Conservarea biodiversităţii şi dezvoltare comunitară în Transilvania
Fundatia ADEPT summer schools in High Nature Value Grassland ecology
From 2009, ADEPT will hold short summer courses on aspects of grassland conservation, habitat management and species protection. These residential courses will be mainly field based, with excursions within the Natura 2000 site, including biodiversity hotspots, but returning to the field centre and seminar room in Saschiz, a traditional Saxon village in the heart of the biodiverse landscape of the Tarnava Mare area.The Tarnava Mare area of Transylvania has one of the richest remaining landscapes in Europe, situated in a curve of the Carpathian mountains. This area is a crossroads of the biogeographical regions of Europe. The area provides opportunities to study an HNV farmed landscape that is bursting at the seams with associated wildlife. This remarkable European lowland area still retains the macro-fauna of ancient Europe, including wolves and bears.
The courses will be run by FUNDATIA ADEPT ecologists, Andrew Jones and John Akeroyd, with specialisations in grassland management and botany respectively, supported by Romanian academics and ecologists.
The courses will be run by FUNDATIA ADEPT ecologists, Andrew Jones and John Akeroyd, with specialisations in grassland management and botany respectively, supported by Romanian academics and ecologists.
Two one-week modules
1: HNV grassland communities and species conservation:
2: HNV grassland management, monitoring and policy.
Level: preferably 2nd year degree and upwards or similar non-academic experience
Period: one week residential
Health and safety: very low risk but H and S training given before excursions
They will provide an introductory explanation of the main issues associated with these diverse and fascinating habitats. It is particularly suited to students who want greater field experience and those considering a career in environment, for statutory body employees and NGO officers.
23.04.2009
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Prince of Wales visit to Saschiz on 23 May 2009
In 2008 and 2009, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited the village of Saschiz, in south-east Transylvania, to meet local producers. In 2009 he opened a model food processing unit.
Known as a “food barn”, this simple conversion of a farm courtyard barn will enable small-scale producers in the area to sell their traditional recipes more widely, while meeting the safety and hygiene regulations set out by the EU.
Funded by Fundatia ADEPT and working closely with the local community of Saschiz, the food barn is a first of its kind and has been given official approval by the National Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) to be used in the production of local products for retail sales in Romania and abroad. The flexible set-up of the food barn welcomes both individual and group producers for a variety of products.
The food barn is the result of the combined wish of local communities, the Romanian Government and the European Commission to preserve local and traditional foods, providing an economic future to the small-scale farming communities that make them and thus protecting the landscape in which they live. Fundatia ADEPT hopes that other communities will be encouraged to replicate this model.
After unveiling a plaque to commemorate the event, His Royal Highness emphasised the need to ensure the survival of Romania’s remarkable rural culture and civilization, drawing reference to how Transylvania combines an extremely rich wildlife with natural and high quality food made by local producers. The Prince of Wales stressed the importance to value and protect these low-energy agricultural systems as they are a practical response to the global economic and environmental crisis.
View film of speech given by HRH The Prince of Wales at Saschiz.
