A contest for young professionals in The Netherlands on ideas to double nature in the country, has delivered two winners. An essay of Iris de Boer, together with a short film from Stefan Sand, Merijn Biemans and Christoph Janzing to “rewild” Dutch cities by adopting flagship species and support their comeback through an online platform, were the price-winners.
A new documentary about Danube Delta will launch tomorrow, 30 January.
The Scientific Council of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority has confirmed the findings of a recent study that suggests potential resizing of the strictly protected areas in the Danube Delta. The study was commissioned by Danube Parks with the subsequent amendment of existing legislation to establish new borders of some protected areas expected in the short term.
Humans have influenced beaver’s ecological history for centuries. Empires were built on beaver fur trade. Different trends in fashion almost got the species extinct at one time, and unconsciously saved it later when preference moved from fur to silk. More recently, the green revolution consciously safeguarded the species, by promulgating protection laws.
The autumn in Romania started with nice weather and a good opportunity for getting in touch with the Danube Delta local community. In September, WWF team that is implementing Rewilding Europe initiative in Romania, took part in Rowmania Rowing Boats Festival in Tulcea.
Rewilding Europe aims to rewild at least one million hectares of Europe by 2020, consisting of ten areas, each at least 100,000 ha, which together reflect a wide selection of European regions.
Looking back at a fantastic week in the ”Pantanal of Europe”, where I did a photo mission for Rewilding Europe, all well organised by Rewilding Europe’s man on the ground – Cristian Mititelu. Boat trips, canoe trips, horse cart rides, hikes and ultra-light flights through or over the different habitats of this huge and to a great part still pretty wild area. And it is getting wilder…
One of the programme goals of Rewilding Europe is “by 2020, rewild 1 million ha (10,000 km²) across 10 places in Europe covering different regions and biomes, including areas of both land and sea”. The rewilding concept was introduced at the “EC Presidency Conference on Wilderness and Large Natural Habitat Areas” in May 2009, and the participants were invited to submit nominations for potential model areas.
After more than 190 years the beaver is back in the Danube Delta. Rangers of the Biosphere Reserve found the first beaver lodge upstream Tulcea in January 2012. Two dead beavers were found already in 2011 in the central parts of the delta. The closest permanent population is found in the Ialomita River, originating from animals reintroduced from Germany to the Brasov region in 1989.
2012 came with great news! Rangers of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration reported to have spotted a beaver nest in the Somova-Parches lakes complex. This indicates the beaver’s presence, despite the fact that the animals are too shy to be seen, especially in winter. The experts reported the number of beavers to be currently unknown, but their nest will be constantly monitored.