Romania ( (listen) ro-MAY-nee-ə; Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] (listen)) is a country at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east and the Black Sea to the southeast. It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate, and an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi), with a population of around 19 million. Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe, and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, and other major urban areas include Iași, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Constanța, Craiova, Brașov, and Galați.
The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, rises in Germany's Black Forest and flows in a southeasterly direction for 2,857 km (1,775 mi), before emptying into Romania's Danube Delta. The Carpathian Mountains, which cross Romania from the north to the southwest, include Moldoveanu Peak, at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft).
Biodiversity[edit | edit source]
- Wild Transylvania, "collection of stories documenting the lives of people and wildlife in a remote corner of Romania", added 12:48, 16 March 2021 (UTC)
- Agent Green, nonprofit NGO for environmental protection founded in 2009 for biodiversity conservation.
Rewilding[edit | edit source]
Danube Delta rewilding area[edit | edit source]
The 580,000 hectare Danube Delta is home to massive amounts of water birds of all kinds, most notably pelicans of two species, herons, storks, cormorants and terns. It is a favourite staging area for passage migrants and also wintering grounds for masses of migrating water birds from the steppes, the boreal forests and the tundras further north. The region has some of Europe's very few remaining grazed mosaique forest landscapes, kept in their natural state by the wild horses and wild cattle still present. Working with partners, the Rewilding Danube Delta team is working to significantly improve the ecological integrity and natural functioning of 40,000 hectares of wetland and terrestrial delta habitat, using rewilding principles on a landscape scale. Revitalised and self-governing natural processes, particularly flooding and natural grazing, will govern landscape formation, driving other natural processes, wildlife comeback, increased biodiversity and the development of a nature-based economy. The Danube Delta rewilding area is part of the Tauros breeding programme, managed by the Taurus Foundation and Rewilding Europe. The aim of the programme is to breed a cattle breed that resembles the aurochs by establishing viable free-ranging populations of cattle in several European locations. Due to translocations in 2016 and 2017, the number of Tauros cattle grazing near Sfântu Gheorghe is now 18 animals. Rewilding Europe works to create new opportunities for delta communities by supporting the development of nature-based business.
Southern Carpathians rewilding area[edit | edit source]
The Southern Carpathians were considered a good place for nature conservation work. Rewilding Europe has concentrated on part of the region which counts more than 1 million hectares of protected areas already in place, rich wildlife, large intact forests, a high concentration of biodiversity, relatively intact wild landscapes, wild rivers, and large areas of mosaic vegetation largely shaped by traditional farming and grazing practices.
The work of Rewilding Europe and its partners is focused on bringing back the European bison. Since 2013, Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania have been working together in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area to reintroduce this iconic species. The major objective of this ongoing project is to create a demographically and genetically viable population in the Southern Carpathians, comprising free-roaming sub-populations in the Țarcu Mountains and nearby Poiana Ruscă Mountains.
So far, following bison releases in 2014 and 2015, in June 2016, a third bison release took place as part of the European Commission-funded LIFE Bison project, with a fourth release of nine animals taking place in April 2017. Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania have been working together to create one of the largest contiguous wild areas in Europe.
Open spaces[edit | edit source]
wikipedia:Protected areas of Romania
Community energy[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Solar power in Romania, Wind power in Romania
Cycling activism[edit | edit source]
Critical Mass bicycle rides in Romania
Ethical consumerism[edit | edit source]
buynothingday.home.ro (2005)
Social inclusion[edit | edit source]
Sustainable transport activism[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Romania, Waterways
Resources[edit | edit source]
Research[edit | edit source]
Associative Environmentality Romanian Forest Commons Project
News and comment[edit | edit source]
2021
Back from the brink: Bison return to Romania after 200-year absence, Dec 1 [1]
2017
Rosia Montana: how Romanians united to save a mountain village from mining apocalypse, Jan 11 [2]
2016
Rescuing Romania's forest, Oct 28 [3]
How nature turned a failed communist plan into Bucharest's unique urban park, Jun 14 [4]
2014
People build bridge out of plastic bottles in Romanian city, July 24 [5]
European bison to roam the forests of Romania after 200 years, May 21 [6]
2009
The PRAIS Foundation, an organization in Romania, in partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Guard and other partners, have confirmed that they have planted over eleven million trees through the national tree planting movement 'Millions of People, Millions of Trees'.
"The PRAIS Foundation is very proud that the movement is formally recognized by UNEP, and has become part of the Plant for Planet global initiative", Silvia Bucur, the President of the PRAIS Foundation. [7] March 30
Campaigns[edit | edit source]
.png){kind=small}
|
External links[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Romania