Projects
Ecopark Vaya has been built since 2015 on the site of abandoned fish ponds beside Lake Burgas (Vaya) – the largest natural lake in Bulgaria. Everything that has been done here has been financed from our own funds and carried out with our own labour, without external financing. The result is a restored wetland with nearly 270 bird species, dozens of species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and more than 90 plant species.
Here we have gathered the reports on the individual projects and activities – from the first cleared canals and the tortoise island to today’s habitats for fireflies, bats and white-tailed eagles. Each report tells what was done, when, why and with what resources. Choose a project to read the full report.
Island for Land Tortoises
A protected habitat for land tortoises and a home for animals rescued from roads.
Read the report →Lake Mussel Conservation Project
Preserving and breeding lake mussels – the natural filters of the water.
Read the report →Restoring the Canals and Water Bodies
Clearing the silted canals and restoring the water regime of the former fish farm.
Read the report →Oil-Spill Protection Facility
Protecting the lake in the event of an accident – a facility built on the ecopark’s land at the team’s insistence.
Read the report →Planting Native Trees
Forest belts of native tree species suited to estuarine (liman) forests.
Read the report →An Orchard for the Birds
Local, non-hybrid apples, pears, mulberries and plums planted as food for birds.
Read the report →Dragonflies at Vaya
Protecting the wet habitats of dragonflies – an indicator of clean water.
Read the report →Protecting the Summer Snowflake
Preserving the sites of the protected summer snowflake in the wet meadows.
Read the report →Stocking the Ponds
Carp, silver carp, tench, grass carp and sturgeon – the basis of the food chain.
Read the report →Water Lilies at Vaya
Restoring the natural aquatic vegetation in the calm ponds.
Read the report →Birdwatching Hides
Hides on land and on the water for watching birds without disturbing them.
Read the report →The Organic Apiary
An apiary on ecological principles – pollination, healthy bees and educational visits.
Read the report →The Summer Snowflake – a Rare Species under Protection
Designated summer-snowflake areas – no mowing during flowering and seed-setting.
Read the report →The Brushwood Pool
A small pool with brushwood shelters – a refuge for salamanders, newts and frogs.
Read the report →River and Lake Crayfish
Clean water and natural banks for the most sensitive inhabitants of the water.
Read the report →Open Laboratory: Students, Scientists and Volunteers
Conditions for research and long-term monitoring of the restored habitats.
Read the report →Daphnia – the Little Water Purifier
Maintaining daphnia populations – natural purification and food for young fish.
Read the report →The Otter – the Most Elusive Inhabitant
Quiet banks and stable fish populations for the predator at the top of the food chain.
Read the report →Native Fish Species
Documenting and protecting perch, bleak, bitterling, eel and the other native species.
Read the report →A Habitat for Fireflies
Wet meadows with no summer mowing, no chemicals and no night lighting.
Read the report →Bee-eaters – the Colourful Guests
Coexistence of bee-eaters with the apiary and protection of their nesting banks.
Read the report →Bats – the Night Guardians
Old hollow trees and dark areas by the water for the night hunters of insects.
Read the report →White-tailed Eagles and Marsh Harriers over Vaya
Quiet zones, tall trees and reed beds for the lake’s largest birds of prey.
Read the report →The Dry Gully and the Triangular Pond
Brambles for pheasants and songbirds and a quiet pond where the pelicans live and feed.
Read the report →The reports are added to with every new activity of Ecopark Vaya.