Danube Delta | Rewilding Europe

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

STAFFAN WIDSTRAND

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

STAFFAN WIDSTRAND

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

Magnus Lundgren / Wild Wonders of Europe

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

STAFFAN WIDSTRAND

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

Magnus Lundgren / Wild Wonders of Europe

Europe’s unrivalled wetland

Where the mighty Danube river meets the Black Sea, it has created a massive delta land, Europe’s largest wetland area. It is still surprisingly wild and relatively undestroyed.

The 580,000 hectare delta is home to massive amounts of waterbirds 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 waterbirds from the steppes, the boreal forests and the tundras further north.

Here also lie some of Europe’s very few remaining grazed mosaic forest landscapes, the beautiful woodlands of Letea and Caraorman. Beavers are slowly making their return into the area, the area holds healthy populations of golden jackal while white-tailed eagles show a remarkable comeback.

The massive productivity of the many water habitats here has led to the delta harbouring the largest number of fish species anywhere in Europe. Flagship species of which are the four species of sturgeon, which once used to wander the entire length of the Danube river all the way up into Germany. The area has unprecedented potential for wetland restoration and rewilding, in particular the former polders and lakes can be reflooded and reconnected with the Danube river dynamics.

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The war in Ukraine is unfolding in a terrible way. We are doing what we can to help our team and partners that are living and working in the Danube Delta region.

With your donation, we will be able to purchase and transfer medicine, equipment and any other priority item to cover the needs of staff, employees and their families in Ukraine.

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Rewilding vision

For each rewilding landscape we developed an inspiring vision that shows our ambition for the next ten years. Together with our local partners we work to make this vision a reality.

The Danube Delta, the largest river delta wetland in Europe, has become one of the finest, wildest, best-protected and most famous wildlife areas of the whole continent. The area provides new sources of income and pride for the people who live here and in the surrounding Romanian, Ukrainian and Moldavian regions. Also, the Danube Delta inspires people in other natural areas to approach their problems and opportunities also using rewilding as a tool.
The Danube Delta ecosystem has undergone a large scale restoration both on the Ukrianian, Romanian and Moldovian side, mainly through reconnecting large lakes systems with the Danube river dynamics. The initiative builds on past restoration and conservation initiatives done by founders of the partner organisation in Ukraine side like the reflooding of Ermakov-island and the Tataru project in Izmail Islands park, and Babina and Cernovka islands on the Romanian side.
A number of large core areas are well protected through the cross-border Danube Delta Biosphere reserve, and are connected through ecological corridors and surrounded by zones for different kinds and levels of sustainable use. In the core rewilding areas, to a great extent, nature is regulated by ecological processes, with wildlife and fish populations in natural densities and with the original native species present. Here the people of the delta have chosen for a more sustainable development and management of the landscape and the wildlife species, providing good conditions for a wildlife based economy.
The rewilding process has also provided examples of new or additional ways to make a living, based on these wild resources. This includes wildlife watching and the sustainable harvesting and marketing of fish and wild meat in the buffer zones of the rewilding area. This is a vital part of the income for people in the region. Furthermore, the land use changes, rural exodus, loss of biodiversity and fading traditional culture has been turned into new opportunities, attracting both young and old entrepreneurial people as well as many more and better paying visitors from far outside the region.

What are we doing here?

Using natural dynamics as drivers of change

One of the least populated areas in Europe, the Danube Delta offers a unique opportunity to restore a whole spectrum of biodiverse habitats – from open estuarine systems, naturally grazed grassland and vast reed beds through to freshwater marshes, coastal lagoons, shallow lakes, riverine forests and steppes.

Working with partners, the rewilding team is working to significantly improve the ecological integrity and natural functioning of 40,000 hectares of wetland and steppe habitat, using rewilding principles at 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.

Promoting a nature-based economy

The Danube Delta region is economically depressed, with high levels of unemployment, rural depopulation, low living standards and a strong dependence on natural resources. There is therefore a continuous risk of unsustainable and unwanted development in this sensitive landscape. The war in Ukraine is having a huge impact on the society and the economy of the region.

