Background

Skills and knowledge, attained in previous successful partnership projects in the area of environment and education, gave the Bulgarian Women s Association the confidence that solutions of the Danube Park problems could be found.

In 1997 and 1998 partial reconstruction of benches and playgrounds was been made, but due to citizens indifference, the positive results obtained lasted for a short time. Thus, it was considered necessary not only to invest funds in modernising the facilities, but also to inspire citizen participation for their repair, maintenance and reasonable use.

Practice

The project, prepared by Bulgarian Women s Association Silistra, was realized as part of the Danube River Initiative Program of the Foundation for Local and Government Reform and the US Agency for International Development. Students and journalists, with the cooperation of Istar cable TV and radio journalists, conducted a survey called Past and present of the Danube Park through which they proved the need of the Danube Park as a city recreation place and ensured publicity of the project.

Teachers and pupils from the Silistra Center for Work with Children participated in a seminar Environmental games for children and opportunities for playing them in the Danube Park . The seminar integrated arts (the Center s main area of work) and children s environemntal education. High-school students from the Natural Sciences and Mathematics High School Kliment Ohridski took part in the second seminar We choose our own future . Its main purpose was to determinate the volunteer group which was to assist actively the project. The future biologists had the chance to put into practice their ideas for the Danube Park appearance.

Two Park Holidays were organized the first one in the beginning of June and second in October 2000. Citizens, and most of all young people and children, participated in environment-friendly activities, such as a bicycle happening, boy-scout games, etc. Through these activities people shared with each other the joy of communicating with nature and appreciated the need of its preservation.

Private businesses Rostela and Kristi 5 implemented the technical aspect of the project the reconstruction of playgrounds and arbors, as well as installing the facilities needed. Students from the Natural Sciences and Mathematics High School, with the support of Erbauer private firm, created an Eco Trail, which includes plant species from the Danube Park, and restored the Alpineum . At the final stage of the project, a Danube Park map was published. It presented the most interesting places in the park. All citizens are able to obtain more information about the project on the Internet http://www.park2000.ccpro.com , as well as to exercise their right of citizen control.

Results

The project provided support of citizen initiatives for the restoration of the Danube Park:
- strengthened partnership between the Bulgarian Women s Association Silistra, the Municipality of Silistra, and other non-governmental organizations;
- gave young people the opportunity to scientifically express themselves and included them in the process of decision taking;
- involved young people from Silistra in activities, such as keeping, restoring, and preserving the nature in the Danube Park;
- restored the Danube Park as a recreation place, as well as suitable area for environmental education activities;
- represented the park as an attractive tourist spot for foreigners through mapping the Danube Park and developing its Internet site http://www.park2000.ccpro.com