G e a C h e l o n i a F o u n d a t i o n Project Bulgarian - Swiss partnership for development of the Gea Chelonia Foundation Tortoise centre Executive Agency: Gea Chelonia Foundation Partner: Schildkroten-Interessengemeinschaft Schweiz Supported by a grant from Switzerland through the Partnership and Expert Fund
Project summary Budget : Swiss grant: Duration : Geographical scope : 120488,72 lv. 108439,85 lv. 24 months Tortoise Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre (TBRC), managed by Gea Chelonia Foundation Banya village 8239, District of Burgas Bulgaria
Who are we?
Location On the main road Varna - Burgas 6 kilometres from Irakli Protected Area Transport to the destinations in the country
T o r t o i s e C o n s e r v a t i o n C e n t r e s i n E u r o p e Legend
What are the Tortoise centre s functions? Monitoring the tortoise populations in Bulgaria. The results are applicable by development of conservation strategies.
Scientific research on the biology and ecology of both Bulgarian tortoise species
Conservation actions
Rehabilitation, treatment and release of confiscated, injured and abused tortoises
Head-start programs
Information and education
Sustainable local development, work with local community, volunteering
Green tourism
Why we developed this project? to use the Swiss experience for strengthening the Tortoise centre as a rescue, scientific and tourist centre to improve the tortoise facility to increase the centre s team capacity
Main aim of the project Enhancing the effectiveness and the role of the Tortoise Centre as a rescue, scientific and tourist centre
Building a sustainable Bulgarian-Swiss cooperation for development of TBRC as a European Rescue Centre Optimization of the material base related to the tortoise rehabilitation, breeding and housing Developing and offering a herpetological tourism and collaboration with foreign experts in the field of chelonian conservation and research
Main activities 1. Organization activities, partnership and management SIGS expert s visit in the TBRC and introducing the centre s work, consultancy and training Accounting and financial control
2. Improving the infrastructure related to the specific tortoise care Inside facility repairs (roof, ceiling, heating system, outside isolation) Centre safeguards (fence reconstruction, safety nets, and security system) Purchase of indoor quarantine pens for tortoises 3. Cooperation in the field of tourism Visiting herpetological sites along the Black Sea coast Field work preparation Field work: amphibians and reptiles localization and photographing the animals and their habitats
Data analyses, photo album preparation Tourist programs and packages development Informational brochures preparation and distribution among tourist agencies 4. Publicity and transparency Media popularization Website launching Distribution of promotion hats Placing an informational sign in the Tortoise centre Project representing
Partnership Gea Chelonia Foundation Operational and financial management and reporting Development and popularization of herpetological tourism, reception of tourists and guiding Optimization of the infrastructure related to the tortoise treatment and rehabilitation. Popularization of the project, the Tortoise centre and the herpetological tourism nationally and abroad Publicity and transparency
Partnership Schildkroten-Interessengemeinschaft Schweiz Making an analysis the TBRC activities, highlight weak aspects of its work, consulting and training the team to overcome the obstacles and constraints to its future development in order to achieve high efficiency and European standard Developing methods and strategies to increase the effectiveness of the Centre Initial field work, designating herpetological routs to be of tourist interest Promotion of tourist destinations Promotion the TBRC as a tourist and scientific centre at the international level and linking its team with Swiss tourists and experts in the field of herpetology
What results we seek? established a long-term cooperation with Swiss organizations dedicated to chelonian conservation increase experience in managing projects and international cooperation increased adopted the Swiss experience in tortoise care thus the European standards in chelonian conservation and research improved the material base and infrastructure in regards with the specific functions of the centre and meeting visitors and tourists
covered criteria for rescue centres for applying for governmental funding expanded TBRC services related to the tourism and attracted Bulgarian and foreign tourists; disseminated information about the project and the Swiss cooperation at national and international level; achieved financial sustainability and independence of TBRC
What we have achieved? We held a "Tortoise week" - seven-days meeting with our Swiss partners from the Schildkroten Interessengemeinschaft Schweiz (SIGS), held from 23 to 30 May 2014. Three SIGS representatives have been consulted and trained our team.
We organized meeting with Swiss ambassador, Hon. Regina Escher Along with our partners and ambassador Escher we have participated in meeting with the Mayor of Burgas Municipality
We made repairments of the centre facility and improved the conditions for tortoise care and tourist service
We have prepared new tourist product herpetological tourism and have popularized it nationally and abroad We received first foreign tourist groups in 2015
We created valuable relations with Swiss, German and Austrian herpetologists, tortoise lovers and organizations in this field
For more information: www.geachelonia.org