GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA
THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Recipes for the Delta’s health
The Danube Delta - Paradise almost lost! An information and awareness campaign on biodiversity protection in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve - a project implemented by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association in partnership with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme Environment.
Locals live a good life, in harmony with nature Why is the Danube Delta such a special place The Danube Delta represents Romania’s richest, most precious contribution to the World’s biodiversity and natural heritage, therefore it was declared a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. However, this does not imply the exclusion of man from its territory. Rest assured, man can live in the Danube Delta in harmony with nature, intelligently making use of its bounty and offering well-deserved care and attention in exchange. 1
THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Indeed there are areas where access is completely forbidden, as they offer extremely important bits of information for the understanding of nature. These areas are important for conservation as well as a refuge for various animal species. Respecting these areas you make your contribution towards maintaining the wonders of the Delta. The Danube Delta is the third most biodiverse place in the world - it consists of thirty ecosystems that host over 7,000 plant and animal species (according to current estimates), some of which are particularly rare and important for the entire world.
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Here we can find Europe’s largest colonies of the Common Pelican and the Dalmatian Pelican, 60% of the world’s population of Pygmy Cormorant, 50% of the world’s population of the Redbreasted Goose. Other internationally significant bird species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve include: the Black-crowned Night Heron, the Squacco Heron, the Great Egret, the Little Egret, the Purple Heron, the Glossy Ibis, the Eurasian Spoonbill, the White-tailed Eagle and the Western Marsh Harrier.
Whiskered Tern
Swan
Great Cormorant and Dalamtian Pelican 3
THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Common Bladderwort
Silk Vine
Plant variety is just as diverse: white and yellow water lilies, creeping buttercup, carnivorous plants (Utricularia vulgaris and Aldrovanda vesiculosa), bindweed, meadow saffron, jointfir, oak and poplar species, narrow-leafed ash, pallis ash, silver lime, elm, European wild pear, black alder, countless orchid species and many more - their number exceeds 2,900 in total.
White Lotus 4
Credite foto Ovidiu Micsik
The Danube Delta is the most bountiful fishery area in Romania and at the same time the largest compact reed covered area in the world. Add to this its ethnic diversity - on its territory live together the greatest number of minorities in Romania - twenty-one in total, such as: Lipovans, Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Greeks, Aromanians (Vlachs), Turks, Bulgarians, Roma etc.
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Ecotourism Ecotourism is a proven, appropriate solution for the well-being of Delta inhabitants, who can capitalize in the long run the resources of the wonderful land they live on.
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It’s a well-established fact that tourism has a positive impact on the economy and the entire community, not only on those directly involved, by means of tax collection or subsidiary industries such as construction, textile, pharmaceutical or food.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Ecotourism represents an alternative view on the territory as explored by tourists. It offers the possibility of special experiences and memories while at the same time taking in consideration the need for nature preservation.
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Ecotourism involves partly re-investing revenue in nature conservation activities. Ecotourism means education - the tourist is invited to actually understand, not only admire the visited place. Ecotourism attracts tourists that will gladly interact with nature and with the locals, with a taste for local cuisine and traditions. Ecotourism is for people who are extremely interested in all sorts of things you usually
take for granted or consider to be ordinary. Tourists will be delighted to better understand your livelihood, how your houses are built, where your drinking water comes from, what sort of vegetables you grow, how you cook your fish, what sort of food you eat in winter, your fishing techniques, what kind of boats you sail and how they float, local customs etc. Even though we live in the same country, customs strongly differ from one region to
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
the other and there are many tourists who are especially interested in these variations. The great advantage of the people who live in the Delta is their in-depth knowledge of this unique, widely appreciated place. The people of the Delta can and should really make use of this advantage and offer visitors unforgettable experiences.
