in other countries will be explored,
and in the end the DNP must find what works for their particular region. With the vast
52
difference among towns and the attitudes of those that inhabit them, the DNP must be
able to easily adapt their approach in educational methodology. This was the basis of the
Traveling Nature Display project - to provide the DNP with the means to adapt to
specific needs with a versatile apparatus that will require minimal economic input and
maintenance.
Environmental education and public awareness is key to sustainable management
of the CBNP. The following chapter explores briefly the underlying premise behind
environmental education and awareness, Bulgarian national initiatives and then explores
what has been done to date by the DNP.
53
CHAPTER 4
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental education in its infancy centered on exploring the natural world
and understanding the intricacies and nuances of its functions (Cowan and Stapp, 1982).
Today, as society is faced with numerous environmental problems and issues,
environmental education has taken on a new role and importance around the world.
Modern environmental education originated in response to the international community
voicing concern about environmental conditions and crises (Gravanis, 1997). The
premise behind environmental education has changed to address these issues with
emphasis being placed on awareness, understanding, respect, responsibility and action
(Brace et. al., 1982).
UNESCO (1970) defines environmental education as:
Environmental education is the process of recognizing values and
clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and attitudes necessary to
understand and appreciate the interrelatedness among man, his culture
and his biophysical surroundings. Environmental education also
entails practice in decision-making and self-formulation of a code of
behavior about issues concerning environmental quality.
And Clay Schoenfeld (1970) defines it as:
Environmental education is the study of the total environmentthe natural environment and the human environment as well as the
interrelationships within and between the two.
It is a process of learning which stresses our interactions
within the world in which we live; it does not deal just with cities not
just with nature but rather with our attempts to co-exist wisely with
both.
It seeks long-range-ecologically sound solutions, instead of
short-range-simplistic solutions. It is of necessity an interdisciplinary
process of teaching and learning which ultimately should lead
towards an integrated human and environmental ethic.
54
In Bulgaria, specifically the region surrounding Central Balkan
National Park, this implies informing and educating the general populous of
the inherent importance of their local environment, on all levels, locally to
internationally.
INITIATIVES IN BULGARIA
Education in the natural sciences in Bulgaria is primarily void of what is
considered to be environmental education. The typical Bulgarian curriculum for natural
sciences include “particles of living and of non-living nature, bodies and organisms,
movement-an attribute of matter, celestial bodies, the earth, and man” (Golovinski and
Lazarrov, 1985). The missing integral component crucial to formulate a well-rounded
opinion that must be included in students educational background is the human impact on
the environment and our role in preserving it. Historically it is this aspect of the
education process that has lacked “completeness”. Progress has begun.
In recent years, great strides have been made in Bulgaria in the areas of
environmental education and awareness. Many government agencies, ministries and
NGO’s have worked on the local and national levels to promote an understanding of local
environmental issues and problems. The GEF Project has been instrumental in this area.
Through their efforts a strong base for a “green media” has been established in all
national media and many local media circles. Press releases emphasizing various events,
topics and issues such as Park anniversaries, development and environmental problems
and triumphs, projects and programs, have been a major focus of their work.
55
To help facilitate the inclusion of environmental education into the Bulgarian
curriculum, the GEF Project hosted a series of workshops that brought together selected
educators, Park staff, representatives from the Ministry of Education, NGO’s, and Peace
Corps representatives. The end result of the project was the creation of a series of
environmental education books for Bulgarian schools approved by the Ministry of
Education. This represents a huge step forward for environmental education in Bulgaria.
Many traditional teachers only conduct their classes with approved materials. Rarely
would improvised lessons or lessons adapted from external sources be used.
Several Bulgarian NGO’s has been active in the promotion of environmental
education. Some examples are, the Wilderness Fund, who produced numerous materials
such as children’s books concerning bear conservation, coloring books, and competitions.
Borrowed Nature has published materials as well as conducted workshops for the
promotion of environmental education and Green Balkans has been instrumental in
efforts to raise the awareness of issues regarding birds in Bulgaria.
CBNP PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES
On the regional level, the DNP has implemented many projects in recent years,
many with the assistance of Peace Corps Volunteers and the GEF Project. Over the last
four years the DNP office has implemented the following projects:
•
Acquisition of the NAAEE series titled EE-TIPs (Environmental Education –
Technical Information Packages). This consists of a set of over fifty selected
environmental education books, manuals, and journals.
56
•
Handbook for Identification of Trees and Shrubs in the “Central Balkan” National
Park. 5000 copies were produced in 1996 for distribution throughout the region.
•
“Central Balkan Environmental and Earth Day Awareness Project”, implemented
the first ever Earth Day celebration in 20 regional schools, eco-art and writing
competitions; winners went on field trips to the park and conducted clean-ups. April,
1998
•
Anti-litter poster. 2,000 posters with an anti-litter message, produced from a
student’s winning entry, were distributed throughout the region. Spring, 1999
•
Environmental Education Poster. 1,500 copies of the poster entitled “Central Balkan
National Park -Spring of Life” was created and distributed to regional schools
highlighting species and various ecological topics. Spring, 1999
•
“Central Balkan through the eyes of youth” – Phase one. Artwork created by
students from the Art School in Kazanluk during a weeklong stay in the Pleven chalet
was used to create postcards. Proceeds from the postcards shall pay for future
environmental education projects. Fall, 1998
•
Environmental Education Leaflets. Two sets of leaflets (500 each), entitled Fresh
Water Invertebrates and Leaf Litter Minibeasts, produced by the Field Studies
Council, England, were translated and distributed to regional schools. Spring, 1999
•
Traveling Nature Display. Phase one, a herbarium display of park species and an
accompanying pamphlet were created to travel the region of the park to schools and
special events. First implemented in spring of 1998.
57
•
The creation of “The Central Balkan Intercessors Club” in the Technical University in
Gabrovo and a poster titled “We protect this National Park, what about you?”,
February 2000.
•
“Natural Museum in Cherni Osum – An introduction to wildlife” – a volume of
lessons created by teachers from Troyan and Cherni Osum and a bilingual brochure
of the same title, finalized in March, 2000
•
“Central Balkan through the eyes of youth” – Phase two. Created a calendar for
2000 with reproductions of artwork created by students from the Art School in
Kazanluk during outdoor activities near the Tuzha River and Rusalka chalet.
•
All artwork from phase one and two were presented at The National Earth Museum in
Sofia, on Earth Day, 22 April 2000
•
Brown Bear Day, dedicated as 22 April 2000 - competition among 5 schools in
Gabrovo, April 2000
•
The project entitled “Public awareness, making a series of pamphlets focused on
rules and possibilities”. The pamphlets are titled: “The Park – a source of healing
power” , “The park as a classroom” І, ІІ, “The park - possibilities for sheep and
stock breeding”, “Conduct - rules in the park”, “Threats for the park”, and ”Central
Balkan National Park”, April 2000
•
Graduate work “Flora and fauna in Central Balkan NP – Teteven section: forested
areas maintenance” by Jhivko Nikolaev from The Forestry Technical School in
Teteven , June 2000
•
Discussion Club in the National Aprilovska School, Gabrovo, and a volume of
speeches “Central Balkan NP must exist!”, Spring, 2000
58
•
Educational project “Central Balkan through the eyes of the camera” in conjunction
with the Art School in Kazanluk – Three photo expeditions in park sections “Tuja”,
“Troyan” and “Klisura”. 18 - 30 September, 2000
The work mentioned in this chapter represents years of effort towards raising the
overall environmental awareness in Bulgaria. Yet, only a fraction of the population has
been reached in any meaningful way thus far. Proliferation of effective environmental
education programs in schools as well as local and national media is vital. Methods for
environmental education implementation must therefore be tested to determine “what
works”. It was through this realization that my work and the resulting study manifested
itself. Since no one method or program would enable the DNP the ability to reach all
peoples with equal effectiveness, and realizing objectives continually change, a method
was needed to enable greater versatility in programs. We needed something easily
adapted to individual situations, with little or no cost. The development of the Traveling
Nature Display is presented in a narrative format for the reader to gain a greater
appreciation and understanding of difficulties faced while attempting to realize such a
project in a transitional country.
