Tag Archives: Volunteering

Selfie-taking, seashell picking, and bird-watching are the best seasonal activities in Burgas. August marks the start of the bird-watching season in Bulgaria. And this allows for combining three relaxing activities in Burgas (part of the prominent bird-migratory route Via Pontica): observing birds, collecting seashells, and taking selfies against picturesque landscapes. With this post, I share practical tips for mapping your holidays in Burgas and a useful award-winning guide that you can download at the end of the article. Best spots for selfies/photo sessions in the Burgas region Among the wide […]

If you find yourself on this blog, you might be looking for authentic activities to enrich your bird-watching holidays in Bulgaria. You’re in time! Bulgarian environmental organizations have just launched a new season of bird-watching vacations – 2023. You can start planning your bird-watching holidays in Bulgaria by downloading a free award-winning guide – Cultural Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria. It’s Not Only About Birds. Based on 30 interviews: Birding & Conservation This book is an original collaborative guide to conservation holidays in Bulgaria. Volunteering, bird […]

Developing sustainable living in Bulgaria, with his project Equal in the Face of Climate Change, Vihren Mitev, projects coordinator of Young Caritas Sofia, connects young and old generations of Bulgarians through volunteering. With his Ecological Manifesto, Vihren connects environmentally friendly enthusiasts through international collaborations. Join our friendly chat and learn more 🙂 Developing volunteering and leadership ‘Equal in the Face of Climate Change‘ is Vihren’s recent initiative that introduces advanced community-building practices for sustainable living in Bulgaria. It consists of four events that link young volunteers and old people through […]

URL SlugPlovdiv 2019: Volunteers of the Poorest European Capital of Culture Created Community Service from Scratch It was an unexpected trip for me where I combined learning and exploring the best places to visit in Spain. It took place within the Erasmus+ Climate Action Now! Save the Future – an international youth exchange. I was the leader of the Bulgarian team of 7 youngsters. The best souvenirs we exchanged were original recipes from the home countries of the teams – Spain, Italy, Lithuania, and Bulgaria. Find them at the bottom […]

A white stork, a grey heron, and two owls are now under my wardship for several months. I cannot take them home, but the adoption scheme allows occasional meetings to get to know birds in Bulgaria. With permanent disability, the birds are lifelong patients of the Wildlife Rescue Centre – Green Balkans in Stara Zagora. Why adopt birds? The chosen birds are my favorite species, and I picked them from the list of the adoption program of the center in Stara Zagora. Indeed I see this form of engagement with […]

This post is for those who love dolphins) Enjoy! My recent volunteer experience for a marine monitoring expedition devoted to dolphins in the Black Sea brought me to a marvelous world with glorious sea scenery, interesting meetings, and challenging tasks. It all starts at the Pomorie Lake Visitor Centre with visiting exhibitions or lectures about the local biodiversity. Are there dolphins in the Black Sea? Green Balkans declared November the month of dolphins. Every month they devote themselves to certain species and educate about them with creative activities, quizzes, and […]

Explore the incredible volunteer experience of Galway-based Polish Blogger Malgosia Doczyk! For the last 15 years, she created and supported over 20 social projects in the three European Capitals of Culture (ECoCs): Sibiu 2007 (Romania), Wroclaw 2016 (Poland), and Galway 2020 (Ireland). Her blog Blue Tram is a rich source of positive experiences and projects. We met during my volunteering at the Opening of Galway 2020. Beyond Galway 2020. From writing letters to sharing food with Community Fridge The two recent projects at Galway 2020 that struck me by their […]

Immerse yourself in the original Lithuanian traditions and consider creating your own traditional costume under the guidance of artist Rasma Noreikytė (Kaunas 2022)! This post offers an overview of the original workshops offered by Rumšiškės Open-Air Museum of Lithuania. Weaving and lullabies at the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania Rasma Noreikytė works in the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania (Rumšiškės, 20 km from Kaunas), one of the largest ethnographic open-air museums in Europe (about 200 ha). It represents a huge dynamic workshop area with over 40 different educational programmes. With them, visitors […]

Discover an original idea for an enjoyable vacation at the Pomorie Lake Volunteer Brigade! For a one-week bird-watching vacation on Pomorie Lake (Bulgaria), I helped to transfer about 2 tons of sand, got a present from the local rubbish, made new friends, and connected to the citizen science social movement via the iNaturalist app. The starting point is visiting the Pomorie Lake Visitor Centre where you can learn about the local biodiversity and choose the best volunteer project to join. Half-Time Holidays with Full-time Fun I learned about the ‘Green […]

A unique self-management volunteer model of Plovdiv 2019 assisted 300 events. But many Bulgarians were too irritated about the failures of the foundation Plovdiv 2019 to notice the positive achievements of their compatriots. This post offers more insights from the recent report on the Legacy of Plovdiv 2019 Volunteers. In the Deafening Silence of Information Isolation Plovdiv was the first Bulgarian city that became the European Capital of Culture. It had the smallest budget compared to the rest of the Cultural Capitals. So, the city relied on free labor more […]