What is the Vlahi Eco-center?
The easiest way to answer is: It is a dream on the way to becoming true...
As young environmentalists, tired of witnessing the damages inflicted upon the environment by the current socio-economic model, we wanted to have a place where everything is consciously managed and taken care of in the most environmentally sustainable way. A positive place, demonstrating that it is possible to live in a modern way while respecting the local traditions. We wanted to combine traditional building and land cultivating techniques with modern technologies for generating energy from renewable sources like the sun; to be able to show to pupils and students the beauty and diversity of the nature and inspire them to respect it.
Therefore in 2003 CVS-BG bought the former building of the school in the village of Vlahi with its adjoining yard from the local municipality with the determination to preserve the purposes of that building. We started step by step to reconstruct it and develop an Eco-center there.
Aims
Our aim is to create an Eco-Center in Vlahi as an active model for sustainable development. It will serve as a:
1. Visitor center for the general public and the tourists;
2. Field study center for schools (pupils and teachers);
3. Research center for students and scientists (biology, ecology, biodiversity, geography, landscape architecture);
4. Social center for international gatherings and camps;
5. Facilitation center for debate, dialogue, training and education on issues of environment, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, renewable energy, etc.
6. Demonstration facility for renewable energy installations as well as traditional and innovative gardening techniques, such organic farming practices, which will be available for the local community and all the other above mentioned target groups.
Objectives
The Eco-Center Vlahi pursues the following objectives:
1. Raising and instilling environmental awareness and nature values in the general public. Because of its favorable situation in a highly-rich biodiversity region the Eco-Center Vlahi is able to combine the function of a nature-study center with an information and education center. It aims at raising and fostering the public awareness about nature protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development through an applied environmentally aware lifestyle.
2. Providing a base and programs for outdoor and indoor environmental education. At school and in the university environmental programs are mainly taught on a theoretical basis. The pupils and students do not have the possibility to practice what they have learned. The Eco-Center Vlahi provides this opportunity. The main principles to be followed in all the educational activities will be “Learning about nature in nature” and “Learning by doing”. Through these activities, interest in earth science-related subjects or activities will be stimulated.
3. Demonstration of models for energy efficiency and using of renewable energy sources. Although there is frequently direct sun, it is still very common in the region to use wood and coal for heating instead of solar energy. Therefore the Eco-center will serve as a promotion facility showing that it is feasible to invest in such new technology for the region - not only for the local population but also for the urban dwellers. Moreover the direct application of renewable energy sources and energy efficient appliances in the Eco-center will result in avoidance of CO2 and GHGs. With the help of the Central Laboratory for Solar Energy and New Energy Sources at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences the solar system was implemented and is functioning well.
4. Demonstration of biological methods for waste water purification and compost methods for solid waste treatment. The local people of Vlahi and the region do not use any purification methods for their waste water that goes directly in the river. In response to this, the Eco-center will show contemporary and sustainable practices for solving this problem. For example, we are designing and will soon install a wetland wastewater treatment system. Also, composting, a means to decrease organic solid waste by transforming it into natural fertilizer, is already being utilized by the Eco-center. To achieve this objective we work in cooperation with the Laboratory of Hydrobiology at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection by the Biological Faculty of the Sofia University.
5. Preserving and spreading the existing knowledge of sustainable agriculture. In modern times, traditional and sustainable means to exist, such as tending land without using chemicals, are almost forgotten or they are very rarely used in places with high rates of poverty and unemployment. However, the peasants of Vlahi village still maintain such traditional sustainable lifestyles, and the Vlahi Eco-center will use, preserve and display these land-tending techniques.
6. Popularizing voluntary service and promoting intercultural exchange and learning. The reconstruction of the building was possible thanks to the active participation of more than 100 international and Bulgarian volunteers for the past three years. The maintenance of the Eco-center will be mainly provided by volunteers also. It serves as facility for international gatherings, trainings, seminars, workcamps and youth exchanges.
Location
The area:
The Eco-center is located in the village of Vlahi, Kresna municipality in southwestern Bulgaria. Vlahi is situated in the adjustment territories of the Pirin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Nature Reserve Tisata, where endemic and rare Mediterranean habitats and species are preserved, like white oak, Greek juniper, Oriental plain, Herman’s and Iberian tortoise, cat snake, four-lined snake, worm snake, several species of bats. The village has a favorable Continental-Mediterranean climate and unique location at the foot of the high mountain, but still close to the Kresna Gorge, an important ornithological area (bird migratory route Via Aristotelis passes through) and potential NATURE 2000 site.
