Last updated: October 2021
Students and teachers of the Faculty of Biology at St. Kliment Ohridski University created a habitat for birds, invertebrate species, and plants. The project aimed to popularise easy steps for increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces and effective practices for preserving it. The created habitat also aims to develop and solidify the biological and conservation knowledge of pupils, university students, and the citizens of Sofia, and to help restore the vanishing bondage between contemporary society and nature. Activities have included planting grasses and shrubs by volunteers, placing bird houses, and educational events. (Ref. 1). For the purposes of "Starling on the doorstep" volunteers among students and teachers of the Faculty of Biology began to develop some of the green spaces in front of the building by enriching the surrounding vegetation, and with it the diversity of animals. It was important for them that the transformation took place right in the yard of the faculty, where the future biologists are trained - the people called to take competent care of nature conservation. The idea for the initiative was warmly accepted by both the dean's management of the faculty and the ecology expert from the Municipality of Lozenets, on whose territory the school is located. (Ref 3)
http://archive.zazemiata.org/v1/Skorec-pred-praga.537.0.html
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Institutional green space
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Environmental and climate justice
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
- Popularise easy steps for increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces and effective practices for preserving it
- Develop and solidify the biological and conservation knowledge of pupils, university students, and the citizens of Sofia
- Bring public attention to biodiversity loss issues in Sofia and the need to address them
- Help restore the vanishing bond between contemporary society and nature
(Ref. 1,3)
Implementation activities
- New grass, shrubs, and orchards suitable for local fauna were planted. Part of them formed a hedge, and another part of them were used to create a rockery. In this way, a suitable habitat for shelter and feeding of different species of birds was created.
- The plant species were taken from the suburbs of Sofia.
- The volunteers placed sheds for different types of nesting birds and bats, which promoted their breeding.
- Feeding-troughs for winter birds were installed, which allow bird observation for educational and recreational purposes
- "Hotels" for useful invertebrate species were added to the garden
- Educational boards were placed in the garden
- Visits have been organized for university students and school pupils
- A rainwater reuse facility was created, which is used for irrigation
- The next step planned is creating an artificial pond in the garden, in order to boost biodiversity even further
- The project's message is spread via social media
(Ref. 1; Ref. 2)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
- Capacity building
Main beneficiaries
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Researchers/University
- Young people and children
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Researchers/university
- Other
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The garden was initiated and implemented by students and teachers from the Faculty of Biology in University St. Kliment Ohridski. It was financed with a grant from the NGO Za Zemyata, as a result of Starling on the Doorstep being one of 24 winners of the NGO's contest for green ideas "Do it Yourself".
(Ref. 1, 3)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Other
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref. 1. Source link (2015). Скорец пред прага. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Besarabov, B. (2017). Скорец на прага. [online] available at: Source link
Ref. 3. За Земята Лого (2015) Скорец пред прага: МЛАДИ И ПО-ОПИТНИ БИОЛОЗИ ИЗГРАДИХА НОВ ДОМ ЗА ПТИЦИТЕ НА СОФИЯ: Source: Source link [Website Accessed on 10 September 2020]
Ref. 2. Besarabov, B. (2017). Скорец на прага. [online] available at: Source link
Ref. 3. За Земята Лого (2015) Скорец пред прага: МЛАДИ И ПО-ОПИТНИ БИОЛОЗИ ИЗГРАДИХА НОВ ДОМ ЗА ПТИЦИТЕ НА СОФИЯ: Source: Source link [Website Accessed on 10 September 2020]
http://archive.zazemiata.org/v1/Skorec-pred-praga.537.0.html
http://archive.zazemiata.org/v1/Skorec-pred-praga.537.0.html