Category: Green Planet

The Bucegi Nature Park, located in the Bucegi Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, is a protected area of European interest, included in the Natura 2000 Site. Established in 1974, the park spans 32,600 hectares, boasting rich geographical features.

Its geological structure and altitude of over 2,500 meters have allowed for rich flora and fauna to flourish here. Many of the species found here are currently protected by law. Horia Iuncu, head of the Bucegi Nature Park administration, told us more about the biodiversity in this area.

“The Bucegi Massif is home to some 3,500 species of plants and roughly as many species of animals, which amounts to some 35 percent of the species found on the entire territory of Romania. Plants include species usually found at high altitudes, such as the edelweiss and rhododendron, which gives mountain slopes a reddish color early in the summer, especially in the Piatra Arsa and Busoiu areas. We also find Swiss pine, European larch, European beech and fir trees. The mountains are also home to virgin forests. There is also a rich fauna here, which includes the chamois, also featured on the park seal. Other animals include bears, deer and the Capercaillie. These are all valuable species that we’re trying to protect.”

Gorges, caves, the Caraiman Cross, curiously shaped rocks, the wonderful Ialomita Valley and the forest surrounding the massif make this area one of the most picturesque in the entire country. Strangely shaped rock formations are believed by geologists to be the result of erosion, while local legends say giants came down from other worlds and carved their faces in stone.

Except for Russia, Romania is the European country with the largest bear population. Most of them are found in the Southern Carpathians, where tourism has developed at a fast rate. Unfortunately, tourist facilities were built in an area once untouched by man. Deforestation had the biggest impact, reducing bear habitats. With the increasing demand for berries, man has again disturbed the bears’ habitat and food sources. Due to a yearly increase in the numbers of both tourists and bear population, bear sightings and encounters are virtually inevitable, and more often than not result in fatal accidents.

The Bucegi Nature Park has been given EU funding to finance a project aimed at preserving the natural habitat of the brown bear and diminishing direct conflicts with humans. The project includes a census of bear numbers, which involves capturing bears, putting them to sleep, and installing GPS equipment aimed at monitoring bear activity. The project, with a budget of 175.000 euros, has so far been implemented up to 75% and is due to end in 2012. This is but one of many ongoing projects. To ensure a civilized tourism in a protected area, local authorities have managed to attract another 4.2 million euros in a project designed to optimize tourism management by enhancing the infrastructure in the Bucegi Nature Park, as part of the Natura 2000 programme. Horia Iuncu has more:

“An important activity consists in setting up a visiting center near the cable railway station in the town of Busteni, a major hub of tourist itineraries of all sorts, whether by cable or on footpaths. This project kicked of earlier this summer and is slated to end in the autumn of 2014. A total of 7 themed footpaths will be set up, linking the main areas of tourist interest in terms of biodiversity: moorlands, nature monuments such as the Babele or the Sphinx, the Urlatoarea waterfall, which is well-known among Romanian tourists. Moreover, the project provides for monitoring the habitats vulnerable to human activities, namely habitats situated in tourist areas or close to human settlements, which have had an ever higher negative influence. Moreover, an information center will be set up in the village of Moroieni, where we have our headquarters, which will ensure a better management of all tourist activities south of the park, an area that is developing at present, and where we had no such facilities before”.

In wintertime, tourists come to Bucegi Mountains particularly to ski. While some tourists opt for this seasonal activity, others make use of cable transport facilities to get to the highest peaks of Bucegi mountains, where they can catch a glimpse of the snow-coated landscape, both in the city of Sinaia as well as in Busteni.

The Jiu River cuts through the Carpathian Mountains, on a stretch of 33 km, between the Parang and the Valcan massifs, the spectacular gorge in the Carpathians. 7 years ago, the Jiu River Gorge National Park was established here. With its 11,127 hectares, which is relatively little compared to other protected areas, the park boasts a rich natural diversity that earned it a place in the Natura 2000 network.

This still untamed region is home to a large number of animal species, some facing extinction at European level, others protected or endemic. Geologists say this natural diversity is due to the rocks that make up the cliff walls on either side of the valley. We talked with Felicia Dobre, a biologist with the Jiu River Gorge National Park:

“The park was created to help protect the region’s wildlife. Endangered plant species include the campanula alpina, species from the Dianthus genus, wild orchids and snowdrops. Local fauna includes species of bears that are rare across Romania and Europe. Female bears with cubs have been spotted, and that is a good sign for the bear population. Other animals include the wolf, another endangered species, the lynx, a solitary species that is more difficult to encounter, and the wildcat. Herbivores include deer and rabbits, the latter of which can be encountered in the lower areas of the park. It’s very good that 85 percent of the park’s area is under strict protection, and not many human activities are permitted here.”

Romania is home to 65% of Europe’s old-growth forests. Late last year, the World Wild Fund launched a project to place these forests under legal protection. The Ministry of the Environment and Forestry has already signed an agreement to protect Romania’s 250,000 hectares of virgin forests. These forests, some of which are to be found in the Jiu River Valley, are among the last in Europe:

“Over 85% of the park’s area is covered with deciduous and mixed forests, which are home to some 4,000 hectares of untouched, virgin forests. Only natural phenomena have affected this area, for example, trees falling down and being left there. Fallen trees began to rot and became habitats for rare species of insects, like the Rosalia longicorn. Some insects are wood-boring, meaning they dig tunnels through wood, mainly in fallen trees.”

