Elitsa Kapushev is a Bulgarian student at the University of Berlin. Visiting an Iranian summer school focused on the environment in August, she chose to present the work of the Rewilding Rhodopes team.

With its breathtaking images of vultures and other wild nature, the “Lords of the Rhodopean Skies” exhibition thrilled attendees in three Bulgarian cities and raised the profile of the ongoing rewilding initiative in the Rhodope Mountains.

The GPS tagging of vultures and reintroduction of wild herbivores in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area is now demonstrating how Rewilding Europe’s Circle of Life approach can really help the comeback of scavengers.

Published as part of the LIFE Vultures project, the colourful publication gives kids a fascinating insight into the feathered denizens of the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area.

Following last summer’s success, this year’s fledging of 62 young vultures represents another milestone for the ongoing LIFE Vultures project and rewilding in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains.

The journey of the juvenile bird offers hope that efforts to reestablish the black vulture as a breeding species in Bulgaria may ultimately be successful. It also highlights the importance of maintaining a well-connected network of vulture-friendly habitats.

Boosting rewilding activities through strengthened communications, the new site will showcase the rewilding activities of the Rewilding Rhodopes team to a regional and global audience.

Karakachan horse herds based in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area are boosting local biodiversity through their free roaming grazing behaviour. Two new herd contracts begin their incorporation into the European Wildlife Bank.

During the end of June seven vultures were successfully measured, biologically sampled and tagged with rings and wing tags in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria. The tagging operation will add to the valuable data currently being used to support the recovery and territorial expansion of the birds.

Renowned Bulgarian wildlife photographer Bogdan Boev imparts his knowledge and passion to a group of young camera enthusiasts in the beautiful Studen Kladenets nature reserve.