Associate Professor of the Department of Management and Marketing Yuliya Shvediuk and student of the MZEDz-51 group Solomiia Salabai together with students of the Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development under the leadership of Professor Dr. Pierre Ibish participated in the educational practice as part of the implementation of the scientific project "Transnational Biosphere Forests 2022 - Cooperative learning in UNESCO biosphere regions for conflict prevention and sustainable transformation" from July 31 to August 17, 2022, which this year was held in Romania.
Teachers, students and tour organizers traveled from Berlin to Bucharest through Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. First, a group stopped for the night at a campsite near Budapest (Hungary), tasted local cuisine, talked and discussed future plans. The first acquaintance with Romania took place at the Richita nature study center together with the representatives of the Carpathia foundation. The next day, there was hiking to the Poiana Tamas Wilderness Camp, where there was a meeting with rangers who provided the excursion and talked about the results of their scientific research on the population of wild animals (bears, bison, wolves, etc.) in the Pietra Craiului National Park. During the tour together with Prof. Pierre Ibis students discussed the problems of forestry in the region, met with the head of the Carpathia Foundation, visited a presentation of key aspects of their activities, including the development of education, tourism and recreation, the specifics of cooperation with the local population, support of local farmers in creating an association of entrepreneurs, provision of consulting services etc. The discussion included the specifics of restoration of indigenous stands, monitoring of wild animal populations, increase of biodiversity, expansion of nature protection territories and gaps in the legislation regarding the assignment of the status of the object of the nature reserve fund to individual forest areas. Students actively participated in the discussion, formulated interesting questions and voiced their own proposals for expanding the foundation's activities.
The next day was dedicated to climbing the mountains, an excursion with an arborist, discussion of the problem of clearcutting in the mountainous area, the reasons for the drying of forest plantations and the consequences of massive damage to stands due to storm surges and wind avalanches. In addition, the group was lucky to meet local shepherds who shared their own recipes and technologies for making different types of cheese. In the evening there was a traditional dinner, tasting of traditional Romanian dishes, live communication, singing of folk songs by the fire, exchange of traditions and culture.
On August 5, the group visited the city of Bresoi and the Cozia National Park, got acquainted with the beech forests together with the director of the park, Mr. Pavel Prundurel, listened to a lecture by Professor Pierre Ibish, and was invited to the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the creation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Beech Primeval Forests of the Carpathians.
On August 7, there was a tour of the city of Sibiu, a visit to the national museum, in particular the Palatul Brukenthal and Galeria de Arta, a discussion of the prospects for the development of tourism and recreation in the region with the local administration. The next day, a visit to the Cozia National Park, a lecture by colleagues from the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve Vasyl Pokynchereda and Iryna Jonash, exploration of beech primeval forests. A farewell evening by the fire in the city of Bresoi, a meeting with a representative of the National Historical Museum of Bucharest, an introduction to the history of Romania, legends of the origin of the city, stories of local residents, the peculiarities of climbing the Romanian Carpathians and the preparation of traditional Ukrainian cuisine by the participants of the excursion from the UNFU, CBR and NTU in Kyiv.
The next day, the group travelled to the city of Galati, had an excursion to the Macin Mountains National Park by ferry across the Danube River. Visiting the information center, sightseeing tour to the valley of beech forests through the mountain massifs of nature-reserved areas with the director of the park, Mr. Viorel Rossa. In the evening, there was a wine tour with traditional Romanian wines. Also, a trip to the city of Tulcea, a meeting with various groups of stakeholders, including the director of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Mrs. Viorica Basca, director of the RomSILVA forestry enterprise Mr. Costel Peteu and researchers of the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development Mrs. Liliana Ene and Mr. Gabriel Wpu. Transfer by boat to the city of Sulina with a visit to the forest area of poplar and willow exploitation forests, familiarization with the peculiarities of forestry management in the territory of the biosphere reserve.
The next day, a boat trip to the Letea Forest, a core zone of the Danube Delta biosphere reserve, an excursion with a forester to a nature conservation area, observing wildlife objects. Visiting the information center of the biosphere reserve in Sulina, getting acquainted with the cultural heritage of Romania, the history of the city, the economic situation in the region and the problems of tourism development. Hiking along the Black Sea coast, observing natural ecosystems, canoeing.
The educational practice ended with a joint meeting of all participants on the Black Sea coast, a discussion of the trip, feedback from students and recommendations for improving the situation with the development of the nature-protected territories in Romania, prospects for tourism and recreation, finding a balance between preserving biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem services and developing tourism , that is, achieving the maximum socio-ecological-economic effect as a response to global challenges, including the climate change. Farewell dinner, thanks to Professor Pierre Ibis and organizers Angela Dihte and Danielo Ojeda de Vicente. A trip to Germany and the opportunity to spend a day in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The staff of the Department of Management and Marketing express their sincere thanks to Professor Dr. Pierre Ibish for many years of cooperation and hope that students from the Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development will have the opportunity next year to visit Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Forestry University, the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, biosphere reserve "Rostochchia" and discover the indescribable beauty of Ukraine. The students of UNFU are welcomed to actively participate in the educational excursion, exchange knowledge and experience, get acquainted with the cultures of other countries and popularize the beauty and enormous natural capital and wealth of our country.