Rewilding Europe is working to create new opportunities for delta communities by supporting the development of nature-based business. We establish best pratice models, provide business development support, and, where possible, financial support through Rewilding Europe Capital, which in turn, creates incentives for restoration, encourages acceptance of wildlife comeback, and instills a strong sense of pride in the local area.

In collaboration with partners, we are also working to construct nature tourism infrastructure, such as wildlife watching towers, panels and hides. The Rewilding Europe enterprise team is backing this up with theoretical and practical training sessions on the provision of wildlife watching activities.

“Danube Delta is a truly unique ecosystem”

Mykhailo Nesterenko

Mykhailo Nesterenko
Rewilding Ukraine team leader

How would you characterise your rewilding landscape?
The Danube Delta is Europe’s largest remaining natural wetland – a truly unique ecosystem. The delta region includes extensive examples of unaltered rivers, lakes, reed beds, marshes, steppes, dunes, sandbars, coasts, lagoons, salt marshes and climax forests. Local communities in the Danube Delta (the Danube Delta Sub-Basin District supports more than one million people) have little knowledge and limited capacity to use ecosystems in an economically and ecologically sustainable way, directly impacting living standards and biodiversity. With the delta acting as a historic crossroads, this is an extremely diverse region in terms of nationalities, with each preserving its customs and traditions.

What have the major achievements been in your rewilding landscape to date?
The restoration of large islands in the Danube Biosphere Reserve, one of the most successful wetland restoration projects in the region. Also a number of community-based projects, in collaboration with the muncipality of Orlovka. These have included local wetland restoration, the reintroduction of water buffalo for natural grazing, and the establishment of a nature park to generate income for the community. We now take this work further as Rewilding Ukraine.

What would you like to see achieved in your rewilding landscape in the next five years?
We have a fairly ambitious plan to restore large wetlands in the Danube Delta, as well as steppes in the Danube Delta region. I would also like to see more large herbivores introduced, and the further development of several nature-based economic initiatives. All of this will build on our past success and the partnerships that we have forged over almost two decades of conservation work on the Ukrainian side of the delta.

Stories from the landscape

Our main achievements

As part of a vision for a wilder Danube Delta, a herd of 20 kulan were translocated to the Tarutino Steppe in Ukraine. Their release into the wild will enhance biodiversity, reduce wildfire risk and boost nature-based tourism.
European hamsters have returned to the Tarutino Steppe. The reintroduction of these endearing and ecologically important rodents, which were once widespread across Ukraine and Europe, will help to create a healthier and wilder steppe landscape.
A grant from Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund has seen herds of 20 fallow and 20 red deer released on Bilgorodskiy Island in the Ukrainian Delta.
In collaboration with the local municipality and Biosphere Reserve Authority, a restoration project for polders surrounding Sfantu Gheorghe started in 2018
A Tauros breeding site in Sfantu Gheorghe was opened in 2015 and a natural grazing project launched in partnership with three local livestock breeders. An initial herd of 12 Tauros arrived in October 2015, with a second herd of 10 arriving in November 2017.
Several large herbivores have been translocated to Ermakov and Tataru islands: 17 water buffalo, 23 Konik horses, 10 Hucul horses and 2 Grey cattle (bulls for genetic improvement).
10 dams and obstacles have been removed in the Kogilnyk, Kagach and Sarata rivers in the upper part of Sasik lagoon, in autumn 2019.
Monitoring of beaver recolonisation in the lower Danube is demonstrating that the animal is making a gradual comeback.
A research project on the attitudes of delta communities towards the golden jackal, wild boar and wolf was conducted in 2017.
In 2019, a new LIFE project called Pelican Way of LIFE started in different countries aiming to reduce the threats to Dalmatian Pelicans, coordinated by Rewilding Europe. In Danube Delta, the main activities will be research, monitoring and the construction of artificial platforms.

The Danube Delta is one of Europe’s largest and most important wetlands. Efforts by the Rewilding Ukraine team to restore natural water flow here are great news for Dalmatian pelicans and great news for local communities. Ongoing lake restoration efforts benefit pelicans and people in the Danube Delta.
Jenica Dimanche Pension, a Sfantu Gheorghe-based guesthouse and wildlife tour provider, received the first loan in the rewilding area
In 2014 three workshops were organised with the members of the Sfantu Gheorghe community on nature-based entrepreneurial opportunities.