59
CHAPTER 5
METHODS
While there have been substantial efforts to use a range of environmental
education techniques, little is known about their effectiveness in Bulgaria. With funding
from the GEF project, the Traveling Nature Display was constructed. Its subsequent
implementation in the schools was tested for educational effectiveness.
This chapter describes the effort behind the creation of the Traveling Nature
Display as well as methods for its implementation in the Bulgarian classroom. The
format of the pre-test and post-test will be discussed as they were used to determine the
effectiveness of the display. The selection of species used for the display will also be
examined. The chapter will close with information of how the display has been used
since its inception.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAVELING NATURE DISPLAY
The initial concepts of the Traveling Nature Display project developed during the
late fall 1997. To formalize the idea over the next few months, questions such as
potential target groups, what content should be included, how should it be constructed,
and how to finance its construction, were all discussed.
First, secondary and high school age students would be the primary audience for
the first display, a herbarium of species from Central Balkan National Park. Immediately
future themes were discussed and visualized, topics included: mammals of Central
Balkan, birds of Central Balkan, insects of Central Balkan, and photographic displays
such as waterfalls of Central Balkan.
60
Various designs for the structure were contemplated and reviewed; weight,
durability and ease of assembly were key factors to be considered. From the beginning
Dr. Dimitar Peev from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany in Sofia
had been included in the planning. Dr. Peev is the foremost botanical expert in Bulgaria.
It was important to include him in consultations for species content. He also expressed
interest in constructing the display itself. During one of our preliminary discussions
about the project Dr. Peev stated, “This idea of yours is revolutionary for Bulgarian
schools. I have been educating students in Bulgaria for decades and never thought of
anything like this. You supply the capital and it will be my pleasure to construct it.”
So we agreed, he and his team would handle all aspects of constructing the
herbarium and display, I simply had to provide the funding. This was the simplest
possible scenario since one group would handle all aspects of the project in one location.
It was all coming together. By now it was mid summer of 1998.
Dr. Peev provided an acceptable budget and with that a proposal was prepared for
REC, the Regional Environmental Center. REC, located throughout Eastern Europe
provides assistance to NGO’s and other agencies for environmental projects. As it
turned out REC could not provide funding to government supported agencies such as the
park office. Next, in fall of 1998 we approached the GEF Project’s Senior Advisor Dr.
Ian Deshmukh with the proposal.
Dr. Deshmukh ultimately granted approval for financing the project since the
concept for the display corresponded with the current goals of the GEF Project. There
were conditions though. Materials and construction were to be completed locally within
the region of the park. Also students from a specialized school in the town Tetevin
61
would create the herbarium portion of the project rather than Dr. Peev as originally
planned. This change while potentially destroying valuable ties with Dr. Peev seemed
acceptable. I hoped to keep Dr. Peev involved for the species selection.
The challenge was to locate potential contractors. The weeks passed with few
developments. My colleagues were to locate appropriate materials and qualified
interested individuals for the construction of the display. They were unsuccessful. The
next problem came from the school in Tetevin. They were unable to collect herbarium
samples before the end of the growing season and samples would have to wait to be
collected until the following spring or summer. Months of frustration aside, everything
led to one conclusion, if this project was to be realized in an acceptable time frame than
Dr. Peev must be used.
During the early months of 1999, I approached Dr. Deshmukh with the dilemma
of time. Since the GEF Project and I were both concluding our contracts in Bulgaria, I
suggested to Dr. Deshmukh that we indeed use Dr. Peev to realize this project in a timely
manner. He agreed and work began immediately. Dr. Peev provided a list of available
species from which the DNP chose the herbarium displays. Species composition for the
display was determined through discussions between staff members from the NPD and
me.
It was decided the display would be divided into natural categories indicative of
flora groups from the park. These categories were:
•
Tree Species
•
Forest Fruits
•
Medicinal Plants
62
•
Species from the highland (sub-alpine) meadows
•
Rare and Protected Species
By utilizing the natural categories we would be able to guide discussions and
provide information pertaining to various topics important to the park and its flora as well
as enlighten students about various ecological topics.
It was decided due to spatial constraints (size and weight are factors to keep in
mind) of the display that four species from each category be chosen, ultimately the
display would consist of twenty species. These species are described at the end of this
chapter.
By mid April of 1999 the display and the herbarium sheets were ready. I traveled
to Sofia for the final inspection of the display at the GEF office. There was a technical
error on the herbarium labels, so final payment was postponed as well as the launch date.
Ten days later, I again traveled to Sofia. With the necessary corrections made, final
payment was given and I returned to Gabrovo with the display.
With the actual display in town, it was now possible to construct carrying cases.
Two local artisans did this work. Sturdy, durable wood cases were made for transporting
the herbarium sheets while heavyweight cloth cases were sewn to carry the display panels
and display legs.
IMPLEMENTATION
By May of 1999, all key components of the Traveling Nature Display were
complete. The moment the cases were prepared, the display was put to use. Its debut
was in the Gabrovo House of Culture. It was used as a promotional and information tool
63
to inform the public of EUROPARC Day, which is the 24th of May. A general
informational sheet was prepared for the display while the pamphlet (Appendix 2) that
was to accompany the display in the schools was finalized. By May 17th, all text and
materials were prepared, allowing me to do the computer work and graphic design. We
finally printed the pamphlet on the 20th of May.
The Bulgarian school system operates on a schedule similar to that of the United
States. That is, the display was finally ready for implementation, but the school year was
about to end. My colleague in charge of public relations and educational programs
scheduled the presentation of the display in two local schools.
The premise for the data collection from this project was the implementation of
the display utilizing various teaching methods. The data collected, therefore, would
theoretically show which method provided the best educational benefits in terms of
information retention by the students.
Figure 13. Students and Park representative discuss the display.
64
The original plan was to present the display to at least two classes from each
school. Classroom groups from each school representing two different academic years
were to be utilized in the study from each school.
A series of questions (Table 7) designed to test the children’s knowledge of the
information presented in the display and accompanying pamphlet were given to each
group prior to viewing the display and again afterwards. The original Bulgarian
questionnaire can be found in Appendix 3. The premise of this questionnaire was to test
the student’s retention after two weeks.
Unfortunately, the ending of the academic year did not allow for this time frame.
Teacher support of the study was initially strong, yet again due to the timing of its
implementation, problems arose with the collection of data. In all, six classrooms
completed the pre-test and viewed the display. The teachers were asked to give the posttest after two weeks. Three failed to conduct it, leaving three classroom sets of data for
analysis.
All six classroom sets of pre-tests and the three classroom sets of post-tests were
professionally translated to maintain the students’ original content. To ensure
consistency in the grading of the exams, all were graded by me on the same day.
