Known for its monumental buildings,
\nchurches, historic streets, nightlife and effervescent cultural life, Bucharest
\nmight gain even more recognition as a city hosting a protected natural area.
\nThe Vacaresti Park, currently a protected area, emerged after water infiltrated
\nthe basin of what was supposed to be Vacaresti Lake, a project long abandoned
\nby the authorities. And so a genuine water ecosystem sprang to life, with
\nswamps, reed thickets, waterholes, willow groves, currently home to a wide
\nrange of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Dan Barbulescu is the
\ndirector of the Vacaresti Natural Park Association. He told us more about this
\nidea:<\/p>\n
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It is more than
\njust an idea, it is a reality in itself, because the Vacaresti Nature Park is
\nalready a genuine natural area. There are many species living there, birds in
\nparticular, and the whole Vacaresti ecosystem compels the authorities to make
\nit a protected natural area. Of course, the idea started three years ago, when
\nthe initiators of the project published an article in National Geographic
\nmagazine, containing photos and scientific data about what we like to call ‘the
\nurban Delta’, since it is in fact a wetland, not a delta, and it will become
\nthe Vacaresti Nature Park, a protected urban area, the first of its kind in
\nRomania.<\/p>\n
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Dan Barbulescu
\nwent on to tell us about the particularities of this ecosystem:<\/p>\n
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In 1989, when
\nthe project to build Vacaresti Lake was abandoned, this space was derelict: it
\nwas a construction site, without any vegetation whatsoever. In the 25 years
\nthat have since passed, nature took over, and now, from one year to the next,
\napproximately a hundred bird species come here, of which 45 are protected by
\nRomanian and European laws. These include wild ducks and geese, the red duck,
\nsome species of herons, egrets, swans, nocturnal birds, predators, we also have
\na family of reed egrets, coming to nest here every year. We are talking about
\nvery special bird species, which wouldn’t have come here in the first place had
\nit been too noisy. They have everything they need here, food and shelter, and
\nhere they are, nesting in the middle of the city, travelling all the way from
\nComana, a genuine delta of the River Neajlov, located some 40 km away from Bucharest.
\nApart from birds, we have otters, another mammal species protected under the
\nlaw. Otters are very sensitive, so their presence is usually taken as a proof
\nof the quality of a habitat. If otters are present, then the ecosystem is
\nclean. Otters mostly feed on fish, and the marshes in Vacaresti, some of them
\nfour meters in depth, hold plenty of fish to feed a family of otters. We also
\nhave foxes, weasels, and some species of reptiles. It’s an interesting
\necosystem, truly valuable and authentic, recognised by the Romanian Academy.<\/p>\n
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Indeed, in 2013
\nthe Romanian Academy acknowledged the value of this ‘urban delta’. At the end
\nof May, the Vacaresti Nature Park project was approved by the local
\nauthorities. Here is Dan Barbulescu with more: <\/p>\n
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Initiating the protection programme means
\nthat there will be guards in the area. Because apart from the people who come
\nhere to see this spectacular area, there are also people who come to dump their
\ntrash, to set fire, to hunt and so on. And this is important, because we are
\ntalking about so many sensitive species. But once this protected area has been
\nlegally established, these things will be easier to control. We expect the area
\nto develop better, without any kind of intervention in terms of visitation
\ninfrastructure, simply as a first effect of initiating the protection
\nprogramme. In other words, trees will no longer be cut down for firewood,
\ngarbage will no longer be dumped here, there will no longer be wild fires, and
\nthe entire area will stand to gain, there will be more trees and more birds
\nwill be coming here. If birds feel safe here, their number will increase by 50%
\nat least. It will be a triumph of nature, in a city which otherwise is not very
\nfriendly with nature. Just like any protected area, it will have an
\nadministrative structure and a custodian in charge with organising the
\nprotection and conservation of species and habitats. And, because this will be
\na nature park with a visitation and education role, there will be a visitation
\nstructure, which will give the locals access to the Vacaresti Nature Park.<\/p>\n
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We asked Dan
\nB\u0103rbulescu what people can do in the Vacaresti Nature Park: <\/p>\n
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Naturally, there will be bird watch
\nstructures, special places for observing the fauna and the landscape, for
\ntaking photos and so on. This will soon become a living museum, where the
\ngeneral public, from children to students to photographers or ordinary people
\nmay come and see how nature in all its extraordinary vitality has managed to
\ntransform an abandoned, deserted plot. It will definitely not be a usual park,
\nwith alleys and benches and outdoor bars, but a special place, a park devoted
\nto the protection and conservation of species and habitats. <\/p>\n
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A suggestion for those who want to see as many
\nthings as possible in Vacaresti Park is to come here early in the morning, when
\nthe birds feed and are less nervous. And, just like in any wild area worth
\nexploring, visitors are advised not to wear brightly coloured clothes and
\nperfume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A large stretch of abandoned land in Bucharest is to gain the status of protected natural area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":134918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42520],"tags":[43046,43045],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-134917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inside-romania","tag-protected-area","tag-vacaresti"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n