A unique festival was held in 2021, in the Ukrainian Danube Delta. The Tarutino Steppe Festival showcased local nature, culture and rewilding efforts.
Major regional outreach for the rewilding initiative has been created through our participation in the two editions of the "ROWMANIA Festival" and in the Pelicam Film Festival (2014).
A three-day monitoring effort in 2014 identified an occupied beaver lodge, where camera traps revealed a beaver family with young. This was communicated widely in Romania, creating significant media interest and support for the comeback of the species.
A photo exhibition "Fresh Perspectives on the Danube Delta" waslaunched in partnership with the Pelicam Film Festival in 2014.
"The Fish Trail" documentary was filmed and produced in the Danube Delta rewilding area, in partnership with Vira Films and the Pelicam Film Festival in 2015.
Three different communications products have been prepared: a general Danube Delta map, a Sfantu Gheorghe community trails map, and a "Natural history & cultural heritage on the border with the Black Sea" leaflet.
The Danube Delta rewilding area has been promoted in numerous prominent international magazines, including National Geographic, the Guardian and CGTN.
The ethno-ecological festival “BELEU BIO FEST 2019” took place on the bank of Beleu Lake in Moldova end of summer 2019. More than 3000 people from the country and abroad attended the event.
Launch of the Rewilding Danube Delta website, showcasing ongoing and recently scaled up rewilding efforts in the delta, connect more people with the area’s unique wild nature.

A UN report that was published at COP 15, recognises the Danube Delta rewilding landscape as a European nature restoration showcase. The report aims to accelerate nature restoration by providing examples of inspirational nature restoration initiatives and the wide-ranging benefits they are delivering.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with WWF Romania to continue joint efforts in the Danube Delta. A good working relationship has been established with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority (ARBDD) and the Danube Delta Research Institute (INCDDD), working together under the ELP funded wetland restoration project.
Rewilding Europe supported the establishment of Rewilding Ukraine in 2017. A five-year partnership agreement was signed to promote and conduct rewilding activities on the Ukrainian side of the Danube Delta.
Rewilding Europe also supported the establishment of Rewilding Danube Delta in Romania, signing a five-year partnership agreement to promote and conduct rewilding activities on the Romanian side of the Danube Delta.

Image gallery

Night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

Swamp forest

Fisherman in Crisan commune, Romania

Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus)

White pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

White pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

Sunken boat in Crisan commune, Romania

Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Letea village, Romania

Horse wagon trip in Letea village, Romania

Guesthouse in the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Farm lady in Letea village, Romania

Land abandonment results in Letea village, Romania

Shop in Letea village, Romania

Oaks (Quercus robur) in Letea forest, in a strictly protected nature reserve, Romania

Primitive cattle breed, near relative to the aurochs, in Letea forest, Romania

Silk vine (Periploca graeca) in Letea forest, strictly protected nature reserve, Romania

Wild horses from ancient race in Letea forest, Romania

Poplars (Populus alba/nigra) in Letea forest, Romania

Boat trip in the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae)

Cattle in the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Birdwatcher Cristian Mititelu in the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Cat among fishing gear in Crisan commune, Romania

Fish catch near Sfinthu Gheorghe - Pontic shad/Danube mackerel and Chinese grass carp

Fish soup serving at Mama Sika's guesthouse in Sfintu Gheorghe, Romania

Horse transport in Sfinthu Gheorghe, Romania

Guesthouse hosts of Villa Maria in Sfinthu Gheorghe, Romania

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

Aerial over Letea forest in the Danube Delta rewilding area in Romania.

Aerials over the Danube delta, Romania

Aerials over the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Aerials over the Letea forest, Romania

Aerials over Letea village, Romania

White pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

Aerials over the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Wild horses

Cormorant colonies (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

European bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) at breeding site

Eurasian roller (Coriacias garrulus) in Danube Delta rewilding area, Romania.

