A new forest grows in the Făgăraș and Leaota mountains: this spring we have continued our ecological restoration activities and re-planted 103 hectares of clear cuts, a new record result surpassing the goal set for the whole year.

The reforestation campaign has been the largest carried out so far. Since 2012 we have successfully managed to restore more than 700 hectares of degraded areas.

“It was a difficult two-month period for our team of rangers and forest engineers,” says Mihai Zotta, technical director of Conservation Carpathia. “Although the weather has slowed us down with late snow or rain, this spring we have restored more than we had planned for the whole year: 103 hectares, out of the total objective of 100 hectares. We have planted 382,150 seedlings of fir, spruce, beech and sycamore, in the Făgăraș Mountains (Vâlsanului Valley, Dâmboviţa Valley) and in the Leaota Mountains, with the help of seasonal employees, around 150 people hired from the local villages. And we will continue in the autumn.”

The forest saplings are tended for 2-5 years, in Carpathia’s seven nurseries and one green house. They are manually weeded, using no chemicals and employing a seasonal labour force of over 200 local people.

Complementary to the reforestation activities, we have carried out extensive works to combat soil erosion. Along the watercourses, over a distance of 23 km, the team has restored the original alder galleries, which are very important for fixing the banks. In total, throughout 6 years of ecological restoration activity, Conservation Carpathia has planted over 2.1 million seedlings of fir, spruce, beech, sycamore, elm, alder and mountain ash.

We have improved the quality of forests, created favourable conditions for wildlife and contributed to the restoration of valuable natural ecosystems, thus responding to the needs of change within the new local, national and global context. Nature conservation is a priority!