Desislava Kehayova, a student at “Vasil Dimitrov” Vocational High School in Madan, is the winner of the first prize in the “Mimi Pramatarova” Environmental Protection Contest – 2025. The awards were presented today as part of the event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the National Trust Eco Fund (NTEF).
This is the 19th edition of the contest. The national environmental awards named after Mimi Pramatarova, the first director of Rila National Park, are part of NTEF’s initiatives. The awards were first presented in 2006. Each year the contest features a different theme – such as “Nature and the People of Bulgaria in the 21st Century,” “The Forest – A Threatened World,” “If They Could Speak...,” “Healing Herbs – Hidden in a Glass Jar,” “The Extraordinary Ordinary Birds,” and others.
This year’s theme was “The Renovated Mountain Huts of Rila.”
Desislava Kehayova won first prize with her project “Renovation Project for Macedonia Hut – Between Tradition and a Sustainable Future.”
Ivana Vasileva from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov won second prize with her project “The Ordinary Huts of Rila”: Ivan Vazov Hut.
Third prize was awarded to Ivet Atanasova from “St. Kliment Ohridski” High School of Mathematics and Science – Silistra, for her project “The Seven Rila Lakes Hut: A Bridge Between Tradition and Innovation.”
Three special mentions were also awarded: to Vasilena Manasieva from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov, Yordana Pashova from “Hristo Botev” Secondary School – Bobov Dol, and Stefania Doynova from “Nikola Velchev” Secondary School – Samokov.
Over the past nineteen 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. The awards have been won by students from all regions of Bulgaria – including Dupnitsa, Stara Zagora, Sevlievo, Smolyan, Montana, Gotse Delchev, Sofia, Plovdiv, Debelets, Pazardzhik, Rakitovo, Blagoevgrad, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Silistra, and many others, according to the Eco Fund.
The contest is organized in partnership between the National Trust Eco Fund, the Directorate of Rila National Park, and the “Ecological Forum Plus” Foundation, established by the allies and supporters of Mimi Pramatarova.