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Daily NewsJanuary 31, 2011, Page 4Dutch-Bulgarian Project Discovers "New Thracian Gold" in Eastern RhodopesIva Tontcheva of BTASofiaFor more than a year now, Dutchand Bulgarian experts have beenworking on a joint project in theEastern Rhodope Mountains in SoutheasternBulgaria, which they called"New Thracian Gold". They are convincedthat this land which was oncehome to the Thracians and their goldtreasures, hides abundant natural andcultural treasures that are worth discovering.The project team is working tointroduce new economic forms in theregion based on organic farming,environmental protection and ecotourism.As part of the project, two organicfarmers in Madjarovo havereceived financial support to adjustcrop and animal husbandry to requiredorganic standards and to createconditions for knowledge transferto other organic farmers throughtraining and demonstration. One ofthe two now has a model farm inTopolovo village which has morethan 34 ha organic cultivation and theother a farm in Gorno pole with morethan 400 cattle from the protectedcattle breeds Rhodopi Shorthorn andBulgarian Grey.Also, more than 160 farmers havebeen included in information daysand training on organic bee-keeping,animal husbandry, herb production,and fruit/vegetable growing. Twomanuals have been produced settingout the basic principles and practicesof organic agriculture.As part of the eco-tourism componentof the project, the owners offour old houses received technicalsupport of the amount of 5,000 euroeach to prepare architectural designsand business plans to apply forfunding under the Rural DevelopmentProgramme. Approval is expectedfor one of these shortly whichmeans that a guesthouse there shouldbe ready and operational for the 2012season. The other three are not expectedto be completed before 2013.The project also organizes trainingfor entrepreneurs in eco-tourism.Bulgaria is the first country whichis implementing a combination of thethree components of organic farming,environmental protection and ecotourism.The five-year project is financedby the Dutch National Postcode Lotteryand is implemented by two Dutchnon-governmental organizations,ARK and Avalon."Our main ambition is to help theregion profit in a sustainable wayfrom the natural assets of the EasternRhodopes," the New ThracianGold Project Leader, Dutch expertFrank Zanderink, told BTA.Spring view from PerperikonFollowing is the full text of theinterview with Zanderink:Q: Why New Thracian Gold?A: The Eastern Rhodopes arehome to a huge number of plant andanimal species. It is one of Europe'sregions with the highest biodiversity(or natural richdom). And thereforenot only worth protecting and beingenjoyed by people but also as aneconomic alternative for a regionwhere other economic factors (e.g.agriculture) are disappearing.Q: What is the story of the NTGproject? Who are the people behindthe NTG idea?A: The project is a product ofcooperation between two Dutch organizations,ARK and Avalon, whichare working intensively together withthe local stakeholders who are thebeneficiaries as well. The DutchNational Postcode Lottery (NPL) isthe only financing body of this 5-yearproject.The idea of this large projectevolved from an earlier small projectwhich started some years ago in andaround Madjarovo near Kurdjali withthe reintroduction of cattle to restorenatural processes. This small projectwas an idea of Fokko Erhart andHristo Hiristov. After this projectwas completed, the NPL was invitedto visit the region, which they did andlater on they granted financing forthe new much larger proposal. Nowwe have a team of approximately tenmembers, mostof them workingin Bulgaria.Q: Whatare the principalambitions ofthe project?Can you drawa picture ofhow this regionwill look like in2014 when theproject willend?A: Themain ambitionPhoto: project websitethat we createand on whichwe work is tohelp the region profit in a sustainableway from the natural assets (nature,landscape, culture) of the EasternRhodopes. The picture of 2014 showsa region where wild species whichdisappeared like fallow deer, red deer,wild goat and even European bisonhave returned and attract thousandsof tourists to the Rhodopes who makeuse of new tourist guides, good infor-Continued on page 5