Kogayon Association

I want to set up an UNESCO International Geopark in the local communities around the national park I set up 17 years ago.

I think that this model tested successfully at the international level best suits the specifics of the region in which I was born and what the local community wants from its future.

Obtaining this status can provide a chance to develop a region very rich in natural and cultural heritage but poor socio-economically, without opportunities, which is being depopulated and with an aging population.

The path to obtain the status is more important than the status itself, because it involves creation of a local partner’s network, community mobilization, territory assessment, creation and implementation of a development strategy for the region by all stakeholders, promotion and capitalization of local heritage, education and regional sustainable development. I want to set up a team of local experts for the management of the Geopark, to coordinate the establishment steps and then the regional development based on the use of the UNESCO brand and local resources.

I was born at the foot of the Southern Carpathians, in an area with an exceptional natural and cultural heritage. I learned from an early age to enjoy nature and to appreciate it. My grandmother taught me to recognize mushrooms and medicinal plants, my father taught me to build houses, with friends I discovered and explored virgin forests, caves and mountains.

I left the village to study geology, the limestones and fossils that built the mountains at home. I’m expert in geodiversity, geoconservation, biodiversity, in management of protected areas and natural resources.

Because our loved mountain had begun to be impacted by logging, poaching, investments in natural resources extraction and uncontrolled tourism, like most of Romania after the fall of communism, together with friends we started studies and projects, we set up a volunteer organization, with which we established at home, in 2004, one of the 13 national parks of Romania. This and our research, monitoring, conservation, promotion, education and ecotourism projects have taken the area out of anonymity, opened up opportunities for local communities and provided satisfaction to hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Now I am trying to multiply the impact in the region and in the country.

The Kogayon Association is a 100% volunteer-based organization with more than 500 active volunteers, established in 2003 to protect our home mountain from the post-communist assault on natural resources.

Our area has an exceptional natural and cultural heritage but the people living there are very poor and without opportunities.

In 2004, we established the Buila-Vânturarița National Park. We were involved in its administration and we carried out over 20 projects in the area and on a national scale. We are responsible for stopping hunting in Romania's national parks.

If in the beginning we cared more about virgin forests, caves, bears and wolves, we realized soon that we can't do conservation in today's Europe without taking into account the interests of local communities and visitors. Our conservation project has turned into a regional development project. We have increased the number of visitors from a few hundred to 25,000 and we have multiplied 100 times our investment, as a return of investment for the community. We want, by capitalizing the local heritage that community of 60,000 people will appreciate and preserve the heritage at its true value and will transform the area into an example of development based on the local heritage.

I coordinated the establishment of a national park, the only one in Romania established by an NGO. It is the smallest in Romania, but it is the most beautiful in the world because it is ours.

I coordinated the management of the national park and turned it into a best practice example for conservation, promotion and regional development.

I convinced the Romanian Parliament and Government to stop hunting in the national parks.

I coordinated the establishment in Bucharest of the first urban natural park in Romania.

I am working on the creation of the national network of urban natural areas. I convinced the Romanian Government and other politicians to support and develop the network, I proposed a law for this, I started expanding the concept called "nature at your door" in other 10 big Romania’s cities. The role of the network is education, healthy living environment in cities and promotion of the national natural heritage.

I am working on the establishment of an UNESCO international Geopark in the communities around the national park and on the creation of the national network of geoparks, for the development of poor socio-economic areas but rich in natural and cultural heritage.

The target group is that of the 6 communities, 24,000 inhabitants, living in 41 villages and 9,000 households + another 11 communities with 36,000 inhabitants indirect impacted. 25% are under 24, 27% over 60. 42% have high school education, 31% high school, 15% primary. Only 57% have access to running water, 52% to sewage, 18% have central heating.

Local communities are aging, the annual natural population loss is 1.5%, local schools are being disbanded because only 20 children are born / year in each of the communities, migration is also strong, young people leaving for other cities or other countries. Economic and job opportunities are also lacking in the area.

By developing ecotourism, by using the natural and cultural resources of the Geopark, we will increase the number of visitors and the average number of days spent by them in the area, we will create business opportunities, we will attract investors in the area, we will create and develop local products and services, networks of manufacturers and service providers, we will bring income to the community and local taxes.

We are convinced that the Geopark project will stop the demographic decline and save the villages from death.