The village:
Vlahi is situated 9 km from the town of Kresna and about 160 km south from Sofia. In the past the village was inhabited by more than 2000 people, today less than twenty persons live here. You can reach Vlahi by bike, by car or local public transport on weekends. The town of Kresna is situated on the main road from Sofia to Greece and can be reached by both bus and train.
The building and the garden:
The building of the Eco-Center is the former local school, a traditional wood and stone construction. It has 2 floors. On the ground floor there is a big seminar hall for 30-35 people, kitchen, dining room and office, while on the second floor there is a sleeping room for 20-25 people, a smaller seminar hall and a library.
The garden of the Eco-Center is 1000 square m and it will be a key ecological demonstration area. The following components will be presented in the garden:
· Dry stone wall and hedge – the advantage of these kinds of fence is that they provide different insects and reptiles with a possibility to find a suitable habitat in them, which is otherwise difficult, and to pass through them. The biodiversity concentration in such places is always extremely high. The dry stone wall was constructed in the summer of 2007;
· “Herb spiral” – it follows the model of vertical zoning in the nature, and in this way on small place a big variety of soil and climate conditions could be reached, so different species of herbs could be planted and arranged according to their natural ecological needs (e.g. at the top in the center of the spiral are the xerophytes and at the bottom are those, which are hygrophytes). Such a herb spiral is a component of the permaculture gardens and presents an attractive model for achieving a high biodiversity on a limited space. The herb spiral has also been installed and is functioning well;
· Local and regional endemic and rare species with a global significance, with presentation boards including their names in Bulgarian, Latin and their conservational status, organised in learning paths, will also be demonstrated in the garden;
· Local fruits trees, organic growing of vegetables, beehives will also be shown there.
Work in progress:
At present, after 10 international workcamps with the participation of more than 100 international and Bulgarian volunteers, the half-destroyed building of the former school and the future Eco-center has been reconstructed. In the summer of 2007 there were 3 new workcamps at the Eco-center held between June to September. Shortly we hope to open the Eco-center to the public as an ecological education and demonstration center . If you would like to help us in any way, please contact the office of CVS-Bulgaria by e-mail or phone.
Please find pictures in the Gallery!
A great event concerning the Vlahi Eco-center was the 2005 Eco-bike tour from Switzerland to Bulgaria.
From 21 September to 15 October 2005, 15 volunteers from Switzerland, South Korea, Spain, Poland and Bulgaria promoted peace, intercultural exchange and nature protection, passing 2000 km from Switzerland to Bulgaria on bikes. The eco-bike tour started in Bern, the capital of Switzerland with benefit-concert of Nina Dimitri. On the way the volunteers stopped in Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Sofia, where they presented the environmental-demonstration center Vlahi and the aims of the eco-bike tour.Partners of the project were the branches of the international volunteer and peace organization SCI (Service Civil International: www.sciint.org) in Switzerland, Austria, Serbia and Montenegro and Bulgaria.
On their arrival in Vlahi on 15 October the volunteers participated in a consecration event of the building of the Eco-center. It is an old Bulgarian tradition for good luck new buildings (houses) to be blessed by a priest. About 100 guests were present at the consecration – local people, volunteers, partners and journalists.
A group of women from the nearby town Kresna sang folklore songs. All the guests were invited to taste local meals and products.
The bikes, which they used for the travel, are donated by DrahtEsel - Switzerland. In Vlahi those bikes will be available for the guests of the Eco-center and tourists. See http://www.eco-bike-tour.org
We cooperate with:
For the implementation of this project we work in cooperation with partners and stakeholders from the region – the Administration of Pirin National Park (http://www.pirin-np.com), Municipality of Kresna, Pirin Tourist Forum, BBPS – Semperviva, local schools and Universities.
How YOU can support and contribute to the Eco-center development:
· Take part as a volunteer in a workcamp for two or three weeks: Please contact the office of CVS-Bulgaria by e-mail or phone.
· Be a long-term volunteer assisting the Eco-Center management with CVS-BG: For details, please contact the office of CVS-Bulgaria by e-mail or phone.
· Take part as a volunteer in the Eco-Working Group of CVS-BG: Please contact the office of CVS-Bulgaria by e-mail or phone.
· Make a donation: (CVS Bulgaria: Account Number 1014 31 9417, Bank Code 2 00800 23, United Bulgarian Bank, Branch Interpred, Please make a note: for the Eco-Center Vlahi)
The financial support for this project was provided till now from:
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
Milieukontakt Oost Europa
Small Grants Programme of GEF
Jucker Mauderli Fund of SCI-Switzerland
