Ahead of the autumn bird migration, with this post, I share insights into authentic birdwatching experiences in Burgas – the Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake, the oldest Bulgarian volunteer nature conservation vacation. The participants and organizers of the projects talk about how nature, birds, and volunteering link different generations of Bulgarians over decades.
1 What is the Volunteer Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake?
For over three decades, the Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake (Burgas) has become a long-awaited, traditional summer volunteer vacation for nature lovers. The project is run by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB).
This camping holiday takes place annually at the end of August and lasts one week. On average, about 50 volunteers join its projects. By mixing learning, work, and birding, the participants create a world where everyone is equal: people take care of the volunteer community and the birds’ habitats. Unusual activities for the idea of a vacation!
For visitors of Atanasovsko Lake (Burgas), August is the best time to get an authentic local experience to participate in the Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake by BSPB. The 30+ year-long tradition of nature conservation! This August is also distinguished for me by a victory in the national contest in green journalism awarded for my book devoted to birdwatching volunteer vacations across Bulgaria. Download it for free at the end of the article.
For me, it’s been the most utopian eco holiday I’ve ever had. Yet it’s always very inspirational to be part of a great tradition. And I’m glad to repeat that experience annually!
The Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake started in 1988 as a scientific summer fieldwork of ornithologists that recorded the observations of different species during the autumn bird migration. Atanasovsko Lake (together with Pomorie Lake) makes part of the second largest bird migratory route Via Pontica. The place hosts large colonies of different birds-pelicans, flamingoes, and different types of seagulls.
Every year, fascinating research activities at Atanasovsko Lake attract more and more curious nature lovers. Most of them were relatives or friends of the scientists. They spent their time sunbathing and helping the scientific team. Gradually, the number of volunteers increased significantly, and people started taking their vacations to work for the protection of the birds’ habitats in the natural reserve Atanasovsko Lake.
The popularity of birdwatching and nature conservation activities encouraged the BSPB to create a program for volunteers. The construction of artificial islands for birds, the recording of bird species with the application of scientific methods, and the cleaning of the natural reserve are just some of the main activities.
2 Collaborating through citizen science
‘What is the camp about? It’s a place for making interesting acquaintances, enjoying useful work, and planting seeds for learning new things’, – defines the project Nikolai Katsarov, a participant in the Camp since 2011.
The project aims to support the natural reserve which hosts thousands of birds and raise public awareness of the challenges birds face. Atanasovsko Lake is part of the second largest in Europe bird migration route Via Pontica.
For the years of its existence, the camp has acquired many functions.
‘The camp has become an incubator for many Bulgarian eco-activists and environmental professionals’, – shared insights Petar Yankov, one of the camp’s founders.
‘Through citizen science projects, like this one, we want to show that collaborations between environmentalists and ordinary people can be mutually beneficial’, – points out Irina Mateeva, European Policy Officer of BSPB.
One of the lectors Stoycho Stoychev, the Director of Environmental Protection of BSPB encouraged us to activate our interest in nature through citizen science tools (websites, collaborative projects, etc.) and not be afraid of possible mistakes.
‘The experienced and inexperienced make the same number of mistakes, the latter from a lack of experience and the former from an abundance of confidence, – wisely remarked Stoycho. – The more recorded observations, the more reliable data’.
3 Working together for a great cause
Since I live on the bird migration route, I’ve participated in the project several times. And last year this oldest Bulgarian eco-vacation became part of my ethnographic research Mapping sustainable holidays in Bulgaria: combine volunteering and vacations! The project was supported by the Bulgarian Fund for Women and the Open Society Foundation.
With this project, I aim to promote volunteering in Bulgaria as a meaningful pastime and a tool for personal growth and development and, at the same time, I want to support volunteers by offering them practical workshops.
At the Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake in Burgas, I’m always impressed by a particular environment based on equality and support. Somewhat utopian for our times, particularly for the idea of holidays.
