Ggoals and objectives:

The long-term goals of the project are:

• To contribute to sustainable development of communities living in the vicinity of protected areas (PAs) and the sustainability of parks, future Natura 2000 sites, in the Balkan region.

• To contribute to the sustainability of public awareness raising activities on biodiversity and protected areas through incorporating environmental education in marketable eco tourism products and direct marketing of environmental education elements for protected areas.
  

The specific project objectives are:

• To engage local stakeholders from pilot communities in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Albania living in the vicinity of protected areas in public-private partnerships for biodiversity enhancing business, namely eco tourism with environmental education elements;

• To model innovative mechanism for protected areas’ management income generation;

• To lay the foundations of a Balkan network of NGOs working for the development of the Balkan region as an international destination for eco tourism in protected areas and for marketing environmental education elements.
  

The expected project results are:

• At least 5 marketable environmental education products available for the Samokov area of Rila National Park, Bulgaria

• Economic viability of at least 4 environmental education products tested in each of the pilot areas in the vicinity of Galichitsa National Park, Macedonia, Prespa National Park, Albania, Stara Planina Nature Park, Serbia;

• Local community stakeholders in Pirot municipality in the vicinity of Stara Planina Nature Park, Serbia and in Ohrid, Ohrid lake villages, Macedonia and Gorica, Albania, establish groups interested to foster eco tourism and environmental education development in the respective protected areas;

• Draft contract available between Rila National Park Directorate and  Samokov junior NGO offering environmental education products in the Park.

• Capacity of 4 junior NGOs (2 from Bulgaria, 1 form Serbia and 1 from Albania) built for participation as active members in the Balkan network on eco tourism and environmental education for PAs.

• Functional network among all project participants (8 NGOs from 4 countries) fostering eco tourism and environmental education development for protected areas and inter-country business exchange.
  

Project sites

The majority of activities will be implemented in the 4 partner countries. Some of the activities will be executed only in Albania, Serbia and Macedonia as some developments are already at place in Bulgaria and will serve as experience to build on by project partners. Each country will work in specific pilot area(s) situated in the vicinity of protected areas. All environmental education and eco tourism activities will be directed towards the protected areas.