Student Desislava Kehayova from Vocational High School “Vasil Dimitrov” – Madan won the first prize in the “Mimi Pramatarova” Environmental Protection Contest – 2025. The awards were presented today as part of the event marking the 30th anniversary of the National Trust Ecofund (NTEF).

This is the 19th edition of the contest. The National Environmental Protection Awards named after Mimi Pramatarova, the first director of Rila National Park, are part of NTEF’s activities. The awards were first presented in 2006. Each year the contest has its own theme – “Nature and People of Bulgaria in the 21st Century,” “The Forest – a Threatened World,” “If They Could Speak…,” “Healing Herbs – Hidden in a Jar,” “The Extraordinary Ordinary Birds,” and others.

This year the theme is “The Renovated Huts of Rila.”

Desislava Kehayova won the first prize with “Project for the Renovation of Macedonia Hut – Between Tradition and a Sustainable Future.”

Ivana Vasileva from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov won the second prize with the project “The Ordinary Huts of Rila: Ivan Vazov Hut.”

The third prize was awarded to Ivet Atanasova from “St. Kliment Ohridski” Mathematics High School – Silistra with the project “The Seven Rila Lakes Hut: A Bridge Between Tradition and Innovation.”

Three additional awards were presented to: Vasilena Manasieva from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov, Jordana Pashova from “Hristo Botev” Secondary School – Bobov Dol, and Stefania Doinova from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov.

Over the 19 years of the contest, more than 1,000 students aged 16 to 18 from over 100 municipalities across the country have participated with their works. Awards have been won by students from different regions of Bulgaria – Dupnitsa, Stara Zagora, Sevlievo, Smolyan, Montana, Gotse Delchev, Sofia, Plovdiv, Debelets, Pazardzhik, Rakitovo, Blagoevgrad, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Silistra, and many others, according to the Ecofund.

The contest is held in partnership between the National Trust Ecofund, the Directorate of Rila National Park, and the “Ecological Forum Plus” Foundation, established by the colleagues and supporters of Mimi Pramatarova.

In the photo:
Prof. Dimitar Nenkov, Chairman of the Management Board of the National Trust Ecofund, and Maria Minkova, Director of the NTEF Executive Bureau, present Desislava Kehayova from Vocational High School “Vasil Dimitrov” – Madan with the first prize in this year’s environmental protection contest named after Mimi Pramatarova, the first director of Rila National Park.