Vanya took the position of the BSPB’s executive director in October 2020. She has a Master’s degree in forest management, acquired in Germany. She has been working in the non-governmental sector since her university years for NGOs in Bulgaria, as well as in Germany.
Vanya has a profound experience in leadership and project management both in the BSPB, and as a part of the team of the Directorate of Vitosha Nature Park. She is the person to keep an eye on the organization in its entirety and to make sure that all the processes in it run smoothly and in harmony.

Stoycho is in charge of our colleagues working in the nature conservation department, and he is responsible for the nature conservation activities of the BSPB. He joined the organization as a university student in the city of Plovdiv, when he started developing ecological educational programs for children. His passion for eagles and the Sakar Mountain brought him a ‘Green Oscar’, the Whitley Award, for his work on imperial eagle conservation in Southeastern Bulgaria. On the international level, Stoycho is responsible for the coordination of the European Atlas of Breeding Birds work in Bulgaria; he is the member of several nature conservation working groups too. His busy schedule does not stop him from finding time for outings in the wild where he kindles the people’s interest in his favorite subject – birds.

Svetoslav is in charge of the biggest project in Bulgaria for buying and managing land for nature conservation purposes. He is one of the BSPB’s secret weapons and he has managed some of the most successful initiatives and projects. Under his management the BSPB project for the conservation of the imperial eagle and the saker falcon received the Natura 2000 Award by the European Commission, as well as the Best LIFE Project award in the EU for 2014. Svetoslav initiated the programme for common birds monitoring in Bulgaria; he works for eliminating the threat of dangerous power lines for the birds.

Nikolay is the most experienced member of our team with regards to the conservation of waterfowl and their habitats. In recent years his work focuses mainly on the conservation of the globally endangered red-breasted goose and the important sites for the species along its flyway; his efforts brought him the ‘Green Oscar’ in 2019. He is an expert of international dimensions and he is responsible for the coordination of the red-breasted goose international working group at the Secretariat of AEWA. Nikolay has worked in Wetlands International as an expert, and he is a member of 5 working groups on waterfowl, as well as a member of the Species Survival Commission at the IUCN.

Irina is a fervent conservationist. She has been a part of the BSPB team since its foundation. Over the years she coordinated the Important Bird Areas Programme in Bulgaria, she launched comprehensive ornithological studies and she published nature conservation books. Her contribution for the creation of the Natura 2000 network and for the integration of European policies in Bulgaria is enormous, so in 2018 she was recognized as one of the European heroes in the campaign organized by the European Commission. Nature and birds are an inspiration for her; she is a dog lover with a fondness for Irish setters.

Anton is part of the team working for the conservation of the griffon and the Egyptian vultures in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains. Before that he took part in activities for the conservation of the red-breasted goose. His experience includes a one-year practice in Germany, where he researched methodologies for habitat modelling. Love took him from Northern Bulgaria to the southernmost parts of the country, close to the border with Greece and Turkey. His interest in birds and nature brought him to the team of the BSPB in 2012.

Since childhood Volen was interested in biology and in birds in particular. He works for the conservation of vultures and other raptors with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. He has gained his profound field experience not only in Bulgaria but also during expeditions in Turkey, Ethiopia, Namibia and Niger. He has lectured at several international seminars, trainings and conferences dedicated to raptors. He likes to spend his free time in the wild, and as any person born in the town of Haskovo, he is passionate about tennis.

Georgi is our most accomplished expert on GIS and information technologies. He manages SmartBirds – the largest data base for biodiversity in Bulgaria. An outstanding herpetologist, he earned his doctoral degree with his research on reptiles and amphibians in Southeastern Bulgaria. His free time is reserved for another of his passions – crossfit.

Dimitar is among the leading experts in raptor research and conservation, with many scientific publications in the field. His doctoral degree is based on his research on the imperial eagle in Bulgaria. He has extensive field experience and he manages the field activities of the BSPB for the conservation of the imperial eagle and the lesser spotted eagle – from identifying dangerous electricity pylons and poles to buying land and searching for nests. He dedicates some of his free time to history and philosophy. A true fan of rock music; his favorite band is Pink Floyd.

