West Stara Planina Activities Capacity Building of Local Stakeholders Project proposal writing training A two-day training seminar on proposal writing was organised for local Bulgarian NGOs in October, 2002. More than 20 representatives of local NGOs participated. They were trained on how to define project goals, activities and results, as well as how to develop a budget. Training for media representatives A Media Roundtable, involving approximately 20 representatives from regional Bulgarian and Serbian media, was held in Pirot as part of festival events. The event had four goals: Identify common problems faced by the people of WSP; Present the natural values of WSP to the participants; Find ways for cross-border media cooperation; and Prepare material for a documentary film and promotional TV spots about WSP. The journalists participating formed a network and agreed that they will continue to cooperate in covering the project’s issues and informing the public about other issues related to the conservation of the natural and cultural assets in the project area. Special interest was given to preparing transboundary media projects. The participants had an opportunity to travel widely in the project’s area and identify and collect material for TV, radio and newspapers. Workshop participants were also guests on the Pirot media broadcaster's programme (live), and TV-Pirot produced a documentary movie about the event and WSP. The forests of West Stara Planina - Seminar, December 2004 This seminar focused on facilitating the exchange of information on forestry policies in Bulgaria and Serbia and Montenegro. 25 representatives from forestry administrations and protected areas management authorities in Bulgaria and Serbia were present. The seminar laid the ground for activities regarding the joint management of forest resources in WSP and prepared foresters for the upcoming designation of a nature park in the Bulgarian part of WSP. Two proposals for future joint initiatives came out of the meeting: The reintroduction of Balkan wild goats in WSP and the certification of a pilot transboundary forest territory in WSP. Training workshops on agriculture During 2005, two training workshops were organised in West Stara Planina focusing on agricultural matters relevant to the area. The first workshop, delivered by Kurt Stockinger, focused on organic farming in the presenter’s native Austria, while the second, titled “Lumbricoculture,” dealt with good practices in manure management. During the latter workshop, Suzana Djordjevic Milosevic of the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture spoke about the Serbian Agriculture Development Strategy.

Introduction Activities: Studies Capacity Building People to People West Stara Planina Forum Education Ecotourism Agriculture LEAP Local Initiatives Programme Photo gallery   Other sites: Neretva Delta Skadar Lake