SmartBirds
Today, April 7, 2025, marks the first day of the week dedicated to the forest. In Bulgaria, Forest Week has been celebrated every first full week of April since 1925, when the country adopted its eighth Forest Law. Throughout the years, the days of this celebration have been marked by events and mass tree planting initiatives, joined by thousands of people from across the country.
This year, Forest Week celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first observance in Bulgaria. The event is held under the motto: “A Century from Eternity in Creation, Protection, and Care.”
Happy holiday to all foresters and to everyone who loves and cares for the forest!
The Executive Forest Agency is organizing events throughout the country, and a detailed program can be found HERE.
Sustainable forest management and the responsible use of forest resources are key in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. The well-being of current and future generations depends on them. The loss of forests also means the loss of irreplaceable habitats for wildlife and plants. Their restoration is a primary goal of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) through projects such as “LIFE for Eagle’s Habitats” and “From Iron Curtain to Green Belt: restoring ecological networks in Southeast Bulgaria”.
Forest Week is celebrated during the first full week of April. The holiday is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Executive Forest Agency. The first officially organized Afforestation Day took place on April 12, 1925. It was held under the auspices of the then Ministry of Public Education and the Ministry of Agriculture and State Properties. In the first year of the Afforestation Day, 420,000 forest saplings were planted, and 20 kg of forest seeds were sown. The following year, these numbers rose to 3.12 million saplings and 208 kg of seeds. The first Forest Week, opened by the Head of the Forest and Hunting Division, Iliya Stoyanov, was held between April 15 and 22, 1934.