Svilen is one of the many school students that grew up with the BSPB and naturally became members of its team. He is our link in the town of Svishtov. At present, Svilen coordinates the work of the BSPB for the conservation of the Dalmatian pelican. He manages two of our projects for the conservation of globally endangered species in Northern and Western Bulgaria. He has won many awards for his conservation work.

Iordan coordinates the common birds monitoring on the national level. A fervent bird lover, he is always ready to visit unexplored areas, so that he can contribute to bird distribution science. He does his best to go birdwatching every day, and he finds the birds of human settlements, the high mountain and the forests particularly interesting. He has trained more than 120 people to identify birds and he is dedicated to revealing the magic of birdwatching to beginners.

Mihail joined the BSPB many years ago but he became a part of our team just recently. His challenging task is the conservation of the globally endangered red-breasted goose that winters in Northeastern Bulgaria. He is also the national coordinator of the monitoring of wintering geese. He has practical experience in field research on birds in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Turkey, Kazakhstan. Proactive, always ready to help.

Petar has been a member of the BSPB team for longest, and he has really ‘climbed the hierarchy’, starting as a founding member, through volunteer, employee, conservation director, executive director and chairman of the Management Board. For two mandates he was a member of the European and the Global councils of BirdLife International.

Petar dedicated his career as a scientist and his entire experience and enthusiasm to the shaping of the BSPB as a successful organization with international recognition. He brought the BSPB to the region of the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, and he introduced the concept of conservation centres in Bulgarian nature conservation. He worked hard for getting the Henry Ford Foundation Nature Conservation Award for the BSPB. He authored several hundred scientific and popular publications and books; he co-authored the Atlas of Breeding Birds, the first of its kind in Bulgaria; he participated in the preparation of the first Bulgarian action plans for species, and of management plans for protected territories too. At present he has dedicated himself to developing Poda Conservation Centre and the BSPB’s success on the territory of Burgas.

Radoslav is part of the BSPB team for many years; he has participated in many conservation activities, looking after protected territories, organizing birdwatching groups, working with volunteers. An excellent field zoologist, he has supplied many valuable observations for the BSPB data base.

Dimitar has been a member of BSPB since 1997. From 2001 to 2010, he served as Regional Coordinator of the BSPB Regional Office in Plovdiv.

He is a co-author of eight national action plans for the conservation of vertebrate species of conservation concern in Bulgaria. He has played an active role in the identification, assessment and conservation of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and the Natura 2000 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds. He has also contributed to the development of numerous management plans for protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, as well as proposals for the designation of new protected areas and the expansion of existing ones.

Dimitar is the co-author of 18 scientific publications in the fields of nature conservation, ornithology and herpetology, as well as two popular science books.

Nasko is the youngest member of the BSPB team and actively contributes to the conservation of some of Bulgaria's rarest and most impressive birds of prey.

His work focuses primarily on the conservation and recovery of populations of the large vulture species, as well as the Lesser Spotted Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle and the White-tailed Eagle.

Marina officially joined the BSPB team in 2025, but she has been connected with the organisation and its conservation mission for nearly 20 years. Throughout her professional career, she has worked as a radio and television journalist, with environmental conservation being one of the topics she has covered most extensively. She holds a degree in Philosophy, and her many years of experience in the media have given her a deep understanding of the role communication plays in shaping public awareness and engagement.

As Communications Director, Marina is responsible for BSPB's communication strategy and for sharing the organisation's work with the public. She believes that powerful stories can inspire people to discover, appreciate and protect nature.

Milena joined BSPB in 2023 as Business Development Manager. She brings extensive experience in working with the corporate sector and organising volunteer and fundraising initiatives, gained through more than ten years in a corporate environment.