Answers were scaled zero to five, with five as a complete and correct answer. The grades
received for each question whether 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 were based on the information
provided the students in the pamphlet.
The classroom sets ultimately analyzed were from the 6th Class and 7th Class at
Cyril and Methodius where the display was administered by a Park representative and the
10th Class from Otez Paisii, with the subject mater being administered by the teacher.
65
The ages of the students in these grades are typically 12-13, 13-14, and 16-17,
respectively.
Figure 14. Students view the Display.
To analyze the effectiveness of the Traveling Nature Display for each concept and
subsequent question, I used the statistical chi-square test of independence (Steel & Torrie,
1960). Classrooms were compared based on how the information was presented to the
students, whether by Park personnel or by a teacher. Individual questions were analyzed
based on content (standard concepts vs. new concepts) and type (definition, short answer
and essay).
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Table 7: List of questions and their type, posed to all student participants.
Question
Question Type
1. What is the importance of Central Balkan National Park
Essay
2. What does biodiversity mean?
Definition
3. What are the threats to the flora of Central Balkan National Park?
Essay
4. What are the differences between trees and shrubs?
Short Answer
5. What is the definition of a herbaceous plant?
Definition
6. What are the Bulgarian Red Book and the European Red List?
Short Answer
7. Central Balkan National Park is home to the greatest number of
Short Answer
protected plant species in Bulgaria; can you name any?
8. What does it mean if a species is threatened with extinction?
Definition
9. What does it mean if a species is rare?
Definition
10. What does it mean if a species is extinct?
Definition
11. What does it mean for a species to be endemic?
Definition
12. What is the vertical zoning of vegetation and which zones can be
Short Answer
found in Central Balkan National Park?
SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS
The species content of the display was carefully chosen to enable the Park office
to present various subject matter determined to be of value, such as biodiversity,
conservation values, and the structure of the Park’s vegetative zones. Selected species
were divided into categories based on various factors. One factor for the selection of the
categories was to create an opening for lessons about vegetative layers.
Seven of the species selected were determined to be species of “formation
importance”. This classification signifies that these species commonly occur in
community associations of high ecological value. Studies have concluded these
67
community associations will be the first in Bulgaria for a number of endemic species.
The numerous rare and threatened species inhabiting these associations add to its
conservation importance (Central Balkan National Park High-Mountain Treeless Zone
Management Plan, 1997).
Figure 15. The Traveling Nature Display at a local school.
Tree Species
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fagus sylvatica
Acer heldreichii Orph.
Picea abies (L) Karst.
Abies alba Mill.
As forested areas cover sixty-one percent of the park and thirty-one percent of the
country, this group is valuable as a lead in for various topics such as habit diversity,
forest structure, etc. Fagus sylvatica and Acer heldreichii are two prime examples of
how content reflects objectives. While the first represents the conservation initiative to
preserve large tracks of intact habitat, the latter represents another aspect of conservation,
the preservation of rare endemic species.
68
Highland species
1.
2.
3.
4.
Agrostis capillaris L.
Juncus trifidus Griseb.
Nardus stricta L
Bruckenthalia spiculifolia (Salisb.) Rchb.
With approximately thirty-eight percent of the park consisting of highland
meadows, there is enormous diversity in these areas. The evolution of species in various
areas of the park has resulted in a large amount of endemic species. The majority of high
mountain communities are dominated by various grass species. For this reason they
constitute three of the four species in this section. All species in this group are of
formation importance, indicating that their presence indicates a high probability of the
occurrence of endemic and rare species.
Forest Fruits
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vaccinium myrtillus L
Vaccinium ulginosum L.
Juniperus sibirica Burgsd.
Fragaria viridis Duch.
There are many species of fruit/berry producing plants in the park. The
harvesting of many forest fruits is common both privately and commercially. As forest
fruits are also a major component in the diets of several Park’s wildlife species, it was
important for their role to be understood.
69
Medicinal Species
1.
2.
3.
4.
Gentiana asclepiadea
Hypericum perforatum L.
Solidago virga-aurea L.
Thymus pulegioides L.
Medicinal species have been a part of Bulgarian culture since time immemorial.
Most families use at least a few species medicinally. Bulgaria is currently one of the
world leaders for the export and subsequent exploitation of herbs, so this was an
important group to address (Ploetz, K., 2000). This group allows for the explanation of
sustainable use and to raise awareness of how over exploitation/misuse of species can
lead to their demise.
Rare Species
1.
2.
3.
4.
Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott et Kotschy
Leontopodium alpinum cass. ssp. alpinum
Centaurea kerneriana Janka
Asperula capitata Kit. et Schultes
This section demonstrates the need for conservation and protection of species.
Every Bulgarian child knows of Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum cass. ssp. alpinum),
as it is the symbol of the Bulgarian tourist movement, and through education they now
know it is also endangered. Edelweiss is the flagship species for endangered flora in
Bulgaria. With so many other species in danger of extinction, thirty-one disappearing in
the last fifty years, this subject is crucial to promote understanding of various initiatives
and objectives.
Table 8 presents the overall breakdown of species represented in the display.
70
Table 8. Overall breakdown of display species.
• 4 tree species as a large majority of the Parks’ area is covered by forests.
• 4 shrub species, importance described below
• 16 herbaceous species, importance described below
• 5 protected (rare) species were used to inform the public and especially the students
about the importance of the Park in terms of biodiversity conservation.
• 9 medicinal species are presented, 4 commonly used and 5 less common, and one
rare.
• 7 species of formation importance
• 2 Balkan Endemic species
• 1 Bulgarian Endemic
• 5 species listed in the Bulgarian Red Book
• 2 species listed in the European Red Book
• Representative species from each of CBNP vegetation belts:
1. Xerothermic oak forests (up to 640 m, southern slopes of the park only)
2. Xeromesophyllic and mesophyllic oak and hornbeam forests (up to 800 m)
3. A beech belt (700-1,600 m)
4. A coniferous belt (no continuous belt within the park, ranges from 1,300-2000 m)
5. Sub-alpine open woodland belt of dwarf pine and juniper brush (1,500-2,200 m)
6. Alpine belt (above 2,200 m)
INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWN OF REPRESENTED SPECIES
Tree Species
Fagus sylvatica was chosen on the basis that it is in large part the reason for the
Park’s existence. CBNP protects the largest expanse of remaining old growth beech
forests in Europe. These deciduous forests occur throughout the vegetation belts 3 and 4.
Acer heldreichii Orph. another deciduous species was selected because it is a
Balkan endemic and is also listed in the Bulgarian Red Book as a rare species. It is
representative of vegetation belts 3 and 4.
Abies alba Mill. is a typical coniferous tree species for Central Balkan National
Park. It is representative of vegetation belts 3 and 4.
71
Picea abies (L.) Karst. is another typical coniferous species in the park,
representative of vegetation belts 3 and 4.
Highland Species
Agrostis capillaris L. is a species of vegetation belts 4 and 5 and is considered a
species of formation importance. It is also one of three grass species in the display
representing the different genera living in the highland regions of the park.
Juncus trifidus Griseb. is the second grass species found in the display and in the
highland regions of the Park. It also has formation importance since it is collected for
medicinal uses, and is representative of vegetation belts 5 and 6.
Nardus stricta L. is the third grass species found in the display and in the highland
regions of the Park. This species is a former invader that has established itself in the
highlands of the park; it too is of formation importance. It inhabits belts 4 and 5.
