Justification: The project is focused on the necessity of conservation of the two land tortoise species in Bulgaria - Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni. Despite their ubiquitous occurrence in the past, the populations of both species have been critically reduced nowadays.
The threats and limiting factors for tortoises? populations along the Black Sea Coast are mainly urbanization and intensive farming, deforestation along with the following transformation in grasslands or conifer forests, conflagration, poaching and illegal trade for human consumption, pets or souvenirs, etc.
One of the most adequate decisions for these problems is the implementation of the concrete conservation measures along with the sustainable development and appropriate popularization of the actions. The current project plans to apply the nature-friendly approach to the ecotourism and environmental education development, thus contributing to conservation of species of national and worldwide significance.
As a response to the rising need of wide-ranging conservation measures along with the involvement of the local community, the project envisages the establishment of Visitor Center. Through attracting visitors and offering additional tourist products and services, the Center will affect directly the incomes of the local households, thus motivating the local community to take care for the biodiversity in the region and participate in local conservation actions

Location: Village of Banya, Nessebar Municipality, District of Bourgas, Bulgaria

Project Target Groups: Tourists, interested in nature friendly forms of tourism; local authorities; schools and universities; NGOs representatives; scientists; volunteers, etc.

Goal and expected impacts: ?onservation of the land tortoises and their habitats through direct conservation measures, sustainable ecotourism development and popularization of the activities.

Objectives and expected results: Conservation measures implementation for the two tortoise species and their habitats; Sustainable ecotourism development and Popularization of the conservational actions.
Major activities: Preliminary activities, such as field inventories for designation of critically endangered and well preserved habitats in the region; creating GIS data base; establishing partnership with local authority, local community, NGOs, schools, media, etc; Nature conservation and educational activities; Construction of Visitor Center and ecotrail; Opening of the visitor center, promotional and media campaign, etc.
Partnership with GEF SGP proposals/projects: Conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity in the region of Dragoman marsh and the calcareous hill of Chepun
Sustainability: Financial sustainability will be ensured by offering tourist services and products at the visitor center of Gea Chelonia Foundation, donations, etc. This will guarantee the sustainability of the conservational activities.
The project will also contribute to the development of the local community through a number of new opportunities such as rural tourism, bike tourism, horse riding, production and sale of local food and crafts, etc.
Project Budget ? total, from GEF SGP, financial, in-kind - all in Bulgarian leva and percent of total:
Total: 150805 lv.
Funding requested from GEF SGP: 74040 lv. (49.1% from total project amount)
Co-finansing: 76765 lv. (50.9% from total project amount), incl.:
76765 lv. ? total contribution of Gea Chelonia Foundation:
Financial contribution: 59135 lv. (39.21%);
Contribution in kind: 17630 lv. (11.69%).