As presented in our last Newsletter, ENOS has decided to donate to projects in the field of environmental conservation to offset the carbon footprint calculated throughout the year. The first inivitative was the Seagrass project, a marine conservation organisation securing a future for seagrass, while the second one is the Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s restoration initiative, which focus on the conservation of Europe’s old growth forest:
“For the last thirteen years, Foundation Conservation Carpathia has worked tirelessly to promote awareness of the importance of Europe’s few remaining expanses of old growth forest. It has come to have a leading role in the campaign to encourage the protection of important wild spaces, higher standards of conservation, as well as sustainable farming and the well being of the wider population.”
Foundation conservation carpathia
The work of Fundacion Conservacion Carpathia is based on four main activities dedicated to the protection of forests:
- Conservation:
“Since its inception, the project has purchased over 26,900 hectares of forests and alpine meadows in the southeastern Carpathians for restoration and full protection.”
Conservation Foundation Carpathia
Within the main figures of Carpathia’s work we can find more than 1.991 hectares restored, 4.1 million saplings planted or 9 tree nurseries, in addition to 200 seasonal workers hired from the local communities to implement these activities.
- Restoration:
“While safeguarding significant areas of forests and pastures in the Făgăraș Mountains was our main priority during the first phase, we soon realised the need to restore degraded areas to their full capacity.”
Conservation Foundation Carpathia
The Foundation explains that the restoration initiatives have contribuited to enhance the quality of the forests and allow the creation of new living spaces for autochtonous species as well as more balanced ecosystems.
- Wildlife:
“By protecting wildlife we’re helping ensure that the natural ecosystems remain functional.”
Conservation Foundation Carpathia
Through a strategy based on conflict mitigation, monitoring and the implementation of reintroduction actions, the organisation works to maintain functional ecosystems and try to bring back what has been lost in environmental terms.
- Community Outreach:
“Local communities are the key to protected areas, and the Făgăraș Mountains are one of the few remaining large areas without human settlements on our continent. Yet, they are surrounded by 28 communes, who have an important connection to the mountains.”
Conservation Foundation Carpathia
The creation of new protected areas requires an understanding of their purpose by the local community, which is a central element for Carpathia. In order to involve local stakeholders in the design of new protected areas, the organisation promotes the creation of a stakeholder platform that aims to give a voice to local people. Communication actions and the creation of an educational centre support this mission.
All information and data on the campaigns and projects developed by Foundation Conservation Carpathia can be found in its latest annual report:
ENOS encourages network members and other outdoor sport organisations accross Europe to lead the shift in thinking from sustainability to restoration, an approach that has been advocated in our Position Paper on the Green Deal, supported mainly by the actions led by the ENOS Sustainability Group. As a signatory to the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action initiative, we also invite our partners to offset their carbon impact through initiatives that promote the conservation and restoration of European ecosystems.