On April 18th, over 15 young people in Sofia, Bulgaria demonstrated the true innovation and energy, that motivated youth, can bring when gathered in one room. The EcoGuardians Hackathon brought together participants aged between 16-30 from almost all corners of Bulgaria-from different part of the country from the east to the west, from mountainous regions to regions located close to the Black Sea.
After learning how to turn their ideas into working campaigns through concrete steps, the participants split into groups and began working on cases important to them.
They formed four teams-each with different interests. Two of the cases were pre-developed by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF), important topics that need the fresh perspective of young eco-guardians. These concerned the protection of the Burgas Dunes and pollinators in an urban environment. The other two themes came directly from the young people themselves-cases that already concern them and which they work on in their daily lives. One was about civic monitoring of environmental data around Breznik, where locals worry about the possible impacts a developing gold mine may have on drinking water quality. The other case focused on sustainable development in rural areas of the Eastern Rhodopes through promoting culture and ecotourism.
With the help of our experts, the young people managed to develop their ideas and transform them into actionable plans. This resulted in proposals for two festivals and two campaigns. One festival will allow people to reconnect with village life and experience the work and traditions associated with it. The other focuses on building an even stronger and more united local community in Breznik.
As for the campaigns, the first is aimed at protecting pollinators in Sofia. To achieve this, the youth will build pollinator hotels to be placed in the city’s largest parks. The second campaign focuses on the Burgas Dune, aiming to make it an interesting place to explore and protect through art.
At the end of the day, the young people presented their projects to our jury. They pointed out both the strengths of the campaigns and elements that could be better structured to engage more people and turn complex nature conservation topics into small steps everyone would want to take.
We expect the young people to start working on their projects very soon, so stay tuned to learn the details first and find out how you can get involved.
The hackathon is part of the EcoGuardian project, funded under the Erasmus+ program, carried out in collaboration with five other countries. The project aims to empower youth to become the voices of nature—those who change the environment around them. 
