The
Initiative
The 10
th
European Geoparks
Conference
16. - 20. September
Langesund, Norway
1. Location
Romania is a
Carpathian, Danubian
and Pontic (The Black
sea) country.
Perani Mountains are
situated in the center of
Romania, in South-East
Transylvania, in the
touristic county of
Braov.
2. The Geoparks Territory
The Persani Carpathian Geopark (with a surface of approximately 1100 km
2
) is
composed of 15 communities (with a population of over 50000 inhabitants)
and 16 existing natural protected areas (10 geo-sites and 6 biodiversity sites)
and a number of unprotected places very important from a geological
point of view.
The geopark proposed land has a unitary character, provided by
the Perani Mountains and the river Olt. The land fosters both an
exceptional natural and cultural heritage.
The lack of an integrated management system for the protected
areas makes the creation of the geopark the perfect solution for a
harmonious development.
At the moment, this is the less developed area of Brasov county
and has a high sustainable development potential if the geopark
will become functional.
Is an excellent educational material.
The exceptional natural heritage (geodiversity & biodiversity)
provides the uniqueness of the land.
3. Arguments in favor of the
geopark registration
4. Geoparks Heritage
The future Persani Carpathian Geopark offers the opportunity of studying
geological formations and rocks of more than 550 million years old , the
newest Carpathian rocks .
Geodiversity
Raco Geological Complex
MTTc Raco Basal t Quarry including the Raco Basalt Columns
Geodiversity
Raco Geological Complex
Dealul Heghe (Heghe Hill) Scoria and Cinder Quarry
Geodiversity
Raco Geological Complex
Brazi-Racos Basalt Quarry
Geodiversity
Hoghiz Basalt Micro-Canyon
Basalt Columns from Piatra Cioplit
Rupea Basaltic Cliff
Geodiversity
Carhaga Fossil Site
Ormeni Fossil Site
Mud Volcanoes from Bile Homorod
Dopca Gorge
Geodiversity
Brlogul Ursului
(Bears Den) Cave
Geodiversity
Comana Cave
Geodiversity
Triassic limestone tectonic klipp: the piramid shaped Tipia Ormeniului
with the Dacian Fortress with sanctuary and Tipia Racoului
or Piatra Despicat (Split Stone);
Pi atra Despi cat
(Split Stone)
Ti pi a Racoul ui
Geodiversity
Fossil Site with ammonites on Tipia Ormeniului creek
Seashells Cave
Mineral water areas: Bile Homorod, Bile Veneia, Slatinile (salt water
spring), Raco and Mercheaa.
Biodiversity
Dealurile Homoroadelor (Homoroade Hills)
Cotul Turzunului
Biodiversity
Pdurea Bogata (Bogata Forest)
Biodiversity
Dumbrvia and Rotbav Areas
The Charpatian Elder The Oak Tree of Mercheasa
Biodiversity
Cultural Heritage
The most important historical landmarks in the area are :
Medieval Fortresses and Castles
such as Rupea fortress, Feldioara Fortress,
Heldenburg Fortress, Bethlen Castle in Raco,
Kalnoky and Haller Castles in Hoghiz.
Archaeological sites of the ancient period
Heldenburg Fortress Bethlen Castle in Raco
Cultural Heritage
Fortified Evangelic Churches from Drueni, Caa,
Homorod, Ungra, Mieru and Rotbav.
Homorod
Caa
Traditions
Cultural Heritage
mpucatul cocoului(Roosters shooting) in Apaa
Fosnicul - in the Cohalm Land
Ridicarea bradului(The Fir rising during Christmas) in Dumbrvia
Borda and Drdaica in Feldioara
Frangul in Apaa
Plugarul(The Ploughman) in Comana
Ludnyakszrits (Goose neck break) and Tyuknyakszrits(Hen neck
break) in Crizbav.
Communal annual events are: The Fortress Festival Rupea, The Liberty
Day Raco, Marienburg Fest Feldioara
5. The geopark communities
15 communities with a population of 50201 inhabitants.
There are living together Romanians, Hungarians and Saxons.
