An Information Day of the series ‘Green Academy’ on the topic: ‘Threats to human health and biodiversity’ was held on 08 November 2019, in Hotel Elit, Pernik Town, Bulgaria.

The meeting was organised by the University of Forestry in collaboration with the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBER-BAS), Pernik Municipality, Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Pernik (RIEW–Pernik), Regional Health Inspectorate – Pernik, and Vitosha National Park.

A total of 105 persons visited the Information event. In addition to the above mentioned institutions, there were representatives of the Regional Food Safety Directorate – Pernik and Municipal Beekeeping Organisation – Pernik, as well as teachers and students from the following schools: XI Primary School ‘Elin Pelin’, Secondary School with Advanced Study of Foreign Languages ‘Dr. Petar Beron’, Technological Professional High School ‘Marie Curie’, High School for Teaching Western Languages ‘Simeon Radev’, and High School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics ‘Hristo Smirnenski’.

Alien CSI participants had talks about the impact of invasive alien species (IAS) on the biodiversity (Prof. Rumen Tomov) and human health (Vladimir Vladimirov), illustrated by several case studies and examples. Furthermore, Prof. Tomov and T. Trichkova presented the citizen science related to IAS and current projects conducted on this topic in Bulgaria. Teodora Trichkova informed the audience about the smartphone application ‘Invasive Alien Species Europe’ and its use in the monitoring of IAS of EU and regional (Danube River basin) concern.

Participants from IBER-BAS made a demonstration of registering aquatic invaders found in Bulgaria, using the IAS Europe app. The students get acquainted with live specimens of the American spiny-cheek crayfish Faxonius limosus, as well as fixed specimens of the newly recorded in the Danube River magnificent bryozoan Pectinatella magnifica, the mussels the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea and the Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana, and the fish: the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, black bullhead Ameiurus melas, Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii, and the pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus.

See Agenda of the Information Day (In Bulgarian)  >>>