As part of the BSPB team, she develops partnerships with businesses of all sizes and across a wide range of industries—from IT companies and wineries to children's publishers and sock manufacturers. Her work helps build long-term collaborations that support nature conservation while creating meaningful opportunities for businesses to contribute to environmental protection.

Thanks to Iordanka you are able to learn what’s new about the BSPB in the social and traditional media every day. She is also responsible for the communications of several of our big projects focusing on the conservation of the Egyptian vulture and the imperial eagle. She tries to balance her busy working days with yoga classes and outings in the wild.

Elitsa is the communications team’s latest addition. She successfully maneuvres between the logistics of 16 organizations dedicated to the conservation of the Egyptian vulture on three continents and the yoga classes she teaches. And in the mean time she looks after her two pets – a cat and a dog.

Vanya is always available for all that tedious administrative work, and she does her job fast and perfectly.

Manuela is one of our team members that remain hidden behind the computer screen but she has no equal in processing documentation and administering the project activities. She likes to go to concerts of her favorite hard rock bands and to travel with her family.

Vanya has been part of BSPB since childhood—first as a member and volunteer, and today as a valued member of the organisation’s professional team. Her creative talent and ability to present nature in an accessible and inspiring way were initially expressed through the creation of illustrations and graphic materials for BSPB.

Today, Vanya coordinates BSPB’s educational activities, delivering lectures and interactive sessions for students in schools across Bulgaria. She presents the organisation’s conservation mission and work, inspiring children to discover and protect the natural world. She leads the “Ecoprventures” educational programme, which encourages young people’s interest in birds, nature and their conservation, and actively contributes to the organisation of the National Ornithology Olympiad.

Vladimir also became a volunteer at the BSPB in his school years. Since a little boy he was passionate about observing and identifying birds and reptiles. He specializes in the conservation of waterfowl and in wetland preservation. He grew up in the town of Svishtov and he made ‘his first steps’ with the BSPB as a volunteer in conservation activities along the Danube River. Since 2010 his work focuses on the study and preservation of the wetlands around the city of Burgas.

Zhany has been part of the BSPB team for 13 years. Over the years, she has worked on various projects and has been involved in tracking bird migration. For the past three years, she has been part of the team at Poda Visitor Centre, where she combines nature conservation activities in the protected area with training and practical experience for students and volunteers from around the world, as well as welcoming visitors.

Bars and Buda are our four-legged colleagues, always ready to respond when needed, together with their handler Nikolay Terziev, to reports of poisoned baits or poisoned animals in the wild.

After 10 years of tireless service, Bars is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement. And although his joints are no longer what they used to be and his eyesight is not as sharp as before, he continues to closely observe the training of his successor, Buda. He is always ready to step in—sometimes with a growling reminder, sometimes by setting an example of exactly how things should be done.

Buda is working hard to reach the level of his four-legged mentor. He learns diligently, improves with every training session, and is becoming an increasingly skilled detection dog. Unfortunately, he has plenty of opportunities to put his abilities to use, as incidents involving poisoned wildlife in Bulgaria are not decreasing—in fact, they continue to be a serious threat.

Bars and Buda are German Shepherds from a working line. They were born and received their initial training during their first year of life in Hungary.

For many years Emil was the regional coordinator of the BSPB in the town of Svishtov. First winner of the ‘Green Oscar’ in the BSPB for his work in the lower course of the Danube River for the conservation of migrating and breeding birds there. At present, Emil works for the Romanian partner of BirdLife International, SOR. He has been a member of the MB of the BSPB for several mandates, and he has been Chairman of the MB too.

Alex is a member of BSPB for more than 20 years. Expert in the area of tourism with more than 25 years of experience. He has taken part in several Midwinter censuses and two of the White stork censuses in Pazardzhik area. He has guided birdwatching tours in Bulgaria and his MD thesis in Sofia University is dedicated to the Development of tbirdwatching tourism in Bulgaria. He is a member of the BSPB's MB since 15.10.2022.