The campaign “Donate a forest for the eagle” raised 2300 BGN for the creation of a riparian forest – a future home for the Lesser Spotted Eagle. A team of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) planted 150 black poplar trees along the Sinapovska River in the Sakar Natura 2000 site with the assistance of the Executive Forest Agency. The trees were provided by the forest nursery in Svilengrad of the Southeast State Company.

With part of the funds raised we purchased equipment, protective nets for the young trees, built a fence and provided transport for the volunteers. Thanks to the donations, for the next two years the care of the young forest was ensured.

The home of the Lesser Spotted Eagle is the forest – near open spaces, pastures, meadows, farmland and ponds. One of the rarest and most valuable forest types in the country, favoured by the species, are the riparian forests, composed mainly of species such as alder, poplar and elm.

We are very grateful to all the donors to the campaign! You are helping us fight one of the main threats to the species in the country – the loss of foraging and nesting habitats.

The restoration and creation of new habitats for feeding, roosting and breeding of the Lesser Spotted Eagle is one of the priority activities of the EU LIFE project “The Eagle’s Lands and Forests”. The creation and maintenance of valuable habitat for the Lesser Spotted Eagle, such as the riparian forest, will contribute to the conservation of the species in the country.