Weaknesses and vulnerabilities of these communities are:
local economies are usually mono-industrial and most of
them are bankrupt;
high level of unemployment;
the local workforce is qualified for industry rather than
for tourism and other services workforce reconversion is
necessary;
the tourism related facilities are rather poor and
insufficient;
a large percent of the young generation is looking for
work in the big cities or abroad;
6. Geopark infrastructure
When the geopark's development process started, its infrastructure consisted
in a few tourist paths that were not maintained for over 30 years and 4
information boards about the area's geological heritage.
Since our organization works towards the creation of the Persani
Carpathian Geopark, we have performed the following works:
Eco-touristic paths have been arranged and marked;
Over 20 information boards have been set up in the
communities of the geopark;
Over 20 explanatory/information boards have been
installed in the natural protected areas of the geopark;
The website www.geopark-perani.eu is being developed to
promote the future geopark;
The Geopark Charter has been developed as a result of a
public consultation process;
The on-going activities:
Develop the geopark GIS system;
Environment conformation for 6 geological sites of the geopark,
where our organization is the custodian;
Develop and run active partnerships with the geopark's
communities;
Arrange the headquarters of the Persani Carpathian Geopark in
Racos;
Create the Geopark's Museum in the same building with its
headquarters;
Build the Raco Geodrome;
6. Geopark infrastructure
7. Education in the geopark
Some educational activities have been run, such as:
Waste collection in the Racos Geological Complex and in Cotul Turzunului
nature reserve September 25, 2010 operation LETS DO IT Romania
with the participation of approximately 200 students from Racos;
Re-vegetation campaigns in the area of the Raco Basalt Columns, as part of
a project with 30 volunteers from various schools from Brasov;
Re-vegetation activities in the Brazi Basalt Quarry from Racos, on a
surface of approximately 4 ha through the a S.G.P. Project financed by
the United Nations Program for Development-UNPD.
Itinerant learning exhibition (in all the geopark communities) with the
title: Geodiversity and Biodiversity of Northern and Central Perani
Mountains. Perani Carpathian Geopark;
7. Education in the geopark
Future educational and scientific research activities:
Develop and publish the natural heritage guide of the geopark with
the title: Perani Mountains - Central Part Geodiversity &
Biodiversity;
Educational trips with the theme: Earth's Natural History;
Create the geopark's headquarters with 2 offices for custodians,
students, researchers, teachers, university staff interested in
studying the geodiversity of the Persani Mountains;
Student camps focusing on the following topics: Geology,
Paleontology, Geo-morphology, Flora Fauna, Community
Sustainable Development, Ethnography Sociology etc.
8. Perani Geopark
NGO
Funded in August 2009, Perani Geopark Association(A.G.P.) has 12 active members.
The local government of Racos is one of its members.
The association is the custodian of eight (8) natural protected areas in the Northern
and Central part of the Persani Mountains.
Has on-going long-term partnerships in the following fields:
Scientific research and education (1);
Environmental protection (2)
Community Sustainable Development (3).
Partners of the Perani Geopark Association in the process of declaring the geopark:
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geology and Geo-Physics * (1);
ESRI Romania (1);
Romanian Ornithological Society (1 & 2);
Custodians in the Northern and Central Persani Mountains (2) such as:
Silex Speleological Club;
The Baraolt Lost World Speleological-Touristic Association;
Baraolt Private Forestry
Braov County Council (3);
Brasov County Sustainable Development Agency (3);
Local Action Group - Transylvanian Association Braov North (3);
9. Conclusions
In the process of Perani Carpathian Geopark development our
organization has identified certain essential conditions for our attempt to
be successful.
An unique natural(geodiversity & biodiversity) and cultural heritage to
provide the uniqueness and personality of the area. Condition accomplished;
Local communities prepared ,,to live and work in the geopark. We find this
condition to be the hardest to be accomplished due to the large diversity of
values, mentalities, goals, concerns and expectations of the population. The
highest obstacles are represented by the lack of communal sense, low level of
self-confidence and the poor entrepreneurial education. We consider that we
have just begun to accomplish this criterion 10-15%.
Land endowments for tourist infrastructure in the geopark 35-40%
Existent infrastructure for geo-education and cultural tourism. The level of
accomplishment of this criterion is at 25-30%
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
