Romanian Wilderness Protected

The Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) aims to create Europe’s largest forested national park. It will protect 200,000 hectares of wilderness, while also boosting ecotourism. Some are calling this project “Europe’s Yellowstone”. This area of Transylvania, at the southern edge of the Carpathian mountains, is among the wildest environments in Europe. Brown bears, wolves and lynx roam the forested hillsides, and bison were recently reintroduced after a 200-year absence. Romania has more than six million hectares of wild forests that are home to some of the few remaining sectors of old-growth trees in Europe. FCC was founded in 2009 to stop illegal logging that was ruining these forests. “Our primary goal is for this massive park to protect forests and wildlife. It will also support local communities with ecotourism and nature-positive businesses,” according to the FCC.