Two new territories come under the protection of the law

At the proposal of the environmental organization WWF Bulgaria, the Ministry of Environment and Waters /MESW/ issued orders for the declaration of two new protected areas - Marinov dol and Sazladzhata. They occupy a total area of over 2700 decares and place beech, hornbeam and spruce forests under the protection of the law, as well as habitats of rare and protected bird species, such as black stork, golden eagle, red-breasted vulture, etc. Some activities are prohibited in them, such as logging for commercial purposes, exploration and extraction of underground resources, waste disposal, camping and lighting fires outside the designated areas, etc.

The declaration of the protected areas was supported by Starbucks Bulgaria – the first brand in the country to invest in the creation of new protected areas. In our country, the chain is managed by AmRest Group – operator of several food chains in Europe. At the end of last year, two other areas – Zlatishka Bukova Gora and Krairechna Gora – were also declared protected at the proposal of WWF Bulgaria with the support of Starbucks. WWF Bulgaria has been working to expand the network of protected areas in our country for years, and the local branch of Starbucks has been supporting WWF's work in this direction since January 2024.

“Protected areas occupy only about 5% of the territory of our country, although Bulgaria is one of the first places in Europe in terms of biodiversity. We are glad that with the support of business we are able to expand their scope, because the pressure on the planet's resources is enormous and a large-scale change in the way they are managed is necessary, which is impossible only with the efforts of institutions and citizens. Preserved nature means better environmental quality for both people and biodiversity, and is the most valuable capital we can bequeath to future generations“. This was said by Neli Doncheva, forestry engineer and head of the “Forests“ program at WWF Bulgaria.

“Less waste, more nature“

Starbucks supports WWF through the mandatory fee that people in Bulgaria pay for the use of certain single-use plastic products, such as cups and tableware. The fee was introduced with the Regulation on Reducing the Impact of Certain Plastic Products on the Environment and increases every year, and information about its amount is included in the cash receipt. The goal is for people to move towards more sustainable alternatives. With information signs in its establishments, Starbucks calls for “Less waste, more nature“ and encourages its customers to switch to reusable cups. Thus, they simultaneously save on the price of coffee and help preserve the Bulgarian nature. In addition, Starbucks customers are among the few who can receive coffee in their own cup, brought from outside, and receive a discount on the drink. Part of the funds from those who still prefer disposable products goes to nature conservation through WWF's work for protected areas, applying the principle of “polluter pays“ in practice.

“We believe that caring for the environment is crucial for the future of coffee and for the world we live in. Our support for WWF is part of the brand's ongoing efforts to reduce waste and encourage our customers to use reusable cups. We strive to contribute to the sustainable development of the countries and regions in which we operate“, said Ivan Georgiev, Starbucks Regional Operations Director for Romania and Bulgaria.

“This cooperation is indicative of how non-governmental organizations and businesses can bring real benefits to nature. Thanks to the support of brands like Starbucks, we manage to inspire people to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives, while expanding the scope of protected areas in our country“. This was said by Marina Mihaylova, Head of “Corporate Partnerships“ at WWF Bulgaria.

What are the new protected areas?

The Marinov Dol protected area is located on an area of nearly 422 decares in the village of Bunovo, Sofia Region. It is home to a variety of beech forests, high-altitude spruce forests and nesting habitats for rare and protected bird species, such as the red-breasted flycatcher, the glossy-headed tit, the forest nuthatch, etc.

The Sazladzhata Protected Area is located on an area of nearly 2302 decares in the village of Bogdanovo, Burgas region. The purpose of its declaration is to preserve a complex of pure and mixed beech forests and nesting habitats for rare and protected bird species, such as the black stork, the golden eagle, the southern white-backed woodpecker, etc. One of the measures to protect the black stork and the golden eagle is the ban on felling within a diameter of 100 m around trees with established nests of both species in the period 1 March - 30 July.

The new protected areas are already subject to certain restrictions to preserve their natural value. These include a ban on new construction, as well as logging for economic purposes, replacement of existing vegetation, exploration and extraction of underground resources and inert materials, waste pollution, camping and lighting fires outside designated areas, etc.