Wildlife Holidays in Bulgaria and Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Vacations in Bulgaria
Planning Wildlife Holidays in Bulgaria? Consider using this free award-winning guide ‘Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria’ to the best places to visit in Bulgaria and gorgeous bird-watching locations in Bulgaria.
In 2022 the book won the first prize in the Bulgarian National Competition in Green Journalism and was widely featured in Bulgarian media. More details are here.
A new perspective on the best places to visit in Bulgaria
This book is a collaborative guide to sustainable holidays in Bulgaria focused on bird watching and the protection of birds’ habitats. I spent over two years preparing it. During this time, I visited four picturesque Bulgarian regions. Each of them is among the best places to visit in Bulgaria and is home to over 300 bird species. And there I interviewed dozens of ornithologists and keen bird watchers, like me.
A significant part of my Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria is based on the projects in the Burgas region, where I am based. The two lakes Atanasovsko Lake and Pomorie Lake make part of the second largest in Europe bird migratory route Via Pontica. And they are among the best places to visit in Bulgaria.
The Best Places to Visit in Bulgaria from Keen Birders
The book is comprised of over 10 conservation projects in different Bulgarian regions, in which I participated personally! It’s a great choice for birding in Bulgaria and for sightseeing nature and culture tours in the country.
- Based on 30 interviews
- Birding & Conservation
- The best bird-watching spots in Bulgaria!
The guide is the final stage of my ethnographic study ‘Mapping Sustainable Holidays in Bulgaria: Combine Volunteering and Holidays!’. It consisted of articles, lectures, and a book.
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 final stage of my ethnographic study, July – December 2021, I won a grant from the Bulgarian Fund for Women. It allowed me to organize more lectures and workshops in the context of the Pomorie Lake Volunteer Brigade and reward the volunteers with prizes. More details are in my previous post.
5 Highlights of Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria
- The two oldest Bulgarian bird-watching vacations in Pomorie and Burgas – the Pomorie Lake Volunteer Brigade (26 years) by Green Balkans and the Atanasovsko Lake Camp (33 years) by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
- The major Bulgarian citizen science project in Durankulak – Durankulak Bird-ringing Camp by the 4 partners: the National Museum of Natural History and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Balkani Wildlife Society, and Branta Birding Lodge & Conservation Centre. The international partner is Dutch bird ringer Patrick Bergkamp who provided the equipment for the research.
- The Wildlife Rescue Centre in Stara Zagora by Green Balkans
- The project devoted to free bird walking tours in Sofia – Sofia Bird Walks
- One excursion in a nature reserve in Kotel, one of the popular habitats of vultures in Bulgaria – The Nature Park Sinite Kamani.
Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria: Table of Contents
Introduction. The Islands of Hope for Birds and People
Chapter 1 Deciphering Green Narratives
1.1 Values, Volunteering, and Peer-to-peer Learning
1.2 Sociosemiotic ethnography
1.3 Participatory action research
1.4 The Prospects for Bulgaria
Chapter 2 Bulgarian collaborative practices: a historical overview
2.1 The Chitalishta in Bulgaria and life-long learning
2.2 The Bulgarian Brigadier Movement and Cultural ‘colonization’ of Society
2.3 Modern eco-initiatives and alternative tourism
Chapter 3 The Conservation Camp Atanasovsko Lake: Collaborations
3.1 The summer camp for like-minded nature lovers
3.2 Counting birds: nature is a book, and species are its alphabets
3.3 The campsite for reconsidering values
3.4 Developing curiosity for birds
Chapter 4 Pomorie Lake Volunteer Brigade: Choices
4.1 The Symbol of the Brigade
4.2 Half-time Holidays with Full-time Fun
4.3 Recording a Sensation
4.4 Challenging Gender Stereotypes
Additional Insights: Case study: Interactive online communication for ecological projects
Chapter 5 Stara Zagora Wildlife Rescue Centre: Names
5.1 Disabled birds on special missions
5.2 How I adopted 4 wild birds
5.3 Witnessing bird operations
Additional Insights: Species restoration: Vultures in Sinite Kamani Nature Park
Chapter 6 Durankulak Bird Ringing Camp: Sunrises
6.1 The caught birds, photo sessions, and the ethics
6.2 Delayed Flight
6.3 Women and Children in the Ornithological World
Additional Insights: 2 Useful Online Tools for Identifying Birds
