• Bulgaria is to participate in the pan-European initiative BioBlitz 2025 from 17 to 25 May within the boundaries of the protected area BG0000167 "Belasitsa"

On 21 May we celebrate the European Day of "Natura 2000" and 33 years since the establishment of the network of protected areas in the European Union (EU). The Ministry of Environment and Water, through its regional structures, will participate in the pan-European celebration with various activities and initiatives throughout the country. The initiatives express commitment, present the management policy of the protected areas of the "Natura 2000" network in Bulgaria and publicize the importance of the protection, maintenance and restoration of natural habitats and species subject to protection in the ecological network.

The structures of the Ministry organize information and educational campaigns, visits to protected areas, clean-up of terrains, releasing birds into the wild, lectures, trainings, open lessons, quizzes, discussions, exhibitions, creative competitions for children and students. The program of events and initiatives for the European Natura 2000 Day, organized by the regional divisions of the Ministry of Environment and Water throughout the country, can be seen HERE.

On the occasion of the European Natura 2000 Day, the services of the European Commission in partnership with Observation.org - a non-profit platform for registering observations of all types of wild animals, plants and fungi, organize the pan-European initiative BioBlitz 2025 for the EU Member States, in which anyone can participate.

During the BioBlitz, participants must look for as many plant and/or animal species as possible in the period from 17 to 25 May 2025 within the boundaries of the protected area BG0000167 "Belasitsa" under the Habitats Directive, with which Bulgaria participates in the initiative - https://observation.org/bioblitz/17822/belasitsa-n2000/.

Individuals nterested to participate should register on the platform's website https://observation.org/bioblitz/ or its application Obsidentify and thus in the period from May 17 to 25 they will be able to upload their observations of species through a photo with information about their location. The system's software automatically recognizes the photo material and offers several options for a plant or animal species, from which the participant chooses the most corresponding one. Subsequently, a team of experts from the platform will check the authenticity of the observation (photo). All information collected on the platform is publicly available to the public. The BioBlitz 2025 initiative aims to contribute to positive change and enable citizens to experience the beauty and diversity of nature in the European Union and respectively in Bulgaria.

On 21 May 1992, the EU Habitats Directive was adopted and the LIFE programme was approved. This directive, together with the EU Birds Directive adopted in 1979, created the network of protected areas in the EU called Natura 2000. To mark the creation of Natura 2000 and to honour the efforts of all those who have contributed to its management, 21 May was declared European Natura 2000 Day by a special Declaration signed in 2017 by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Committee of the Regions.