ECO RODNA Association

From the programs used for financing our activities were used: Youth in Action, Life Natura, Darwin Initiatives, Grundtvig Multilateral, Rufford Foundation Small Grants, GEF Small Grants, KNIP MATRA, Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation, Rompetrol etc. The organisation has an administrative team formed of 20 people responsible for GIS mapping of biodiversity, IT person, economist, field rangers, biologists, responsible for public awareness, forestry engineers. The ECO RODNA association has a lot of experience in working with youngsters in the field, more than 6 eco camps are organized per year in Rodna Mountains for nature interpretation, biodiversity monitoring training, having involved more than 1.000 youngsters per year in field activities during 100 field trips per year. There is a strong cooperation between Rodna Mountains National Park and ECO RODNA Association. All the persons from the administrative team have university studies in related fields of nature protection. A few projects implemented by the ECO RODNA Association were awarded as being the most successful of the year 2011 and 2012, such as "Youth participation in forest monitoring of biodiversity in Rodna Mountains National Park" funded by GEF Small Grants which received the first diploma in the contest organized by REGIO Program at North-East Region as being the most successful nature protection project in 2012. The members of the organisation are participating all the time to different symposiums and conferences in Romania and other European countries. The organisation has a lot of field equipment which is used in different projects (binoculars, field guides, tents, infrared binoculars, bat detectors, life-traps for small mammals, lighting traps for moths with ultraviolet light etc.). Being members of different networks (Consultative Council of Rodna Mountains National Park aside with other 70 institutions, EUROPARC Federation, Pan Park Federation, Man and Biosphere Network, Romanian network of protected areas and national parks), we are informed and proactive in nature protection activities. What are the activities The ECO RODNA Association is a non-profit organization established in 2007 in Rodna mountain village at the base of Rodna Mountains National Park and Biosphere Reserve and it comprising more than 1.000 youngsters from surrounding mountain villages of protected areas. The main aim of the organization is to involve youngsters in a participatory monitoring of local and regional biodiversity, increasing the level of awareness regarding the environment, contribute in an active way to the preservation of nature and culture values. Since 2007 there were implemented more than 20 projects focused on nature interpretation, environmental education, monitoring biodiversity, declaring protected areas as scientific reserves (first category IUCN), exchanging experience with othe organizations from Europe regarding the participatory monitoring system which involve youngsters as volunteers. The ECO RODNA Association is in and partnerships with other NGOs (WWF Romania, Romanian Ornithological Society), museums of nature science, administration of protected areas, research institutes from Romania and abroad, village halls which sustain all activities. Until now there were organized more than 30 youth camps and trainings focused on biodiversity monitoring, environmental education, 7 field guides were published with flora and fauna from Rodna Mountains, 5 youth exchanges with Pirynne National Park (France), Abruzzo National Park (Italy), Buckk National Park (Hungary), Hainich National Park (Germany) using different fund sources. The interactive model of biodiversity monitoring was established by involving more than 30 ECO clubs from surrounding Rodna Mountains in collecting data regarding flagship species of flora and fauna: capercailie, black grouse, chamois, alpine marmot, daffodils, bats, birds, Rodna Mountains rush-light as endemic species etc. This active management was promoted at local, regional and national level within various projects having as promoters the Administration of Rodna Mountains National Park and ECO RODNA Association. One of the most important projects was funded by Darwin Initiative from UK entitled "Youth participation in management of Rodna Mountains National Park" implemented in partnership with Environmental Change Institute from Oxford University. The ECO RODNA Association also implemented other projects focused on youth participation in nature conservation like "Interactive network between local schools, NGOs, museums and Rodna Mountains National Park and Biosphere Reserve" funded in 2008 by Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation (Germany) and Deutsche Bundestifftung Umwelt, "Participatory management of Bila-Lala nature reserve from Rodna Mountains" funded by KNIP MATRA (Netherland Embassy) in 2009, "Little custodians - model of interactive participation" funded by Youth in Action Program - Youth Initiatives (2009), "ECO Clubs without borders" funded by Youth in Action Program - Youth Exchanges (2010), "Youth participation in monitoring of forest biodiversity from Rodna Mountains National Park" funded by GEF UNDP 2011, "Involving local stakeholders in sustainable management of Pietrosu Mare Biosphere Reserve" funded by South-East Europe Program for NGOs (2011), "Nature detectives in European Natura 2000 sites" funded by Youth in Action Program - Youth Exchanges (2012), "Little ambassadors of European national and nature parks" funded by Youth in Action Program - Youth Exchanges (2011) etc. We consider formal and non formal education as being complementary. By involving young people in our projects we aim to develop skills and abilities that formal education cannot provide. We are using non-formal education and informal methods in order to make the youngsters realize the importance of being European citizens, to respect each nationality in a cultural environment, the importance of working in a multinational team, of accepting people different than them, of working together for the same propose. In this way we hope that students will realize the importance of getting involved in the sustainable development of their regions and will also take part at positive changes in their local communities.