Three American students from the Colorado State University will spend three months in Burgas for their Capstone (a culmination of their knowledge in conservation leadership in practice). They are currently completing their master's program at the university and will work here as a team on a variety of topics. Research on the Great flamingo and the effect of the growing population on other bird species in Atanasovsko Lake is one of the topics that young people will explore through extensive desktop research, as well as in the field. In addition, they will look for an answer to the question of the impact of Seagrass in the Black Sea and will monitor the development of the Ruppia maritima in the coastal lagoon. The third topic is related to sustainable salt production and how ecotourism can increase funding for salt production.

The students come to Bulgaria thanks to the partnership between Isla Internships and the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and through their work will support the efforts of the team for the protection and restoration of Atanasovsko Lake as part of the LIFE project "The Lagoon of Life".

"This is our first visit to Bulgaria and we are happy to work with the BBF and to exchange experiences and share with them. We hope that working here we will bring useful knowledge from our training in conservation leadership. In our off time we are looking forward to living and learning in a new cultural setting while exploring the beautiful city of Burgas.” – share the students.

The BBF team welcomed the students and included them in its three-day meeting in the Chatama area, where a real eco-challenge awaited them - electricity with solar panels, compost toilets and wooden houses on the shores of Golyam Beglik Dam.