An urban delta

A large stretch of abandoned land in Bucharest is to gain the status of protected natural area.

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 28.06.2015, 14:01

Known for its monumental buildings,
churches, historic streets, nightlife and effervescent cultural life, Bucharest
might gain even more recognition as a city hosting a protected natural area.
The Vacaresti Park, currently a protected area, emerged after water infiltrated
the basin of what was supposed to be Vacaresti Lake, a project long abandoned
by the authorities. And so a genuine water ecosystem sprang to life, with
swamps, reed thickets, waterholes, willow groves, currently home to a wide
range of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Dan Barbulescu is the
director of the Vacaresti Natural Park Association. He told us more about this
idea:

It is more than
just an idea, it is a reality in itself, because the Vacaresti Nature Park is
already a genuine natural area. There are many species living there, birds in
particular, and the whole Vacaresti ecosystem compels the authorities to make
it a protected natural area. Of course, the idea started three years ago, when
the initiators of the project published an article in National Geographic
magazine, containing photos and scientific data about what we like to call ‘the
urban Delta’, since it is in fact a wetland, not a delta, and it will become
the Vacaresti Nature Park, a protected urban area, the first of its kind in
Romania.

Dan Barbulescu
went on to tell us about the particularities of this ecosystem:

In 1989, when
the project to build Vacaresti Lake was abandoned, this space was derelict: it
was a construction site, without any vegetation whatsoever. In the 25 years
that have since passed, nature took over, and now, from one year to the next,
approximately a hundred bird species come here, of which 45 are protected by
Romanian and European laws. These include wild ducks and geese, the red duck,
some species of herons, egrets, swans, nocturnal birds, predators, we also have
a family of reed egrets, coming to nest here every year. We are talking about
very special bird species, which wouldn’t have come here in the first place had
it been too noisy. They have everything they need here, food and shelter, and
here they are, nesting in the middle of the city, travelling all the way from
Comana, a genuine delta of the River Neajlov, located some 40 km away from Bucharest.
Apart from birds, we have otters, another mammal species protected under the
law. Otters are very sensitive, so their presence is usually taken as a proof
of the quality of a habitat. If otters are present, then the ecosystem is
clean. Otters mostly feed on fish, and the marshes in Vacaresti, some of them
four meters in depth, hold plenty of fish to feed a family of otters. We also
have foxes, weasels, and some species of reptiles. It’s an interesting
ecosystem, truly valuable and authentic, recognised by the Romanian Academy.

Indeed, in 2013
the Romanian Academy acknowledged the value of this ‘urban delta’. At the end
of May, the Vacaresti Nature Park project was approved by the local
authorities. Here is Dan Barbulescu with more:

Initiating the protection programme means
that there will be guards in the area. Because apart from the people who come
here to see this spectacular area, there are also people who come to dump their
trash, to set fire, to hunt and so on. And this is important, because we are
talking about so many sensitive species. But once this protected area has been
legally established, these things will be easier to control. We expect the area
to develop better, without any kind of intervention in terms of visitation
infrastructure, simply as a first effect of initiating the protection
programme. In other words, trees will no longer be cut down for firewood,
garbage will no longer be dumped here, there will no longer be wild fires, and
the entire area will stand to gain, there will be more trees and more birds
will be coming here. If birds feel safe here, their number will increase by 50%
at least. It will be a triumph of nature, in a city which otherwise is not very
friendly with nature. Just like any protected area, it will have an
administrative structure and a custodian in charge with organising the
protection and conservation of species and habitats. And, because this will be
a nature park with a visitation and education role, there will be a visitation
structure, which will give the locals access to the Vacaresti Nature Park.

We asked Dan
Bărbulescu what people can do in the Vacaresti Nature Park:

Naturally, there will be bird watch
structures, special places for observing the fauna and the landscape, for
taking photos and so on. This will soon become a living museum, where the
general public, from children to students to photographers or ordinary people
may come and see how nature in all its extraordinary vitality has managed to
transform an abandoned, deserted plot. It will definitely not be a usual park,
with alleys and benches and outdoor bars, but a special place, a park devoted
to the protection and conservation of species and habitats.

A suggestion for those who want to see as many
things as possible in Vacaresti Park is to come here early in the morning, when
the birds feed and are less nervous. And, just like in any wild area worth
exploring, visitors are advised not to wear brightly coloured clothes and
perfume.