Bruckenthalia spiculifolia Rchb. is a common herb species of formation
importance, it occurs in vegetation belts 3 and 4.
Forest Fruits
Vaccinium myrtillus L. is a very common species throughout the higher elevations
of the Park. Companies and individuals collect large quantities of berries from accessible
areas. Some use these berries for medicinal purposes. This species is also an important
food source for park wildlife, such as bears. It occurs in vegetation belts 4 and 5. It is
also of formation importance.
72
Vaccinium ulginosum L. is another typical species, collected for the berries and
for medicinal purposes. It, too, is an important food source for park wildlife. It occurs in
vegetation belts 5 and 6. It is also of formation importance.
Juniperus sibirica Burgsd., while not an invading species, it has begun to act as
one. The centuries of grazing in the highlands kept this species at bay. Now that grazing
is restricted, it has begun to overtake areas that had developed as unique ecosystems.
Now this species is considered as a potential threat to biodiversity. At the same time it is
considered a species of formation importance. It is also collected for medicinal uses and
is representative of vegetation belts 4 and 5.
Fragaria viridis Duch. is a very common species throughout the first three
vegetation belts. It is a common food source for Park wildlife and is collected for jams
and to be used in yogurt, etc.
Medicinal Species
Gentiana asclepiadea is commonly collected as a medicinal species,
representative of vegetation belts 4 and 5.
Hypericum perforatum L., St. John’s Wort, is highly over-collected for medicinal
purposes both for personal use and sale to exporters. It can be found growing throughout
vegetative belts 1 through 5.
Solidago virga-aurea L., golden rod, is very common. It too, is a herb frequently
collected for medicinal purposes. It can be found growing in vegetation belts 3 and 4.
73
Thymus pulegioides L., wild thyme (several species are found in Bulgaria, all are
referred to as wild thyme), this particular species is common throughout the CBNP
highlands. It is collected for medicinal purposes and is representative of belt 5.
Rare Species
Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott et Kotschy is critically threatened and listed in
the Bulgarian Red Book and is protected by law. It is representative of vegetation belt 5
and is commonly found growing with Juniperus sibirica.
Leontopodium alpinum Cass. ssp. alpinum is rare and listed in the Bulgarian Red
Book and is protected by law. Commonly known as edelweiss, it is the symbol of the
Bulgarian tourist movement. It can be found in remote locations of vegetation belts 4, 5
and 6.
Centaurea kerneriana Janka is a rare, Bulgarian endemic herb, listed in both the
Bulgarian and European Red Books and is protected by law. It inhabits vegetation belt 4.
Asperula capitata Kit. et Schultes is a rare, Balkan endemic herb. It is a highly
sought after species for its medicinal uses. It is representative of vegetation belts 4 and 5.
THE CONTINUED USE OF NATURE DISPLAY
Since my departure from Bulgaria the Traveling Nature Display has been utilized
for several functions and new exhibit material has been prepared. Its design as a versatile
instrument for educational purposes appears to have been achieved and the goal of
sustainability achieved.
74
The role of the school in Teteven, as originally desired by the GEF Project, was
realized. In November of 1999, the “Forestry School” in Teteven produced forty new
frames for herbarium sheets in their wood working class and the samples that were
previously collected by students were mounted for display.
The Traveling Nature Display has been used as a backdrop at several official
functions, such as the 8th anniversary celebration of CBNP in Karlovo. It was also used
for the official dedication of the new park office building in Gabrovo (at which over 100
official guests were present), in the town of Klisura for the opening of the new Historical
Museum, and in the Kalofer Municipality for a two month long exhibition of the parks
flora. It was also used in Klisura for Earth Day 2000.
The versatility of the Traveling Nature Display was put to use and a new display
and pamphlet were designed entitled “Central Balkan National Park – a source of healing
power”. The display was also converted for use as a photo exhibition.
75
CHAPTER 6
RESULTS
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to determine what effect, if any, the Traveling
Nature Display would have on students abilities to retain subject matter. The
participating classrooms each took pre-tests to establish a baseline for understanding of
the subject matter. Afterwards the display was presented to the students by a Park
representative or their teacher. The students were then tested again during that same
week. The subsequent comparison of the pre-test and post-test questionnaires provide
statistical data for analysis of the effectiveness of the display. Appendix 4 contains the
data sets compiled from the results of the 6th, 7th, and 10th Class questionnaires.
The test questions are provided again in Table 9 as a reference for the discussion.
The results presented in Table 10 statistically indicate there is a significant improvement
in test answers after the Traveling Nature Display was viewed.
Table 9. List of questions given the students
Question
1. What is the importance of Central Balkan National Park
2. What does biodiversity mean?
3. What are the threats to the flora of Central Balkan National Park?
4. What are the differences between trees and shrubs?
5. What is the definition of a herbaceous plant?
6. What are the Bulgarian Red Book and the European Red List?
7. Central Balkan National Park is home to the greatest number of protected plant
species in Bulgaria; can you name any?
8. What does it mean if a species is threatened with extinction?
9. What does it mean if a species is rare?
10. What does it mean if a species is extinct?
11. What does it mean for a species to be endemic?
12. What is the vertical zoning of vegetation and which zones can be found in Central
Balkan National Park?
76
Table 10: Calculated chi-square values for each question by classroom
Question 6th Class
1
11.07*
2
11.07*
3
28.29*
4
5.22
5
40.89*
6
3.38
7
9.63*
8
6.34
9
8.60
10
7.80
11
6.39
12
0.98
* significant at α = 0.10
7th Class
2.73
10.03*
19.09*
28.90*
35.88*
12.23*
7.90
2.59
54.00*
6.27
26.07*
4.54
10th Class
4.62
9.68*
12.26*
8.80
13.92*
4.20
6.85
14.66*
9.64*
0.36
1.78
2.66
Table 11: Tabular chi-square values for 5 degrees of freedom.
0.10 0.05 0.025 0.01 0.005
df = 5 9.24 11.07 12.83 15.09 16.75
The results indicate the display was very effective in relaying new ideas and
concepts. This is particularly evident with questions 2, 3, and 5. These questions
addressed the students’ knowledge of biodiversity, the threats to flora of CBNP, and
herbaceous plants, respectively. All classrooms showed a marked improvement from
pre-test to post-test answers. In question 5, for example the majority of marks on pretests shifted from 0’s and 1’s to 4’s and 5’s.
Subject matter that was not new to students obviously resulted in less significant
improvement between the pre and post exams. This is evident in question 1 where both
the 7th and the 10th Class showed no significant improvement as students in these classes
had sufficient (3 or better on the pre-test) knowledge of the Park, 57% and 83 %
respectively. This compared to 52% of the 6th class that showed no previous knowledge
77
of the Park. Following the presentation of the Display by a Park representative, 88% of
the 6th class responses showed sufficient (3 or better on the post-test) knowledge of the
Park.
Half of the test was composed of definition type questions. These were questions
2, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11. The results from questions 2 and 5 have been discussed previously
as showing marked improvement due to being “new concepts”. The results for questions
8 and 9 are particularly interesting. The questions pertained to the meanings behind a
species being classified as “threatened with extinction” and “rare”. These two concepts
are conceptually similar. Only the 10th class showed significant improvement in their
understanding of both concepts, leading to the conclusion that they are better able to
comprehend the subtle differences in their meanings.