The park is home to rare species of insects protected by the EU, species of bats, almost extinct across Europe, as well as horned vipers and scorpions, also endangered. Alpine meadows, caves and sinkholes and wooded steep cliff sides offer stunning views of the Jiu River below as it cuts its way through the mountain. The Jiu Valley is an impressive place, whether you drive through or travel by train. The railroad passing through has the highest density of tunnels in Romania, 43, over a length of 33 kilometres. The Lainici Monastery is a pilgrimage site for Romanians and is known as the “The Bride of the Valley” on account of its bright white façade. Traditional mansions are scattered across the woodlands. Felicia Dobre:

“The area is particularly suited for ecumenical tourism as there are many religious sites here, including the Lainic and Visina monasteries and a number of hermitages. There’s also the monument dedicated to General Dragalina, a WWI hero, and in the north, towards the mountains, there lies the so called ‘road of the Romanians’, which is not very well known so we are trying to promote it. Other leisure activities include mountain tracking along marked routes. This is actually a means of preserving nature, because tourists are thus prevented from going wherever they want and thus disturb the habitat. For school children, students, parents and teachers we have organized a themed route as part of a project implemented by the park administration, called ‘the forest’. It’s a 3-4 hour route, along which there are 17 information panels.”

Authorities are currently implementing a project aimed at preserving nature and building a visiting centre in the area of the town of Bumbesti Jiu, one of the access points to the park.

April 22nd is Earth Day – a day when people are inspired by an awareness of the over-exploitation of natural resources and the pollution of the environment, and look for solutions. Today, the pollution of the environment is something everybody is aware of.

Its effects can be seen everywhere: in the fields, which are poisoned by all sorts of chemical substances, in the deforested areas, in polluted waterways and in the reduced natural resources. In addition, there are plenty of endangered plant and animal species. With every day that goes by, man realizes that the beauty of “our blue planet” is slowly vanishing, which is one reason why more than forty years ago a green movement focusing on environment protection was founded in the US.

On April 22nd 1970, one of the first large-scale ecological movements was initiated, attended by millions of people in the US. After two decades, in 1990, more than 200 million people from 141 countries changed Earth Day into a large-scale celebration, which the UN designated as an officially recognized day in 2009. At present, Earth Day is celebrated across all continents. People in schools and offices are encouraged to recycle and undertake various actions meant to protect the environment. There are more than 4,000 partnered NGO‘s in 170 countries, organizations which campaign for a cleaner, greener and sustainable future.

In 2012,on the 42nd Earth Day, an anniversary event was held under the heading “A clean earth, a healthy life “. During the past few years, Romania has joined that movement, with groups of volunteers cleaning green spaces and planting trees and flowers. Beech, walnut and ornamental trees have been planted in Bucharest and in many other cities across the country, while various other ecological activities took place. ‘’Bucharest is biking’’ – an event now in its second edition and organized by cyclists’ associations aims to promote outdoor activities for a healthier life style and a less polluted city.

“Green Bacau “ is a project for ecological education and raising awareness of students, and of society in general, of the need to protect the environment. It is organised by the Bacau branch of the REPERE Association. On Earth Day, the pupils of Bacau, in eastern Romania, took on the role of environmental activists. They distributed leaflets and informed the population about the importance of protecting the environment. Nadia Isaila, the president of the Bacau branch of the REPERE Association, has further details about the initiative:

“The earth is a living organism, and on April 22nd people celebrate it in an event globally known as Earth Day. It was a day when people everywhere stopped their daily routine to think of their planet for a few minutes at least, a period of time during which our volunteers managed to interact with them. On the morning of April 22nd, our project for promoting and raising awareness about Earth Day started in the Rose Park in Bacau — eastern Romania. A group of 74 young pupils from 7 high schools took part, and unfolded an impressive banner which they showed off in the centre of Bacau, while distributing promotional material. The most important thing about this initiative is that they talked to people from all walks of life, with pensioners, grandparents and grandchildren and explained to them the benefits of environmental protection. People are interested, particularly in the information included in the eco-citizen guide. The children who made these materials knew how to attract people‘s attention by providing very direct information.“

Through this project students have learnt to love the earth and have understood that only through solidarity, recycling and environmental action can they contribute to the recovery of the planet. It’s interesting to see how parents and grandparents have learnt from their children what it means to be an eco-citizen, how to collect waste for recycling, and how to live in harmony with nature. Nadia Isaila:

“Glass waste disappears in 4 thousand years, plastic bags in 450 years, plastic bottles in one thousand years and tins take between 80 and 100 years to decompose. But they don’t tell us these things very often. The information is indeed worrying. The impact of these activities on children and adults alike was huge. In this way they started to think seriously about the environment. The city of Bacau is extremely polluted. The people of Bacau have grown attached to this project because they are aware that their city is indeed polluted. In Bacau people don’t drink the tap water and our dream is to have drinkable water. Water pollution is not the only problem. Air pollution is a daily problem in Bacau, as fog hovers over the city every day. Also noise pollution is an issue, because the city does not have a ring road and the airport is close by.”

Scientists warn that the environment is in serious trouble, and efforts to curb the destruction of biodiversity stand only slim chances of success. Very few of the targets assumed by world governments at environmental summits have been met. But at least there are some people that are trying to change things for the better.