Plant a tree, give hope – this is the motto of the 83^rd edition of Forest Week. The event falls during the first full week of April; this year it is from the 7^th to the 13^th of this month. At the beginning of April, Forest Week kicked off with the inauguration of a commemorative plaque, dedicated to 120 years since the founding of the Regional Forest Directorate, Bourgas. In 2014 we also mark 135 years since the setting up of the Forestry Board in Bulgaria and 105 years – of the Union of Bulgarian Foresters.

The highlight in this year’s Forest Week will be the meeting of the UN Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions. Forest Week was first marked in 1925, when the Foresters Association organized an afforestation festival. At the opening of the national Forest Week, Minister of Agriculture and Food Dimitar Grekov laid emphasis on the importance of afforestation for Bulgaria.  In his words, the amendments made to the Forest Act, which bring the period of afforestation after fire and felling down from seven to three years, will help restore the forest ecosystems but will also create jobs. To mark Forest Week, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food revived the tradition of providing incentives to young and talented students from vocational secondary schools in the sphere of forestry and woodworking. To this aim, an exposition was mounted in the Ministry building of furniture, woodcarvings and other works made by students which are for sale. The exposition is on until April 4. A competition has been organized to single out the schools with the best overall performance; the winners will be announced at the end of the exhibition.

During Forest Week it is worth remembering that trees play a crucial role in the functioning of the entire ecosystem. They change the environment, making the climate milder, filtering the air, preserving and improving water by purging it of dust and other pollutants such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. That is why planting trees in big cities can reduce the greenhouse effect caused by the road surfaces and the buildings. The cooling effect of just one young and healthy tree is tantamount to that of ten air conditioners, working 20 hours a day. On the other hand, the more trees and shrubs in the cities, the more we revert to the natural environment. By a tradition, forestry departments provide all municipalities with plant propagation material for the spring afforestation campaign. The tradition will be continued this year with the focus being on deciduous tree species – cerris oak, red oak, linden and privet hedging. The municipalities will select the locations where the trees will be planted – parks, kindergartens, schools. For the purpose, workers under the temporary employment programmes will be taken on. When an entire forest is planted over a given territory, landscape experts recommend tree species that are closest to the natural environment so as to create adequate habitats for the animals living there.

English version: Milena Daynova