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Tourists look for authentic landscapes and traditional architecture. We are all responsible to keep the place untouched. Tourists choose their holiday destinations based on the following principles: • spectacular landscape - the Danube Delta has plenty of that! Most tourist have surely had enough of concrete and double paned windows, so when they come here they
expect to see small, traditional houses made of wood and reed roofs and unspoiled nature. • the amount of things to be done: hikes, walks, nature trails (plants, birds, canals), taking part in local events and customs, visiting important sites, direct contact with locals (talking about daily livelihood, natural construction materials and techniques, local recipes, the best fishing times etc.). 11
THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
What tourists like: • bird watching • wild life watching • theme trails: Letea forest, Caraorman forest, picturesque lakes and canals, birds feeding and nesting sites • culinary trails: fish cuisine in all its diversity, wines and other local specialties such as cheese or honey • horseback riding • boat trips • cycling • horse cart or tractor trips In short - tourists are coming here in search for friendly people who can give them detailed accounts, local stories and legends about the Danube Delta.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
WHY REED ROOFS?
In a natural setting with lakes, canals and lots of vegetation, concrete and double paned windows hurt the view of the intrepid traveller who comes to explore the Delta. It’s a shame to ruin the harmony of the place and turn it into an ordinary one, just like any other place, instead of enjoying what makes it singular. We are totally FOR the reed roof as reed is a very resilient isolating material, it maintains heat during winter and coolness in the summer. Plus it provides ideal phonic insulation so it’s quieter inside. Reed is also light and flexible and can last up to fifty years if properly maintained. Not to mention it blends perfectly in the splendid Delta landscape!
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S M T W T F S
APRIL
7 Old Rite Christmas 14 Serbian New Year
S M T W T F S
JANUARY
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S M T W T F S
World Wetlands Day
MAY
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S M T W T F S
FEBRUARY
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S M T W T F S
World Water Day Earth Hour
JUNE
22 23
S M T W T F S
MARCH
2013
Birds Day Earth Day
International Day for Biological Diversity
16- 24
European Week For Waste Reduction
Universal Children’s Day
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7 13
World Habitat Day International Day for Natural Disasters Reduction
S M T W T F S
NOVEMBER
S M T W T F S
OCTOBER
World Youth Day
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World Population Day
S M T W T F S
AUGUST
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S M T W T F S
JULY
1 22
5 10 25 31
Volunteer Day Human Rights Day Chistmas Day New Year’s Day
S M T W T F S
DECEMBER
1 Danube Delta Day
S M T W T F S
World Environment Day World Day to Combat Desertification Danube Day
SEPTEMBER
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Here are four examples of good entrepreneurship The delta’s natural riches can be exploited intelligently. Here are four examples of people who started small but profitable businesses, making use of local resources and traditions:
Horses and Letea Forest An initiative of Mrs Aurica Maxim of Letea The entrepreneurial project aims at the capitalization of traditional elements by developing facilities for tourist horse trails in the Letea region, the only one of its kind in Europe. The business plan involves the development of an equestrian mini-centre, as well as of horse-cart riding services, as an answer to the need for tourist transportation in the Letea area.
