The Foundation for the Development of Civil Society (FDSC), the ProPark Foundation (ProPark) and the OMV Petrom Foundation are launching “Green for the Future”, a financing program for the conservation of biodiversity in the National and Natural Parks of Romania. The non-refundable grant of the 2023 pilot edition in the amount of 800,000 euro will be invested this year in the Vânători Neamț Natural Park (PNVNT).
In the period April 2023 – March 2024, the Romanian Ecotourism Association (AER) in partnership with the PNVNT Administration, a unit with legal personality of RNP-Romsilva, the Association for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, the Mioritics Association, with the support of the OMV Petrom Foundation, the Development Foundation Civil Society and ProPark will collaborate to provide a model of biodiversity conservation through natural processes and sustainable development, through education and ecotourism.
PNVNT constitutes the nucleus of a reference ecotourism destination for the northern part of the country: the Land of the European Bison. The visiting infrastructure specific to a natural park will be developed here. By remodeling the interior exhibition of the visitor center, increasing the energy efficiency of the visitor center building, setting up a recreational area, restoring and expanding the bridge that provides a panoramic view of the bison acclimatization pen, the restoration of 3 mountain tourist hiking trails will increase the degree of attractiveness and sustainability of the Park.
Over the course of a year, a monitoring plan for wild mammals, including bison, will be created, followed by a study on aspects related to the interaction of bison with other wild mammals and with the habitats specific to the area. The plan will improve the management of the protected area, in order to maintain biodiversity by conserving key species and ecosystems – forests, grasslands and preventing human-fauna conflicts.
To ensure the sustainability of the natural area, environmental education in the communities near the Park is a necessity. Thus, a network of nature educators will be created that will support the conservation initiatives carried out by the PNVNT Administration through education programs dedicated to children and young people from neighboring communities. Among the activities are the creation of ecological education kits, thematic paths and the organization of activities within the “Green Week” program.