Question 10 concerning extinction is a good example for pre existing knowledge.
All classroom pre-tests showed students were well informed about this topic. Results
from the pre-tests of the 6th, 7th and 10th classes 84%, 85%, and 100% respectively,
answered correctly, the majority with complete correctness, i.e. a test score of 5. The
same is true for question 11, where both the 6th and the 10th class scored very high on the
pre-test so there is no significant difference in their post-tests. For the 7th class, 57% of
the class received a 0 on the pre-test (11% received a 5), on the post-test though 77%
received a 5.
Short answer responses were necessary for questions 4, 6, and 7. Question 4 is
another instance where two of the classes (6th and 10th) had previous knowledge of the
subject matter. The 7th class which did not, showed a very strong statistical
improvement on the post-test. Question 6 pertained to the Bulgarian Red Book and its
78
European counterpart. Most students were aware of the Bulgarian version, not so much
the European Red List but understood by association the purpose of it, so there was no
major improvement shown here.
Question 7 pertained to the students ability to name actual species that are
threatened with extinction. The educational system in Bulgaria typically places great
emphasis on the memorization of facts and dates, with little emphasis on application of
knowledge. The concept of being threatened was more an emphasis of the display rather
then memorizing names of particular species. Regardless, students were able to name
various species but not necessarily threatened ones. It is worth pointing out that most
students did mention edelweiss (the symbol of the Bulgarian tourist movement).
Actually for question 7, some individuals consulted in the conceptual design of
the Traveling Nature Display were hesitant in even presenting such species as they felt it
could potentially increase the dangers to them. This belief represents an inherent
problem with nature protection in Bulgaria. Many feel it is better to keep some things
quiet rather then use education and awareness as a method for protection. They feel
keeping it quiet will draw less attention to the species thus protecting them.
Of the two essay type questions (1 & 3) there were marked improvements over
the pre-tests. As stated previously the improvement in question 1 is primarily based on
the 6th Class who had no prior knowledge of the park. All classes showed a dramatic
improvement on question 3, about the threats to the Park’s flora. The information
presented to the students in this case expanded on the typical topics of similar lessons
(i.e. global warming, deforestation) to include direct human effects such as picking of
79
ornamental flowers, unsustainable harvesting of herbs, and the damage caused by not
following established trails.
A Park representative presented the Traveling Nature Display to both the 6th and
7th classes. 42% and 58%, respectively, of the questions showed a strong statistically
significant improvement. The 10th class, implemented by the teacher, also showed a 42%
improvement, but not as strongly.
This is not conclusive evidence that implementation of the Display by a park
personnel has a marked improvement on knowledge gained. Many of the questions
answered by the 10th class were largely correct on the pre-test and limited the potential
for improvement. The limitations of this study are clearly in the size of the data set.
How may the results have varied if all the anticipated data had been acquired? In
hindsight, I realize an error in data collection was not requiring names to be placed on the
exams. This decision was originally based on the opinions of my colleagues that students
would feel more at ease being anonymous. It could be debated whether this approach
aided or hindered the quality of answers. Nonetheless, it did limit the possibilities of
statistical analysis to just classroom sets rather then analysis on an individual basis.
With the information at hand, an accurate assumption on the influence of a third
party in the classroom can not be fairly made. It was apparent though during the
presentation of the Traveling Nature Display, that the students showed a higher level of
attentiveness and enthusiasm for someone other then their everyday teacher.
Another factor that must be taken into consideration are the teachers themselves.
All six teachers that took part in the study can be considered “progressive” by Bulgarian
standards. Several had worked with the Park office in the past, or at least with other
80
environmental education initiatives and they are not afraid to attempt new things. Most
teachers currently are not willing to work outside the “norm” of straight lecturing or to
use alternative materials (i.e. materials not approved by the Ministry of Education). So,
how would the effectiveness of the Traveling Nature Display fare in their classrooms?
Would they even be willing to take part in this and future Park office extension work?
It is questions like these that ideally would have been answered if time had
allowed. The fact remains that progressive teachers are willing to take part in such
initiatives, and as Bulgaria continues to move forward with reforms, these teachers shall
be the leaders in Bulgarian schools.
The effort of the DNP to reach out to the community and schools to inform and
educate represents progress in the realm of government institutions working with the
people. The continued use of the Traveling Nature Display by the Park office clearly
shows it to be an effective tool for educational purposes.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A bonus not previously mentioned pertaining to the construction of the display
was in fact two displays were made. To date, all components of the display have always
been used in the same location, but due to its modular design and the fact that Dr. Peev
constructed twice the number of panels and legs than expected, it can potentially be used
in two locations simultaneously, doubling its ability to reach the public.
Now that the DNP has established offices throughout the region of the Park, with
rangers (that will be trained as park interpreters) a potential exists to reach many more
students as well as the general public by using the display as it was originally planned, on
a continuous “traveling” basis. Due the current economic situation in Bulgaria, Peace
81
Corps could alleviate much of the work burden of the DNP rangers by placing
environmental volunteers with the Park offices with the specific duty of acting as Park
rangers. This would enable the offices and rangers to direct focus towards environmental
education while still allowing for other duties such as patrolling the park boundaries and
enforcing park rules and regulations.
Students are receptive to new, more interactive methods of learning, especially
when they are outside the “norm” of everyday class. This is the potential of the
Traveling Nature Display. It has the ability to bring something new to the classroom,
each and every time it makes its visit. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that
the full scope of the displays’ capabilities for content be explored and implemented.
Close attention should be paid to what “works”, be it implementation techniques (Park
staff versus teachers) or types of content and supplemental components such as
pamphlets, activity sheets or photographs.
By using the two display structures effectively (one traveling the northern axis of
the Park the other the southern) visiting schools, Houses of Culture, and museums, the
possibilities to reach the public are immense. The versatility of the structure is only
limited by the imagination of the Park staff and potentially by financial constraints. The
latter hopefully will not be a major issue as additional materials (extra frames, paper)
were purchased with the initial project money.
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CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION
The importance of environmental protection in Bulgaria is based on numerous
factors. Foremost, the country is highly endowed with diversity both biologically and
geologically. These natural components together have created unique conditions
throughout the country, resulting in habitats of international conservation importance.
From wetlands to alpine mountains, these areas provide, in many cases, havens for many
of the worlds critically endangered fauna and flora.
In response to their abundance of “Green Gold” the Bulgarian government has
established a network of protected areas that currently covers 4.3% of the countryside.
The purpose of these protected areas are to ensure the continued survival of rare and
endangered species, their habitats, as well as to preserve these beautiful areas for future
generations.
For a country in transition, their effort towards nature protection is admirable.
Bulgaria is faced with numerous problems, primarily economic. With its wealth of
pristine natural settings and rich cultural assets, Bulgaria is poised to become a center for
international ecotourism and cultural tourism. This tourism is seen as a necessity to
maintain the level of protection thus far established. Tourism can support numerous
towns and villages throughout the country, the same towns and villages that have seen
some negative economic impacts from the establishment of protected areas.
Nature protection is not a high priority for the average Bulgarian as they currently
struggle in a fragile economy riddled with unemployment. The average citizen does not
realize the potential tourism dollars can have on the country. Nor do they realize the
83
importance of their ecological wealth and how fragile many of the ecosystems being
protected are. Only through effective environmental education and awareness will they
learn of such issues and opportunities.