The initiative was initially financed following its application to ‘Nature Friendly Entrepreneurs in the Danube Delta’ - a program dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship among the inhabitants of the Danube Delta, and developing projects to sustainably capitalize the natural, touristic and cultural potential of the Danube Delta. The project was initiated by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Paul’s Longboat An initiative of Mr Paul Condrat of Jurilovca The project aims to capitalize an old tradition of Lipovan fishermen villages - longboat sailing (parus) - by offering boat trips on this kind of traditional vessel around the Danube Delta. The parus is the traditional sail of Lipovan fishermen from Jurilovca
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and Sarichioi; It is diamond shaped and fitted on two masts: a vertical, fixed one and a tilted, mobile one. The parus longboat is a lot more water-friendly and its passengers feel closer to nature. Sailing it on waves or even stormy weather is more
comfortable than on a secure fiber speedboat. The initiative was initially financed following its application to ‘Nature Friendly Entrepreneurs in the Danube Delta’ - a program dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship among the inhabitants of the
Danube Delta, and developing projects to sustainably capitalize the natural, touristic and cultural potential of the Danube Delta. The project was initiated by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
The Delta Reed Pallets An initiative of Mr Paul Vasiliev of Mahmudia The project involves the capitalization of reed, a natural resource in the Danube Delta, with the aim of making pallets (so-called ‘reed bricks’) for building ecological dwellings, a procedure that is registered
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with the Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks and bearing both insulating and ecological qualities. The initiative was initially financed following its application to ‘Nature Friendly
Entrepreneurs in the Danube Delta’ - a program dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship among the inhabitants of the Danube Delta, and developing projects to sustainably capitalize the natural, touristic
and cultural potential of the Danube Delta. The project was initiated by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
The Bulrush Weaving Shop in Mahmudia The Bulrush Weaving Shop in Mahmudia - The ‘Save the Danube and Delta’ Association founded in 2009 a reed and bulrush weaving workshop in Mahmudia. Following a research on changes that may be triggered by social enterprise, the workshop enjoyed full local
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support from both villagers and authorities. The community supported the initiative and a few people chose to join and live in harmony with nature rediscovering a long gone tradition - bulrush weaving. After training sessions helped rediscover forgotten craft secrets, the
Tradition in the Danube Delta: reed and bulrush weaving In the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, reed and bulrush are yearly renewable resources. It’s a well-known fact that reed from the Danube Delta is winning over European luxury house building. Locals still remember how weaving products were still a good source of income before the 1989 Revolution, with a lot of demand coming from abroad. How it’s made Bulrush is cut and dried for up to a year. It’s then peeled and, depending on its quality, it’s manufactured into ornamental or practical use objects: baskets, handicrafts, mats, containers etc. Lipovan blue, the unmistakable Danube Delta feature, is mostly used for the decoration of these products. These exquisite hand-made objects await eager buyers who can appreciate beautiful, genuine local artefacts.
workshop opened in August 2009 and initially employed 20 socially empoverished young women. Thus they pass on local traditions , connecting nature to the region’s culture.
Our hope is to replicate this model of reinvention of handcraft - reed and bulrush weaving - and to employ more and more people in other Danube Delta villages. This can only be a proper answer to a most immediate and pressing matter: job creation. The weaving workshop at the same time contributes to developing traditional handcrafts and encouraging sustainable economic activities that can benefit the community and natural resources. 25
THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Other good ideas from the people of the Delta Rural tourism on Grindul Letea This business is willing to capitalize natural, pesticide-free, eco-certified household products. It includes environment friendly nature trails and is trying to be a long-term, low-impact business. Tourists are treated with foodstuff based on 200 years old traditions. By practicing responsible tourism, the household and farm need to be part of a tourism association, in order to ensure diversity and healthy competition.
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Fresh produce is set on a wooden tray and in little woven reed baskets. Visitors are given a menu and encouraged to join the cooking. The local countryside landscape, the bountiful nature and delicious food can only impose respect for the Danube Delta.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
Ecotourism in Lunca Traditional, natural produce (fisherman’s canned veggies, quince, plum or apricot jam) as well as locally handmade cultural artefacts (objects made of wood, reed, shells, small sized paintings, miniature fishermen houses handmade by local children, local recipes leaflets, brochures advertising the tourist attractions in the area, customs, a map of the Delta, tourist advice). Local resources will be employed, thus emphasizing the natural surroundings.
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Ecotourism in Sfiștofca The project consists of furnishing a guesthouse in Stiștofca village, with a capacity of 5-7 guests. The house will be built following typical Lipovan architectural features and will be adapted and furnished with all modern hygiene and comfort amenities (running water, en suite bathroom etc.). Tourists can take day trips, using ecological means of transportation (small motor boats, rowing boats or animal drawn carts). Only fresh, natural produce will be served. Trips on horse carts or on horseback will be organized in Periprava, Letea forest or around Stiștofca village. In Sfiștofca, tourists will be presented a showcase of Russian Lipovan history and culture. If they are willing to, visitors will also be able to participate in various household activities (cooking, feeding the animals, going to the market etc.).
