Bio-diversity

GEF SGP works in 122 countries worldwide. In Bulgaria it supported financially 91 projects. However, soon SGP will withdraw from Bulgaria. Therefore at this stage of its existence in the country the main task of GEF SGP is to find a way to upscale project results and multiply them at regional and national level. At global level all SGPs are required to build networks of grantees and other stakeholders and to share the experience of the implemented projects. This project focuses on knowledge management in the framework of the SGP co-financed projects in Bulgaria. The specific approach to reach this goal is organization of 2 eco-festivals UzanaPolyanaFest and BeglikaFest. Both fests already have a history. The first issue of Beglika Fest is 4 years ago. In 2011 it is visited by about 4000 people. UzanaPolyanaFest took place for a first time in 2011 with the financial support of SGP. The mission of both fests is to create a model for a sustainable green event that would ispire for action both participants and the audience - action that would lead to change in the attitude of the society and to responsible behavior towards environment. The idea to combine the two festivals in one project was natural - Beglika Fest in 2010 inspired part of the UzanaPolyanaFest team to create a similar event to present SGP results. Logically the implementation of UzanaPolyanaFest 2011 was supported by Beglika fest team. Throughout the PR campaigns of both events it became clear that the target groups are overlapping, while at the same time each festival has its specific face. Thus we reached the decision that we can offer to environmentally interested people two events one at Uzana (free of charge, with accommodation base and possibility for participation of all SGP grantees) and another at Beglika water reservoir (combining social responsibility with good music, contemporary art, traditions and sports). The project team has the goal to actively promote the concept of multifunctional management of natural resources and its application on practice by converting both festivals into partners to local forestry boards, natural parks and local authorities, while for the thousands of people to visit them create an atmosphere of communication between the man and the nature.

Bulgaria