The European ecological network NATURA 2000, the largest single functional network of protected areas in the world, was created with the objective of protecting biodiversity. The network has been constituted within the European Union since 1979 and includes over 26 000 protected areas in all EU member states with a total area of 850 000 km², i.e. 20% of EU territory. The process of active conservation and management of the network is a challenge to the European Union, as well as the need for awareness and involvement of local people in the management and conservation activities. This is one of the main priorities of member states and the Community. Involving young people through an active learning process in the protection of NATURA 2000 sites is proving to be a very successful practice in Europe. Such practices are applied in Poland, Slovakia, Germany and Britain. Since young people are more active in seeking new challenges and are more committed to their future, they embrace the global concepts of nature protection more easily, especially when linked to places where they live and know. It is clear that there is a need for toolkits, specifically linked to the NATURA 2000 network, where one of the highlights should be the benefits of the network (economic, aesthetic, health, etc.) for the local population. It is also essential to put emphasis on local and regional approach of working with youth and local communities as a sustainable method for the implementation of new ideas and the introduction of NATURA 2000 at the local level.

The main project goal was focused on raising public commitment and providing support to teachers and pupils – representatives of the local communities - about the meaning and the benefits of the introduction of protection measures for the territories by the ecological network NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria.

Specific objectives include the following:

-         Enhancement of the information flow and teacher’s knowledge and skills related to subjects bounded with the NATURA 2000 ecological network as a whole, and particularly about the network zones at local level.

-         Integration of EU experience on inclusion of school subjects related to NATURA 2000 and environmental preservation in educational programmes and sharing of good practices.

-         Increasing the pupils’ knowledge about the meaning and the range of the NATURA 2000 network, about the importance of the network for the local communities, through introduction of special practices for extracurricular education.

-         Encouraging commitment of the local stakeholders about the means, potentials and benefits ensuing by the establishment and management of the NATURA 2000 network in Bulgaria.

The project objectives were achieved by implementing a series of operational analyses, which included review and analysis of EU practices related to education for NATURA 2000 and conservation of biodiversity. Furthermore, a National Roundtable on Education for NATURA 2000 and Sustainable Local Development was organized (action 1). Needs assessment of the educational institutions (schools and municipalities) was carried out to support development of environmental programmes at NATURA 2000 territories (action 2). Following an in-depth analysis, a number of core activities were implemented, such as elaboration of a national concept for interpretation and communication of NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria (action 3); development of educational aid for extra curricular education in higher school (8-12 grades) with information about the NATURA 2000 zones (activity 4); approbation of the educational aid in pilot schools working in NATURA 2000 territories in Bulgaria (activity 5); teacher training about the potentials of educational aids for environmental preservation (activity 6). The final set of activities aimed to disseminate and promote the products of the project, such as dissemination of the handbook for NATURA 2000 (activity 7), design and implementation of an information campaign on NATURA 2000 in schools and municipalities in 5 regions of the country (activity 9). Last but not least, public forums for NATURA 2000 were held in 5 municipalities in Bulgaria under the project – Belogradchik, Varna, Provadia, Svishtov and Smolyan (activity 8).

The results of the project can be divided into 4 main groups:

• Conducted analysis of the status of NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria, the needs of schools for specialized educational materials for extracurricular education in secondary school and practices within the EU education for NATURA 2000. 3 reports were published.
• Development, approbation and printing of teacher’s handbook “NATURA 2000 in Education” for extracurricular education in 8 to 12 grades. The handbook was distributed through a series of 9 workshops held in the target project municipalities from Bulgaria - Blagoevgrad, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Montana, Smolyan and Sofia.
• Developed concept for development of National information and communication strategy for NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria. The concept became part of the process of developing terms of reference for a national communication strategy for NATURA 2000 by the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW);
• Five public forums “Management of NATURA 2000” were held in Belogradchik, Varna, Provadia, Svishtov and Smolyan. 20 meetings were organized for all forums where basic problems in the management of NATURA 2000 at regional level were defined. Every forum prepared a joint declaration where all basic and necessary steps for specific locally dependent management of NATURA 2000 zones were recorded. All collected information was published in the report “Public participation and implementation of public forums as an approach in the management of NATURA 2000 network in Bulgaria”
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