category : Responsible waste management, recycling and environmentally friendly behaviour
Ecological consciousness is a sign of the new generation – these are the future owners of our planet and as such they need to have built respect, love and responsibility for nature and the places they live and will leave behind.
Interesting facts about the geography and nature of Bulgaria are:
Stara Planina: The Mountain that gave the name to the Balkan Peninsula runs the entire width of the country and stretches from Serbia to the Black Sea. The mountain contains real natural resources such as forests, an incredibly rich animal and plant kingdom.
UNESCO World Heritage: Pirin National Park and Srebarna Nature Reserve under the protection of the International Organization for the Protection of World Heritage.
Rare animals and plants: Bulgaria is one of the few countries that can surprise not only with beautiful nature, but also with rare animals and plants, some of which have disappeared in other parts of Europe – Black Sea sand lily, cormorant, brown bear, otter, and wild cat.
Unique sandy beaches: Our natural border to the east, the Black Sea, features beautiful beaches with golden fine sand. The coast is also home to great biodiversity.
Pirin National Park
Pirin Park has over 2,000 species of invertebrates – spiders, insects, centipedes, snails and almost 250 species of vertebrates. There are about 177 species of birds, 45 species of mammals, and only 6 species of fish. Some of them need special protection. Such are the bald eagle, the three-toed woodpecker, the mountain mullet, and the spiky turtle. The most common are – chamois, deer, bear, wolf, fox, eagle, falcon, capercaillie and others.
Here is a real treasure of millennial trees such as white and black fir, plane trees, spruces and firs, white pine and poplar.
The Kamchia River Longoza: The ghostly beautiful forest and its animal and plant wealth near the Kamchia River, which flows into the Black Sea. The soil next to the river is swampy, in some places islands can be seen in the middle of the river. Longoz is like a jungle – vines, tall shrubs and low trees growing in four directions, wrapped around familiar tall deciduous plants. Ash, elm, alder, willow, maple and oak are mixed with violin, Wild vine, county, red viburnum – a total of over 40 tree and shrub species, most of them protected. This is the Longoza – one of the rarest forests on the planet, which Bulgaria is lucky to have.
Serbia
Parks and reserves
Serbia has over 250 natural landmarks. These are unaltered natural formations. One of these areas is Davolia Varos in southern Serbia. The name translates as “Devil’s Town”, which seems appropriate for the strange rock formations. There are 2 springs and 202 blasphemies that stand out from the mountain.
Special nature reserves
Eighteen districts in Serbia have been designated as special nature reserves. The government is protecting these areas as a habitat for many plant and animal species, some of which are endangered.
Deliblat Sands is one of these special nature reserves – it is an area of about 115 square miles, covered with sands and steppe forests. The sands are a reminder of the history of the region, which was once a prehistoric desert. Deliblato Sands is the largest sand area in Europe and due to its unique landscape, endangered species, they have been declared protected by law. Here grow 900 species of plants such as Banat peony, dwarf – degree padem, papur. The endangered animals that live here are – small rat, ant, steppe gerbil, degree skunks, small eagle and falcon.
National parks
Serbia has 5 national parks that are open to explorers and tourists. One of these protected areas is the Derdap National Park, established in 1974. The park is located along the Danube River, contains the ruins of a medieval town, the fortress Golubac and the Mesolithic archeological site – Lepenski vir. The Iron Gates gorge, which is part of it, is home to many plants such as – rustibek, walnut, bell and others. Well-preserved forests, canyons and meadows provide habitats for white-tailed eagles, Hermann’s tortoise, snakes, golden eagles, deer, wild boar, lynx and swans.
Natural parks
Serbia has 12 nature parks that protect large areas of natural ecosystems to preserve biodiversity and beautiful landscapes. Golia Nature Park was established in 2001. It is located in southwestern Serbia. There is the biosphere reserve “Golyada-Studenitsa”. The rivers Moravitsa and Studenitsa flow through it. The plants here represent 25% of Serbia’s total plant wealth and include 117 species of algae, 40 species of mosses, 75 species of fungi and 7 species of lichens. The animals that inhabit this park include red squirrels, brown bears, wolves and over 95 species of birds.
The ecology of a country is the legacy that parents leave to their children. This means that they are responsible for their actions before them, and one day these children will take the same responsibility.