A plethora of resources and great efforts are being implemented throughout
Bulgaria towards environmental education and awareness. These efforts must be
sustainable and effective for positive results to occur. This study followed one such
effort, the use of the Traveling Nature Display. Its goal was to determine the most
effective method to reach and educate the average citizen in their local community about
how they can positively effect and interact with their environment. By design this
display is capable of going to the people rather than the need for people to come to it.
The implementation of the project focused on its effectiveness to relay desired
information in Bulgarian classrooms about the flora of National Park Central Balkan.
The results indicate its effectiveness as well as its potential. Students showed a marked
improvement when tested on new concepts.
It is such new concepts that must reach the average Bulgarian citizen in order to
gain their support towards nature protection. With their support, Park authorities will
have a much easier time of concentrating their efforts on conservation issues such as
ecological restoration and the promotion of tourism, rather than law enforcement and
policing Park boundaries for illegal hunting and gathering.
As the country moves forward with reforms and strengthens economically, it is
hoped that so will its environmental education and nature protection. With this
strengthening, there should be an increase in the average citizens views for the
importance of their “Green Gold”.
84
LITERATURE CITED
Aladzhem, Svetlana, ed. Zelenoto zlato na Bulgaria. Bulgaria: ABV-tech Ltd., 2000a.
Aladzhem, Svetlana, ed. The Green Gold of Bulgaria. Bulgaria: ABV-tech Ltd., 2000b.
Bennett, Linda A., ed. Bulgarians. vol.4, Encyclopedia of World Cultures.
Massachusetts: G.K. Hall and Co., 1992, 42-45
Brace, Judith, Ralph R.White, Stephen C. Bass, Anne Brace, and Kathleen R. Rafferty.
Teaching Conservation in Developing Nations. Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps, ICE.
September, 1982.
Biodiversity Support Program. Conserving Biological Diversity in Bulgaria: The
National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy. Washington, D.C.: Biodiversity
Support Program c/o World Wildlife Fund, 1994.
Bulgarian Guide, ICN. Created 1998. Accessed September 9 2000. Available from
http://www.icn.bg/bgguide.html.; internet.
Central Balkan National Park High Mountain Treeless Zone Management Plan. Project
Report, 1997. BSBCP.
Central Intelligence Agency. Last update October 27, 2000. Available from
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bu.html.; internet.
The Columbia Gazetteer of the World, 1998, s.v. “Bulgaria.”
Cowan, Margaret E., William B. Stapp, eds. Environmental Education in Action-V:
International Case Studies in Environmental Education. Columbus, Ohio: ERIC, 1982.
Creed, Gerald W. Domesticating Revolution: From Socialist Reform to Ambivalent
Transition in a Bulgarian Village. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania
University Press, 1998.
Dimova, Lilia. Bulgarians on Environmental Problems. Bulgaria: Corvette, 1995.
Golovinski, Evgeny, and Dobri Lazarov. “An experimental programme in integrated
natural science education in Bulgaria.” Prospects: Quarterly Review of Education 15,
no. 6 (1985): 593-596.
Gravanis, Jacqueline. 1997. Human Ecology: Environmental Education in Greece, 1997.
Cited in Thompson, Patricia J., ed. Environmental Education for the 21st Century:
International and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc,
(1997): 13-21.
85
Heritage Films, The Eastern Connection. Last update April 18, 2000. Available from
http://www.heritagefilms.com.; internet.
Embassy of Bulgaria, United States. About Bulgaria. Last update September 1, 2000.
Available from http://www.bulgaria-embassy.org.; internet.
Iankov, Dr. Peter, Central Balkan National Park Management Plan, Final Draft. Sofia,
Bulgaria: ARD/GEF Project, 2000. 118 pp.
IUCN. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, 1996.
IUCN. Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories. CNPPA with assistance
of WCMC, IUCN. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN, 1994. 261 pp.
Available in PDF format from www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_area/categories/eng
Meine, Curt, ed. Biodiversity Support Program. Bulgaria’s Biological Diversity:
Conservation Status and Needs Assessment. 2 vols. Sofia, Bulgaria: Pensoft, 1998.
Nachev, Valeri, and Yordon Velchev. Bulgaria. Bulgaria: Vion, 1999.
National Report. 1998. National Report for Biological Diversity Conservation in
Bulgaria. UNEP/GRID – Arendal. 35 pp. Available in PDF format from
http://www.grida.no/enrin/biodiv/biodiv/national/bulgaria/Bulgaria.PDF
Ploetz, Kerry L. 2000. An Ethnobotanical Study of Wild Herb Use in Bulgaria.
Master’s Thesis. Michigan Technological University. Houghton, MI. 147 pp.
“Protected Areas Act, 1998.” State Gazette, issue 133/1998.
Republic of Bulgaria. 1998. Accessed September 6, 2000. Available from
http://www.government.bg/eng.; internet.
Republic of Bulgaria Red Data Book, Vol. 2. Animals. 1985. BAS, Bulgaria
Schoenfeld, Clay. “On Environmental Studies,” Journal of Environmental Education.
Winter, 1970. Cited in Ford, Plyllis M. Principles and Practices of
Outdoor/Environmental Education. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1981. 348 pp.
Sowards, Steven W. Social and Economic Change in the Balkans. Last updated July 5,
2000. Available from http//www.lib.msu.edu/sowards/balkans/lect23.htm.; internet.
Steel, Robert G.D., and James H. Torrie. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1960.
86
UNESCO. 1970. Final Report, International Working Meeting on Environmental
Education in the School Curriculum, Carlson City, Nev., International Union for the
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
United States Department of State. Created October 1999. Accessed September 6, 2000.
Available from http://www.state.gov/www.background_notes/bulgaria_9910_bgn.html.;
internet
Vulchev, Plamen. Social Survey: Public Attitudes to Biodiversity Conservation. GEF
Project Report. Sofia, Bulgaria. September 1997. 63 pp.
The Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, 1st ed., 1960, s.v. “Bulgaria.”
87
Appendix 1.
Map of Central Balkan National Park
88
Appendix 2. Traveling Nature Display Pamphlet “Flora of Central Balkan”
Original Bulgarian version and translated English version
91
Vertical Vegetation Zones
Elements of Alpine Zone
Over 2200 m
Sub-Alpine Formations Zone
From 2000 m
to 2200 m
Partially Developed Zone of
Coniferous Forests
Mezophilic Zone
of Beech Forests
Shipka
Directorate for National Park
Central Balkan
From 1300-1500 m
To 1900-2000 m
From 900-1000 m
To 1300-1500 m
From ò 600-700 m
Mezophilic and Zero-mezophilic
Zone of Oak and Hornbeam Forests To 900-1000 m
Zerothermic Zone
of Oak Forests
Traveling
To 700 m
What is the difference between a Tree and a
Shrub?
Tree - Woody perennial which has a central stem
and develops a crown.
Shrub - Woody perennial, lacking a central stem
and reaching upto 4 meters in height.
Nature
Both trees and shrubs can be either deciduous or
evergreen.
Display
What is a herbaceous plant?
A plant which do not have lignified parts and
above ground biomass dies in winter.
Project Sponsors:
DNP “Central Balkan”
Illustration:
Gergana Nestorova
Art School “Acad. Dechko Uzunov”
Kazanluk
Flora of Central Balkan
Goals of the Display and Pamphlet:
The goals of our display and pamphlet are to educate
students about the different topics and issues
representing diversity and flora conservation
importance of the Central Balkan National Park.