Even so, the project is inspired by some hippie values: a love for nature, a purpose-driven life, kindness, open-mindedness, and equality.
‘It definitely makes sense to embark on such an adventure and enjoy its outcomes, – believes volunteer Teodor Trifonov. – Because it’s always easy to find what’s wrong and isn’t perfect, but here everyone works for one great cause, which I find worthwhile. And it’s a real pleasure to work with like-minded people!’.
Every day we subscribed for different team-based tasks related to supporting the camp and the reserve.
Serving meals, repairing work, restoring an artificial island, building wood platforms, cutting cane, and bird monitoring. These were just some of our responsibilities.
While working, we learned a lot about the area and the birds that use it. We maintained an artificial island for pelicans, cleaned the way of pied avocets, planted seaweeds from Atanasovsko Lake to Pomorie Lake, and helped ornithologists monitor bird migration.
Some participants with wood-crafting skills repaired the roof of the camp headquarters, used as the main office, the kitchen, the storehouse, and many other unrelated purposes.
Every day one should choose a different task and work on a different site. In this way, for a week, everyone had an opportunity to learn something new by taking care of each other and the birds.
‘There is some magic in such events that allow us to touch nature and get away from it all, – notices volunteer Vladimir Terziev. – For me, such experiences with people on the same wavelength help me rediscover myself, reconsider my values, and exchange experiences with others’.
4 Camping for peer-to-peer learning
‘Education is the main purpose of the project, – says Vladimir Mladenov, the camp’s organizer by BSBP. – In its current format, the project has existed since 1995. We create for our volunteers an environment where they can exchange experiences and educate each other. For some people, it’s a big adventure with which they can try new things: camping, lecturing, and working with ornithologists…’.
Yet, the conservation bird-watching vacation isn’t only about birds. It’s also about a lot of fun due to some impromptu events, like a t-shirt auction.
‘The Camp is a special project that doesn’t have any analogy due to its different activities, – thinks Adriana Todorova, who has annually joined the Brigade annually since 2013. – If one has at least some interest in nature, they can develop it here with a great lecture course and practical activities. I learned a lot about the unique Atanasovsko Lake and its history’.
At the same time, she admits that one should be somewhat adventurous to enjoy camping with strangers for a week.
‘I like the superb mix of fun, work, and learning! It’s a highly recommended experience for those who want to develop their interest in nature and enjoy trying new things, – notes Alexander Petkov. – Of course, camping implies some inconveniences, the conditions here aren’t perfect, but the impressive experience and cool people make up for it!’.
5 Developing curiosity for birds
‘We are all united through our love and curiosity for birds, and it’s very beneficial to develop this curiosity to expand the understanding of nature’, – says Vyara Marinova from Pleven, one of the new volunteers.
Observing birds together with ornithologists was the favorite type of ‘work’ for everyone. But it wasn’t possible to choose it every day because it was a kind of privilege, an award for hard work.
During 4-hour sessions, the ornithologists taught us to observe and record our observations using proper methodologies.
‘Bird-watching is my hobby, and I am here to benefit from practical training and communication with professionals, – says Tsonka Zelyazkova, a volunteer and my fellow companion for the Bird ID course. – In addition to useful methods, I learned a lot about interesting projects BSPB works on’.
At this time of the year, the sky over Atanasavsko Lake is a picturesque kaleidoscope. With diverse migrating flocks, one can see many different birds – eagles, pelicans, flamingos – and learn about them from professional ornithologists.
With the sudden yell: ‘Storks!’, everyone would leave their work and, with fascination, fix their gaze on the flying away symbolic of Bulgaria birds.
The species usually migrates in hundreds of individuals maneuvering gracefully in air flows. So, every stork flock is another captivating performance.
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More insights into nature conservation activities in Bulgaria? Download this award-winning guide based on my two-year-long ethnographic study across different Bulgarian regions.
Images, text and video: Tatyana Garkavaya
