Y.M.D.R.A.B.news_9
Perhaps the most important objective of the project “NO to Poverty – YES to Labour” is to create a feeling of commitment in the young Roma to environment protection activities. That is why our third visit under Activity 1 “Becoming acquainted with the forests of Bulgaria” was in the age-old beech forests around Glozhene Monastery, where all of us became acquainted with some plant species which are rare and threatened with extinction. The trainer told us in detail about the different types of protected areas and the ways they are managed – national parks, reserves, protected areas etc. We became acquainted with NATURA 2000, the common European network of protected areas, aimed at long-term survival of the most valuable and threatened plant and animal species. In Glozhene Monastery we were once again assured of the forest’s role of “a nurturing mother” which had provided here, too, refuge and protection to Vassil Levski, Bulgaria’s Apostle of Freedom.