Flora of Central Balkan National Park:
About 1800 species of the total 3500 Bulgarian flora
can be found in the Park.
The needs for preservation of plant biodiverstiy in the
Park
One of the ways for preservation of the plant biodiversity is
the creation of protected areas. Central Balkan is one of the
three National Parks in Bulgaria. 12 species and 1 sub-speices
are local endemics, 21 sepcies and 2 sub-species are Bulgarian
endemics, and 56 species and sub-species are Balkan
endemics, that are reported in the Park.
What is the Bulgarian Red Book and the
European Red List of Rare, Threatened and
Endemic Plants of European Countries?
These are books, which are published by the
Bulgarian and European scietific communties in
order to inform the public of the current status of
plant and animal species which are not often found
within the territories of the country(s), i.e. They are
not common.
What does it mean for a species to be:
What is Biodiversity?
Diversity of all living organisms - plant and animal:
- diversity of species
- genetic diversity within the species
- diversity of ecosystems of which species are a part.
Threats to the flora of the Park:
Caused by human activity:
-Picking of beautiful plants, for example Edelweiss,
and in this way destroying their natural habitats;
-Tourists who do not stay on trails and crush
valuable plant species;
-Uncontrolled picking of herbs, mushrooms, and
wild berries in large quantities. Together with
common species, rare and threatened with
extinction species are also being collected and
destroyed, because they are difficult to be
distinguished morphologically by the layman.
Causes from Nature:
-Global warming, which may cause some drying of
tree species, for example old beech forests;
-Disturbance in the water balance/table;
-Immigrate or invading species.
Protected -This is a species that is threatened with extinction
from its natural habitat and for this reason it is protected by
law. Laws forbids their collection.
Rare - Species, which are low in number or have a limited
distribution. If quick measures for their preservation are not
undertaken their continued existence is threatened.
Threatened with Extinction - Species extremely low in
numbers are threatened with extinction when unfavorable
changes occur in their habitats or there is a weak
regeneration of its population.
Extinct - A species that does not exist anymore.
Number of Bulgarian higher plant species
which are included in these two books:
Bulgarian Red Book:
-From the Bulgarian flora - 763 species
-From NP Central Balkan - 108 species
ERL of Rare, Threatened and Endemic Plant
Species of Europe:
-From the Bulgarian flora - 165 species
-From NP Central Balkan - 11 species
What is an Endemic Species?
A species which occurs only in a certain
geographical region.
For example, a Balkan endemic means that the
species can be found only on the Balkan peninsula.
Local Endemic of NP Central Balkan means that
this species only occurs within the boundaries of the
Park.
Endemic species are often threatened or rare.
Every day 19 species
become extinct.
What is a local plant species?
A species which is usually found in a particular
ecosystem..
Species, that naturally migrate to the ecosystem or
are deliberately or accidentally introduced by man
are called immigrant or invading species. Some of
these species can occupy the whole ecological niche
and cause the elimination of the local species.
Species represented in the display:
Medicinal Plants:
1. Gentiana asclepiadea - Blue Gentian
2. Hypericum perforatum L. - St. John’s Wart
3. Solidago virga-aurea L. - Golden Seal?
4. Thymus pulegioides L. - Thyme
Tree Species:
1. Fagus sylvatica - Common Beech
2. Acer heldreichii Orph. - Mountain Maple
3. Picea abies (L). Karst. - Norway Spruce
4. Abies alba Mill. - Silver Fir
Beech trees occupy the largest portion of NP
Central Balkan and form the largest massifs of
protected primary beech forests in Europe, which
makes the Park of high conservation value in
Europe.
Fagus sylvatica - Common Beech
Bulgaria is a country blessed with an
extremely high diversity of medicinal plants. It is
currently the third largest exporter in the world for
herbs.
The uncontrolled picking of herbs in large
quantities is one of the main threats to their survival.
Forest Fruits:
1. Vaccinium myrtillus L. - Bilberry, Whortleberry
2. Vaccinium ulginosum L. - Bog Whortleberry
3. Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. - Juniper
4. Fragaria viridis Duch. - Wild Strawberry
Berries with medicinal and delicious qualities are collected.
Not only the berries but also the leaves of both Vaccinium sp.
and wild strawberry are collected due to their medicinal
properties. They are important food sources for animals in the
Park as well, for example Bears.
Centaurea kernerana Janka
Vaccinium myrtillus L.
Bilberry, Whortleberry
Rare and Protected by Law Species:
1. Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott et Kotschy Alpine Rose
2. Leontopodium alpinum cass. ssp. alpinum Edelweiss
3. Centaurea kerneriana Janka
4. Asperula capitata Kit. et Schultes
Species from the highland treeless zone:
1. Agrostis capillaris L. - Common grass
2. Juncus trifidus Griseb.
3. Nardus stricta L. -Mat grass
4. Bruckenthalia spiculifolia (Salisb.) Rchb.
Agrostis capillaris, Juncus trifidus, and Nardus
stricta represent three different genuses from the
family Poaceae.
Alpine Rose is a typical representative of rare
species included in the Bulgarian Red Book.
Edelweiss is a beautiful mountain plant which is
picked by unconscientious tourists.
Rhododendron myrtifolium Schott et Kotschy
Alpine Rose
i Os
em
National Park Central Balkan
hern
Beli Osum
li V
it
a
Cherni Osum
R.
a.
Be
R. V
idim
APRILTSI
R.
Be
R. Knez
ha
R.
TROYAN
sum
li O
Bi
al
Ribaritza
R. C
CHERNI VIT
Ro
siz
ta
Stoynovckoto
BO
AT
IN
Ch. Xiadyshka pesen
Kozia
Ch. Echo
Sten
a
Tourist town Beklemeto
Mt.Kozia Stena
1669.8
Ch. Benkovski
Ch. Momena
polyna
Tzari
c
Ch. Vezhen
Ch. Planinski ezborie
hina
Mt.Ymryka
1819.2
Mt.Vezhen
2198.1
rdopck
a
Mt.Lepeniat
1696.1
Ch. Kozia Stena
St
en
Ch. Ambaritsa
R. Popolnezta
Rozino
Mt.Kypena
2168.8
Mt.Zultets
2226.8
Ch. Botev
Ch. Dobrila
Kurnari
Lake Doshtanstie
Mt.Urushka Gramada
2136.2
Ch. Pleven
Mt.Levski (Ambaritsa)
2165.5
Ch. Dermanka
Anton
SeverenDjendema
Ch. Orlovo gnazdo
Klisura
Crednogorie
e
Pe
eto
Christo Danovo
R . Pe
R. Zlateshtka
Mt.Paskal
2029.1
Mt.Baba
2070.3
Eganovo
Mt.Golyam Kypen
1658.8
ka
ti S
li
Ch. Mazalat
Ch. Tuzha
Mt.Treglav
2275.4
Mt.Kozia Stena
1707.9
Mt.Botev
2375.9
Ch. Rai
sh
Ch. Treglav
Sok
olna
Ch. Levski
eka
tara R
Djend
S
ema
Ch. Sokolna
Ch. Balkanski Rosa
SOPOT
Ch. Hubavetz
Tuzha
KARLOVO
Manolovo
Vasil Levski
Legend
R.
KALOFER
National Park Boundaries
Troyan
Rivers and Streams
IN
BOAT
Boundaries and names of Reserves
ha
na
Boundries and names of towns
Roads
Railroads
Tu
z
R.