Beluga or European sturgeon (Huso huso), heavily fished for the female's valuable roe known as beluga caviar the beluga is a huge and late-maturing fish that can live for 118 years, but is critically endangered

White pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) gathering in a small lake of the aquatic komplex Somova-Parches, close to Somova village, Romania

Romanian bees at the manmade beehives surrounded by linden trees next to the forest Valea Fagilor close to Macin Mountains National Park

Honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen

Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is a floating annual aquatic plants, growing in slow-moving water up to five meters deep, have been cultivated in China and India for at least 3000 years for the edible seeds

Grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, making its way on top of a carpet of water chestnut plants. It is a non-venomous snake often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians

Pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) is very similar in appearance to the closely related edible frog and marsh frog these three species are often referred to as "green frogs"

A pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) joins underwater photographer Magnus Lundgren

Sunrise over the Danube delta rewilding area, Romania

Dramatic thunderstorm coming over the Danube delta at dusk

Water boatman landed on a great pond snail, a species of large air-breathing freshwater snail in the family Lymnaeidae

A school of ruffe, also known as pope (Gymnocephalus cernua)

Narrow-clawed crayfish or Danube crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) hiding in the weed, this is a species of crayfish imported and introduced to Central Europe in 19th century from the Caspian Sea

Blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

A minute smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) in its larva stage the gills are still on the outside of the body making it look a bit like a 20 mm long dinosaur

Watching the river from the boat

European pond turtle, or European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis)

Close up of a dandelion

Traditional fishing with fyke net

Marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) is the largest frog native to Europe and belongs to the family of true frogs

Reflection of a pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) at night

Painter's mussel (Unio pictorum) is called so because the shell was historically used as a conveniently sized and shaped receptacle for holding artist's paint

Northern pike (Esox lucius) hiding in the shadow of waterlily leafs

A large European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) investigating a snail shell on the bottom

Water boatman under a waterlily leaf. A water boatman is an aquatic insect that inhabit ponds and slow moving streams, where they swim near the bottom, there are about 500 known species worldwide

European white waterlilies (Nymphaea alba) in a tributary of Danube Delta, Romania

Team members

Kateryna Kurakina

Communications officer, Ukraine

Oleg Dyakov

Rewilding Officer, Ukraine

Alexandru Ifrim

Rewilding Officer, Romania

Oleksandr Gaidash

Field officer, Ukraine

Oleksiy Pudovkin

Consultant for animal translocation

Tetiana Galiutkina

Financial officer, Ukraine

Igor Studennikov

Fundraising officer, Ukraine

Natalia Kulik

Accountant

Olena Gavran

F&A assistant

Board members

Rewilding Ukraine
Joseph Chernichko
Nataliya Zakorchevnaya
Igor Studennikov

Partners

Rewilding Europe works with four main partners in the Danube Delta. Rewilding Ukraine, Rewilding Romania, ‘Verde e Moldova’ in Moldova and WWF-Romania.

These local partners have their own local partners, such as Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority in Romania, Danube Biosphere Reserve in Ukraine, the Danube Delta Research Institute (INCDDD) in Romania, and the municipality of Sfântu Gheorghe, also in Romania.

Contact

Website: rewilding-danube-delta.com

Explore other landscapes

Support Ukraine

Rewilding vision

What are we doing here?

Using natural dynamics as drivers of change

Promoting a nature-based economy

“Danube Delta is a truly unique ecosystem”

Stories from the landscape

New Rewilding Romania website to boost engagement and impact

Proactive measures enhance human-wildlife coexistence in the Danube Delta

Five more eagle owls released in the Danube Delta

More hamsters released on the Tarutino Steppe

Second marmot release boosts thriving population on the Tarutino Steppe

Summer camps inspire young rewilders

Our main achievements

Image gallery

Team members

Mykhailo Nesterenko

Ioana-Cătălina Petrencu

Kateryna Kurakina

Oleg Dyakov

Alexandru Ifrim

Oleksandr Gaidash

Oleksiy Pudovkin

Tetiana Galiutkina

Igor Studennikov

Natalia Kulik

Olena Gavran

Board members

Partners

Contact