Participating in local events, spending time and holidays at Cobor Biodiversity Farm represent small ‘investments’ in the local economy that will begin to function by integrating nature conservation and local culture into the economic equation through ecotourism.
Cobor Biodiversity Farm hosted the 4B event at Cobor: Bike, Brunch, Birds & Beavers for the fourth year running. This event is a fantastic combination of biking, birdwatching, sightseeing, and high-quality local products. Pastoral landscapes of high natural value featured alongside meadows and forests, Saxon villages and fortified churches, stunning birdlife, hardworking beavers, and a great range of biodiversity, in the programme of events organised on 25th in partnership with our friends from Colinele Transilvaniei.
The stars of the day were definitely the birds in the area. We did not need to look hard to seek out the birdlife, nestled in the trees, rocks or circling overhead. There are 225 species of birds within the hills of Transylvania, comprising around 60% of all species observed in Romania. Of these, 42 are protected at European level. The agricultural landscape mosaics, the oak and beech forests, the plateaus abundant in wild flowers, all create a fairy-tale setting.
The two guides specialized in cycling and birdwatching, who accompanied the group, talked about all these natural riches and turned the whole day into a substantial experience. Certainly, the best way to explore this area is by bike (or by foot). Biking trails around Cobor Biodiversity Farm are easily, accessible, making it ideal for families and children, although there are also circuits for those who would like something more demanding.
At the end of the ride, all our bikers enjoyed a meal with local products made from the people of Cobor: beef goulash, chicken soup, nettle pie, cabbage pie, peasant donuts, cheese pie, elderflower syrup and many other goodies. They visited our horse livery and saw our amazing Transylvanian Grey cattle.
Cobor Biodiversity Farm is a successful conservation enterprise model that aims to develop the local community in perfect balance with nature. The conservation enterprise is designed to help biodiversity conservation, while generating long-term profit for locals, a contributing financially to managing protected areas, and compensation for forest owners.
This local events are part of the Conservation Carpathia Foundation’s effort to help local communities work their way towards providing quality products and maintaining this particular rural landscape. To survive, the world’s remaining natural landscapes need to prove their economic worth.