Lu
Ya
da
R. Tundha
Tourists Hiking Trails
"Kom - Emenae" - West to East Bulgarian Hiking Trail
Tourist Chalets
Contact Information:
Directorate National Park Central Balkan
Bodra Cmyana Street #3
5300 Gabrovo
Tel. +359 66 249 92 Tel./Fax: +359 66 206 97
Email: np_cb_gb@mbox.eda.bg
National Park Central Balkan
Designated in 1991 by a decree of the Ministry of Environment, the Central Balkan National Park is one of the youngest among the twelve Bulgarian National Parks. It
covers an area of about 730 km2 with the lowest elevation being 640m and highest point, Botev Peak, reaching 2,736 m. The boundaries of the park encompass nine strict nature
reserves, which ensure the preservation of the representative samples of the unique nature of this mountain. For example: the ancient beech and beech-fir forests and the forests of
Macedonian pine - which found refuge here during the last period of glaciation. They are being gradually replaced by the highland meadows, established and maintained through
the centuries by the traditional grazing. Various species of animals and plants that do not occur in other parts of the world inhabit these virgin lands. The Central Balkan National
Park and eight of the nature reserves in it are on the UN List of National Parks and Protected Area. This is a high recognition of their importance in global conservation.
Owing to its specific geographic location, the mountain forms the climatic boundary of Northern and Southern Bulgaria. This is the cross-roads for the species of the moderate
continental and the Mediterranean climatic zones. This, as well as its diverse relief and the altitudinal differences, makes the National Park a perfect shelter for a number of plants
and animals that have survived here. In the very heart of the park - the massif of the Botev Peak in which new plant species still continue to evolve - eleven of Balkan plants can be
observed in this place only. This territory is one of the last European habitats of the bear, the wolf and the Balkan chamois, species that determine the key role that Bulgaria has to
play for the preservation of the natural heritage of the old continent. The Central Balkan also shelters the largest European protected mass of aged beech forests - some of them
older than 250 years!
Appendix 3. Traveling Nature Display Questionnaire (Bulgarian Version)
100
Appendix 4. Travelling Nature Display Questionnaire Data Sets
The tables contained in this Appendix are the condensed results of the pre-test and
post-test questionnaires from the 6th Class, 7th Class, and 10th Class. Each class is
presented separately. There is a separate table for each question containing a title row
consisting of the question number, the scores (0 - 5), and total students. The remaining
rows in each table (separated by pre-test and post-test) show the total number of
questionnaires that received the corresponding score.
102
6th Class Test Results
Question 1
pre-test
post-test
0
13
3
1
0
0
2
0
0
Score
3
10
22
4
2
1
5
0
0
Total Students
25
26
Question 2
pre-test
post-test
0
13
3
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
10
22
4
2
1
5
0
0
Total Students
25
26
Question 3
pre-test
post-test
0
1
7
1
0
0
2
24
6
3
0
10
4
0
2
5
0
1
Total Students
25
26
Question 4
pre-test
post-test
0
0
1
1
2
0
2
1
4
3
2
1
4
13
12
5
7
8
Total Students
25
26
Question 5
pre-test
post-test
0
13
0
1
11
2
2
1
5
3
0
0
4
0
12
5
0
7
Total Students
25
26
Question 6
pre-test
post-test
0
6
4
1
0
0
2
0
1
3
2
2
4
17
17
5
0
2
Total Students
25
26
Question 7
pre-test
post-test
0
3
1
1
0
1
2
22
17
3
0
7
4
0
0
5
0
0
Total Students
25
26
Question 8
pre-test
post-test
0
6
4
1
2
5
2
9
6
3
8
7
4
0
3
5
0
1
Total Students
25
26
103
Question 9
pre-test
post-test
0
4
2
1
0
2
2
18
13
3
3
4
4
0
2
5
0
3
Total Students
25
26
Question 10
pre-test
post-test
0
4
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
0
4
0
1
5
19
25
Total Students
25
26
Question 11
pre-test
post-test
0
3
4
1
0
0
2
1
0
3
6
4
4
14
11
5
1
7
Total Students
25
26
Question 12
pre-test
post-test
0
25
25
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
4
0
0
5
0
1
Total Students
25
26
7th Class Test Results
Question 1
pre-test
post-test
0
10
7
1
1
0
2
1
0
Score
3
15
18
4
1
1
5
0
0
Total Students
28
26
Question 2
pre-test
post-test
0
5
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
23
21
4
0
2
5
0
3
Total Students
28
26
Question 3
pre-test
post-test
0
12
4
1
2
1
2
1
1
3
13
7
4
0
11
5
0
2
Total Students
28
26
Question 4
pre-test
post-test
0
4
1
1
2
0
2
14
1
3
4
9
4
2
15
5
2
0
Total Students
28
26
104
Question 5
pre-test
post-test
0
12
1
1
12
3
2
3
2
3
1
0
4
0
4
5
0
16
Total Students
28
26
Question 6
pre-test
post-test
0
4
6
1
0
0
2
1
0
3
2
0
4
21
13
5
0
7
Total Students
28
26
Question 7
pre-test
post-test
0
9
5
1
7
4
2
11
9
3
0
0
4
1
4
5
0
4
Total Students
28
26
Question 8
pre-test
post-test
0
3
2
1
1
0
2
17
15
3
6
6
4
1
2
5
0
1
Total Students
28
26
Question 9
pre-test
post-test
0
4
0
1
0
0
2
24
0
3
0
10
4
0
13
5
0
3
Total Students
28
26
Question 10
pre-test
post-test
0
4
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
2
0
4
0
0
5
22
26
Total Students
28
26
Question 11
pre-test
post-test
0
16
6
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
1
0
4
8
0
5
3
20
Total Students
28
26
Question 12
pre-test
post-test
0
23
18
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
1
2
4
3
1
5
1
5
Total Students
28
26
105
10th Class Test Results
Question 1
pre-test
post-test
0
3
3
1
0
0
2
0
0
Score
3
11
15
4
3
0
5
1
0
Total Students
18
18
Question 2
pre-test
post-test
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
3
13
5
4
2
4
5
2
9
Total Students
18
18
Question 3
pre-test
post-test
0
8
5
1
0
0
2
0
1
3
10
4
4
0
7
5
0
1
Total Students
18
18
Question 4
pre-test
post-test
0
0
0
1
2
0
2
1
0
3
7
2
4
5
12
5
3
4
Total Students
18
18
Question 5
pre-test
post-test
0
6
1
1
0
1
2
1
0
3
1
4
4
7
2
5
3
10
Total Students
18
18
Question 6
pre-test
post-test
0
3
2
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
3
1
4
12
12
5
0
3
Total Students
18
18
Question 7
pre-test
post-test
0
7
4
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
1
7
4
8
4
5
2
3
Total Students
18
18
Question 8
pre-test
post-test
0
0
4
1
2
0
2
5
2
3
8
2
4
2
7
5
1
3
Total Students
18
18
106
Question 9
pre-test
post-test
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
14
8
4
0
5
5
0
2
Total Students
18
18
Question 10
pre-test
post-test
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
4
1
2
5
17
16
Total Students
18
18
Question 11
pre-test
post-test
0
5
4
1
0
0
2
0
1
3
2
1
4
10
10
5
1
2
Total Students
18
18
Question 12
pre-test
post-test
0
9
8
1
0
0
2
1
1
3
1
0
4
1
0
5
6
9
Total Students
18
18
107