Youth from Tulcea Communities Unite for Centenary Celebration of Dealul Consul Nature Reserve

Young people from the villages of Izvoarele and Horia in Tulcea County are stepping up to engage in their community. They are preparing to organize an event to celebrate 100 years since the establishment of the Dealul Consul Nature Reserve, which was declared a protected area in 1927.

The initiative, named 'Consulatul Dealului Consul,' is coordinated by Alexandru Andrășanu. It aims to highlight the historical and ecological significance of the region, which has been a biosphere reserve since 1998. The project is funded by the Fundația pentru Parteneriat and MOL Romania, with collaboration from the National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology.

Bianca Timeea Iorgoni, the ambassador of the Țara Hațegului geopark, has been actively involved in public speaking activities with local teenagers. She emphasizes the area's great tourism potential, inspiring the youth to take charge of promoting their homeland.

The adolescents from Horia and Izvoarele have expressed their intention to organize a festival to showcase the region. As part of the project, they will also develop a new tourist trail on Dealul Consul, which stands at 333 meters high, and create a dedicated platform presenting data collected by the children.

This data will form the basis for an educational package titled 'Poveștile Dealului Consul.' The project activities are set to continue into next year, with evaluations and final selections for ambassadors of the Dealul Consul taking place at the end of August.

The celebration marks a century since the royal declaration of the reserve, which was made following a royal visit to the Danube in 1926. Dealul Consul, formerly known as Muntele Cinel, is situated within the National Park of the Măcin Mountains, the only area in the European Union where steppe ecosystems meet Mediterranean and Balkan forests, boasting over 3,450 species of flora and fauna.