The cause of BIKE AND RUN FOR CHEPAN 2023

PRESERVING AGE-OLD ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH APPLICATION

In 2021, Bike and Run for Chepan collected over four thousand leva from registrations, which it donated to the Association of Parks in Bulgaria for the launch of a campaign for mapping and preservation of ancient trees in Bulgaria. In 2023, we will again donate BGN 5 from each registration to this campaign, relying on everyone's cooperation to promote the app and engage as many Bulgarians of all ages as possible.

WHY THE CAUSE IS IMPORTANT

Each century-old tree is a witness to a journey through time, it is a voice from another era, and an ecosystem unto itself. A fraction of these trees have been mapped, and even fewer have been placed under the protection of the Biodiversity Act. As natural, and cultural heritage, they represent a huge potential for the development of adventure and alternative tourism in general.
The ancient trees are often victims of destruction by poachers, poachers or unscrupulous farmers and foresters. Their absence from the maps on which the general spatial plans are based is often the reason why they appear on the ground as an obstacle for the already traced new roads and technical infrastructure.

THE APPLICATION

Through a special smartphone application we will map on the ground ancient trees to allow their visualization on the public platform for ancient trees on the web site. On the platform, each tree is visualized and recorded with location, photos, data and status for each tree, as well as a submitter name. Highlighting and promoting, through this platform, the ancient trees as natural phenomena and tourist attractions will not only help to educate and raise the environmental consciousness of the public, but also to directly protect these trees and the ancient forests themselves as a result of the increased public interest in them.

PURPOSE

Once mapped, steps are taken to designate the trees as protected natural heritage sites by creating a file, clarifying ownership of the land, and so on. Within 2021, several dozen trees were declared protected. But there are thousands of ancient trees, so let us continue and accelerate this step and preserve the ancient forests.