SmartBirds
A team from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria), together with volunteers, carried out a large-scale afforestation action in the municipalities of Tundzha, Sredets, Svilengrad, and Topolovgrad. At a total of nine sites, 400 poplar saplings and 300 Turkey oak saplings were planted. Seven of the sites are newly established afforested areas, while two sites that were planted last year were supplemented. As a result, the total number of afforestation sites established by BSPB in the region has now reached 19.
The tree planting is part of long-term efforts to restore elements of the traditional landscape that play a key role in supporting biodiversity. Groups and linear strips of trees will be created along streams and within agricultural areas. These will serve as ecological corridors for numerous species, improving connectivity between habitats and providing nesting opportunities for threatened birds of prey, including IUCN Red List species such as the Eastern Imperial Eagle.
BSPB extends its sincere thanks to everyone who made the action possible: Stroyrent, for providing afforestation equipment; Elhovo State Forestry Enterprise, for supplying planting tools and 300 Turkey oak saplings; and the volunteers who actively participated in the fieldwork—Tiziana Lohja (Albania), Charlotte Rangassamy and Gael Planson Le Serre (France), and Petar Hristov (Madzharovo).
These activities are part of the project “The Green Belt of Southeast Bulgaria”, funded by the Endangered Landscapes Programme (ELP), which is managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative—a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and leading international organisations focused on biodiversity conservation. The University and the Endangered Landscapes Programme are supported by Arcadia, a charitable fund of Peter Baldwin and Lisbet Rausing.
