• Minister Rositsa Karamfilova and world mountain running champion Veradina Nacheva launched the ‘Protect a Green Tomorrow’ initiative

The Ministry of Environment and Water has launched the national ‘Protect a Green Tomorrow’  campaign – an initiative aimed at making forest fire prevention a shared cause. The campaign was symbolically launched by the Minister for the Environment and Water, Rositsa Karamfilova, and world mountain running champion Veradina Nacheva, who became the cause’s first ambassador.

Minister Karamfilova presented a special award to Veradina Nacheva and emphasised that she would be the inspiration for thousands of people to join the cause of protecting Bulgaria’s forests.

“Veradina is a modern-day enlightener. She is the spark with which we wish to ignite public enthusiasm for the protection of nature - not a fire that destroys forests, but inspiration that unites. True influence is not measured by popularity, but by personal example. In a world where young people are looking for role models to trust, she shows that love for nature is a choice we make every day. It is precisely such people who can inspire real change,” said Minister Rositsa Karamfilova.

In her words, the protection of Bulgaria’s forests begins long before a fire breaks out - with care, responsibility and decisions that every person makes every day. It is precisely this idea that lies at the heart of the ‘Protect a Green Tomorrow’ campaign.

Veradina Nacheva expressed her gratitude for the award and regarded her participation in the initiative as a great honour and an even greater responsibility. “The mountains have taught me to respect nature, because nature always treats you the way you treat it. If, through this campaign, we manage to inspire more people to protect the forests and prevent even a single fire, that will be the most valuable reward,” she said.

Veradina Nacheva is a senior expert in the ‘Monitoring of Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystems’ department within the ‘Environmental Monitoring’ directorate at the Executive Environment Agency under the Ministry of Environment and Water. She is a PhD student in phytocenology at the Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Having worked within the Ministry’s system for many years, she shared that she “has always dreamed of running for a cause - the protection of nature”, and today that dream is becoming a reality.

The ‘Protect a Green Tomorrow’ campaign will run throughout the fire season. Through the ‘30 Seconds for Nature’ series, the Ministry of Environment and Water will publish short videos on social media featuring athletes, scientists, experts, volunteers and people who, through their own example, demonstrate that protecting nature starts with each and every one of us.

The videos will combine powerful personal stories, practical advice and clear messages, all aimed at a simple yet important truth - most forest fires can be prevented. Because every cigarette that is put out, every fire that is not lit and every timely phone call can save not only trees, but entire ecosystems, wildlife and natural wealth that has taken decades to develop.

The key message of the Ministry of Environment and Water’s campaign, around which Minister Karamfilova and Veradina Nacheva have united, is: “Every major forest fire starts with a single small spark. Let’s ignite the spark of responsibility together, not a fire in the forest. Protect a green tomorrow.”

You can find more about Veradina Nacheva’s involvement in the national ‘Protect a Green Tomorrow’ campaign, which will promote responsible behaviour and the prevention of forest fires, here