The guesthouse is exclusively built of local ecological materials - reed, clay, straw, bulrush, sedge. The interior design will include traditional features such as carpets, icons, old furniture. Other Lipovan features that can be experienced: the traditional house, the sauna (banya), the ‘Zorile’ choir of Sfiștofca. Tourists will be shown how beautiful nature can be in the Danube Delta and will be reminded how important it is to preserve this place. In addition, an annex will be built to serve as a mini-museum which will showcase elements of typical Lipovan material culture - a longboat, a grape hand-press, folk costumes, carpets and embroidery, traditional fishing gear, Lipovan icons, old photographs.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
A few functional ideas for Delta Ukrainians EThis is the story of a local beekeeper. Inspired by a very productive harvest, his wife decided to name their product ‘wild honey’. The whole stock immediately sold out and lots of further demands remained unanswered. Locals also invented a spot that has attracted hordes of tourists. There is no such tradition, but they came up with one instead. They built a so called ‘Zero KM’ landmark on each mouth of the Chilia arm - actually a couple of metal bars that form a gate through which visitors can pass. Soon this became a custom. Each visitor must ‘pass through zero’ while holding a toast and drinking a glass of wine. On demand, in exchange for a Euro, they can be awarded a certificate that absolves all their sins and allows them to start a new life. Tourists are mad about reaching this place, even though all they can see is an empty beach and maybe some birds. On their way back, tourists are served fish borsch in a place half-way in-between.
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On a similar note, a local woman started a small museum in her guesthouse that takes pride in all sorts of apparels and old trinkets. She takes a tour and tells stories for half an hour to 60 minutes. Her visitors can thus satisfy all of their unthinkable curiosities.
After the tour, tourists are invited to taste a number of unique, award-winning dishes, such as baked stuffed gibel carp with sour cream or pike roe pancakes. Ingredients are sourced from neighbours who practice ecological agriculture, using no chemicals and making
sure their soil is always best quality and free of pollutants. The lady mentioned above always makes sure she tells everyone all this. In other words, they realized everyone is a winner when they cooperate.
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THE DANUBE DELTA - PARADISE ALMOST LOST
What is compost and how it’s made Much of the stuff you throw can be used in your advantage. This is how you get rid of useless stuff but also rid the Delta of the thick and toxic smoke or keep the water clean. Compost is extremely easy to make. All you need is a wooden container that you can even make yourself. Throughout the year throw all vegetable waste that will eventually decompose and turn into natural fertilizer. You can then use it in your vegetable garden or in your flower pots. What goes in: • chopped grass • dried leaves (except walnut leaves - they contain iodine juglandine - an alkaloid that inhibits the growth of other plant organisms with small exceptions!) • weed (except the ones that carry mature seeds) • rotten fruit, fruit and vegetable peel (note: plants or fruit infected with fungi or disease do NOT go into the compost) • wooden bits • paper waste • ashes (moderate quantities) • generally any biodegradable material that will decompose in a few months time
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What stays out: • bones or meat (slow to decompose and foul smelling) • coal ashes (acidifies and slows down the process) • glass (does not decompose and takes up space) • stones, metal or plastic (does not decompose and takes up space) • plants or fruits rid with disease or fungi (risk of infection) • generally nothing that will not decompose within months As a year is usually not enough for all vegetable waste to decompose, the practical solution is to have two compost boxes, to be used alternatively on a yearly basis. First you put your waste in one of them only, although you need to know that in principle it won’t decompose by fall (when you most need fertilizer), so you will need to wait for another year before you start the second one. This way you continually have both decomposing stuff and ready to use compost. Compost can be stored in a shady place in your garden. You need not bury it in the ground, much less in concrete. The best way to keep it is in contact with the soil. It’s best to keep the compost in layers. The more layers, the faster it decomposes and better quality the resulting fertilizer.
GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA
The Danube Delta - Paradise almost lost! An information and awareness campaign on biodiversity protection in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve - a project implemented by the Save the Danube and the Delta Association in partnership with the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme Environment. Editor: Save the Danube and the Delta Association Issue date: april 2013 “The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union or the Government of Romania