Showcasing ongoing and recently scaled up rewilding efforts in the delta, the new site will connect more people with the area’s unique wild nature.
Window on the wild
Rewilding enthusiasts in Ukraine, Romania and Moldova, as well as farther afield, can now get even closer to the work of the Rewilding Danube Delta team with the launch of a dedicated new website: rewilding-danube-delta.com.
Going live today, the multilingual (English-Romanian-Ukrainian) platform profiles the work of the team throughout the entire cross-border Danube Delta rewilding area, and presents information and stunning photography related to some of its most iconic species.
Rewilding activities
The new site will showcase a unique ecosystem. Divided between Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, the 580,000-hectare Danube Delta is the largest river delta wetland in Europe, with its diverse habitats supporting a huge number of waterbirds and other fauna and flora.
Rewilding Europe’s rewilding efforts in the delta have been scaled up since the end of 2018, following a grant from the Endangered Landscapes Programme. Accelerating the recovery of natural landscapes, their ecological processes and wildlife across at least 40,000 hectares, ongoing rewilding activities are also bringing benefits to local communities through the development of thriving nature-based economies.
In addition, the European Commission-funded “Pelican Way of LIFE” project also kicked off recently (with additional support from the Arcadia Fund). The project aims to boost populations of Dalmatian pelicans at multiple European sites, including the Danube Delta. “The Dalmatian pelican is an iconic species and an important indicator of ecological health, both in the delta and across its range,” explains Deli Saavedra, Rewilding Europe’s Rewilding Area Coordinator.
Promotional platform
The new, mobile-optimised Rewilding Danube Delta website will give users access to information on the delta’s unique wild nature, as well as its reserves, events, species and habitats. It will be regularly updated with new material, including the work of Europe’s finest wildlife photographers, documentary makers, conservationists, writers and bloggers, and the efforts of team members, volunteers and entrepreneurs.
“The site is a beautiful platform for Danube Delta rewilding and I invite everyone to check it out,” says Rewilding Ukraine Executive Director Misha Nestrenko. “Through it we aim to educate and inspire a regional and international audience, and reach out to a wide range of stakeholders. We will also use it to promote nature-based tourism and motivate more people to become actively involved in rewilding.”