SmartBirds
Between 20 and 24 April, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) organised a nature conservation and educational youth camp in the “town of vultures” – Madzharovo. A total of 19 students and pupils with a strong interest in vulture research and conservation took part, gaining first-hand experience of real conservation work in the field.
Over the course of five days, participants went through an intensive and diverse programme combining theory and practice. On the first day, they were introduced to methods for monitoring nocturnal birds of prey, and on the second day they observed a demonstration by a specialised anti-poison team with a trained detection dog—one of the most important activities for protecting wildlife.
© Ludmil Banev
The programme also covered key topics related to vulture conservation, including methods for reinforcing Egyptian Vulture populations, as well as a presentation of the project LIFE Rhodope Vulture. Participants also learned more about the management and monitoring of birds of prey, as well as the role of ecotourism and collaboration with local communities.
In the following days, the young conservationists took part in practical activities, including demonstrations of vulture tagging methods, the use of camera traps, and the collection and analysis of biological data. Good international practices were also presented, along with activities related to supplementary feeding and nature restoration (rewilding) in the Eastern Rhodopes.
© Dobromir Dobrev
The highlight of the camp was participation in field monitoring of vultures in the Kovan Kaya area – one of the key sites for these remarkable birds in Bulgaria. There, participants had the opportunity to apply what they had learned and engage in real research activities.
© Polina Hristova
The camp concluded with a summary of the knowledge gained and an exchange of experiences among participants, who left not only with new skills but also with inspiration to continue working for nature conservation.
The youth camp was organised as part of the educational activities under the project LIFE23-NAT-BG-LIFE Rhodope Vulture, co-funded by the EU LIFE Programme and Rewilding Europe, as well as the project “Together for Nature.”
Prepared with the support of the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, Civic Engagement and Transparency Facility (CETF) 2024–2029. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the governments of Switzerland and Bulgaria.
