‘Mountain, I love you!’ campaign 2018

From the top of the mountain, you can see a lot of things. Vast expanses, fields, rivers and forests. There, on top of the mountain, you see your friend – the one you can count on when it’s tough and when it’s easy. On top of the mountain, you also get to take a peek inside yourself. To find peace, to appreciate, to think.

‘Mountain, I Love You!’ in 2018

Our goal is to reach young people aged 9-14 who have never met the mountains and take them there – people who: have never been to the mountains; have never slept in a tent in mountain conditions; have never hiked in the mountains; haven’t seen the horizon from the top of a peak – or those children and teenagers who do not have access to the mountains for various reasons:
– lack of financial means;

– lack of family members experienced in mountaineering;

– lack of the confidence and skills (in children and parents) that needed to stay in the mountain;

– lack of appropriate equipment and time.

With the funds we’ve raised so far (3,000 levs) and the quality mountain equipment we have, we are planning to make two mountain camps with groups of 10 children each:

– one camp at the end of June ( 25 – 29.06 ) with a duration of 5 days;

Age group: 9-11 years; bivouacking (sleeping in tents); location: the area of Chakur Voyvoda hut, the Rila Mountains

– one camp at the begging of July ( 02 – 06.07 ) with a duration of 5 days;

Age group: 12-14 years; bivouacking (sleeping in tents); location: the area of Chakur Voyvoda hut, the Rila Mountains.

How can young people become participants in a camp?

They need to:

– match the age criteria – to be between 9 and 14 years of age;
– have never been/have no access to the mountains due to the aforementioned reasons;
– be motivated to participate in a mountain camp and express it in a form of their own choice – an essay, a drawing, a video clip, a song, etc. and send it to us by 10.06.2018, at estestvoizpitateli@gmail.com, together with contact information about their parents, school, teacher, place of residence.

After receiving the motivation message of the child, we will get in touch with the parents, and on the basis of our criteria, we will select the children who will participate in the camps.

Our desire and intention for 2018 are to raise AT LEAST 5,000 more levs, and realise THREE MORE CAMPS.

The possible ways to help us raise funds are:

– by donating directly to the bank account of Natural Explorers:

UniCredit Bulbank, branch Tsarevets, 2 Ivan Asen II Street, IBAN:BG60UNCR70001522566668, BIC: UNCRBGSF

– by purchasing a BUFF, which can be ordered at Natural Explorers’ Facebook page or email.

After finishing the camps, we publish a report on the way the funds have been spent.

You can also take part as a volunteer, by helping us with your knowledge, skills, contacts, equipment and… whatever else you deem appropriate, and also become an ambassador of the cause!

In the ‘Mountain, I Love You!’ campaign, we invest our skills to show the connection with nature and its huge importance for our society; rely on our skills to provoke and lead processes; share our value – connectedness creates sustainability.