Reforestation of the Făgăraș Mountains in the Southern Carpathians of Romania

Romania is home to Europe’s last virgin forests. However, illegal logging has reached enormous dimensions in recent decades. For many years, the local organisation Agent Green has been fighting for the reforestation and preservation of the forests. To this purpose, they make agreements with landowners to reforest cleared forest areas.Agent Green has also been working on exciting innovations to protect the trees. Drones and sensors on the trees have been designed to react to the sounds of chainsaws and give alarm at an early stage.Agent Green has been active in environmental protection for eleven years now with its community growing continuously.

With their work in Romania, lost primeval forests are gradually being reforested. Romania still has around two thirds of the continent’s last primeval forests – their contribution to the climate basically makes them Europe’s lungs. The forest areas are also the habitat of numerous animal species and essential for biodiversity. Its reforestation thus contributes importantly to reducing the impacts of climate change and to increase habitat.

With a donation of 15,605.00 euros, we have supported the reforestation of one hectare with 3,500 trees. Deciduous trees have been planted at the lower levels and conifers, belonging to the native plant population, were planted at about 1,800 – 2,000 meters. The forest will then grow together naturally at the middle altitudes.

The plantations were carried out by Agent Green and volunteers. This has the positive effect of increasing the population’ awareness of the forest’s importance. The costs for planting and maintaining a tree are lower than in Western and Central Europe, so that many trees can be planted with relatively little expenses.

In order for the trees to survive, the NGO has adapted its maintenance programme. The newly planted forests will be watered, weeded and protected over the next seven years. With the owner of the land, the Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC), we have reached the agreement that the young forests are under nature conservation and that merely strictly regulated ecotourism is allowed. This is to enable the owners to make some profit from the land.