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Projects and activities

Background

Southeastern Transylvania is a living historic landscape, with intact ecology,  in which farming and biodiversity are in equilibrium - perhaps unique in lowland Europe. It supports many rare habitats and fauna and flora species including some of the most significant areas of wildflower-rich grasslands in Europe. This is a man-made semi-natural landscape , the result of good husbandry over hundreds of years and the source of income for thousands of farmers today. Only local people can conserve this unique area successfully.

Threat

This landscape is threatened by poor rural incomes, abandonment or intensification of land use, and lack of awareness of the value of the area. Measures to conserve the biodiversity of the area will only succeed if developed and carried out in close cooperation with local people, so that local communities support them, and benefit from them.

Response: a range of practical projects responding to the threats to the landscape and to its small-scale farming communities

Fundatia ADEPT is implementing a broad range of conservation and rural development projects aimed at practical conservation linked to local economic and social benefits. Measures are described under the following sections:

Biodiversity: field surveys of habitats and species led to inclusion of the area in the EU’s Natura 2000 network. We are now examining relationships between traditional farming systems and wildlife in the project area, significant for conservation at European level.


Farming: developing incentives so that local people benefit from biodiversity conservation, including practical and effective agri-environment measures suited to the area, and grants based on recognition of the landscape as Natura 2000 and High Nature Value.


Local products & Tourism. Developing a brand linked to the high biodiversity image of the area will help the local economy. We are promoting good standards and marketing to add value to food and other local products including responsible rural tourism.


Community. We are developing training courses and public awareness   programmes: books, school programmes, posters, newsletters and village festivals, essential to gather local support for conservation and understanding of its potential economic benefits.

About ADEPT

About Fundatia ADEPT

ADEPT activities

Our team

News Headlines

International Conference: High Nature Value grasslands – securing the vital ecosystem services of European farming.  Read more

Darwin Initiative and Fauna & Flora International  Read more

Fundatia ADEPT Food Barn as a useful model for other regions  Read more

See all news headlines

The rural ecosystem

This intact rural ecosystem is an unbroken chain linking nature, society and economy.

ADEPT identifies critical linkages and strengthens them by advice, practical help, and access to funding.