The 2023 edition of Tomorrow’s Forest Communities, the non-refundable grant program for the development of communities in Romania’s forest areas, has passed the selection stage.
14 organizations responded to this year’s call and submitted projects in all priority funding areas of the program – Education and awareness, Social economy, Research, innovation, and technological transfer, Increasing forested areas, and Decarbonization. The total budgets requested by these projects exceeded 1.5 million lei.
The panel of independent evaluators had a difficult task, and we thank them for helping us choose the projects with the most enduring impact!
“This is the second year in which we offer funding to community actors and we are happy to see already the impact of the projects funded in the first round last year,” says Mihail Caradaică, executive director of the Tomorrow’s Forest Foundation. “We believe that local organizations understand best the needs of the community they come from, and are able to come up with the best ideas for sustainable development. In this round we had innovative projects and a pragmatic approach, aimed at concrete solutions that can change the state of forests and the well-being of communities for the better. Congratulations to all the winners and good luck in implementing the projects!”
Non-reimbursable grants of over 538,000 lei in this round
“Smart Escape” Forest pathway in Merei commune (Buzau county) – Chemicaltrans SRL
The project aims to develop ecological and scientific tourism in the forested community in the north of Buzău county – it is also a nice development of a project accepted in the previous round of funding. An educational forest pathway will be completely set up, with information panels will be placed along it (environmental protection, biodiversity, fauna, plants, etc.). The project has obtained a non-refundable grant of 148,070 lei for a total project value of 221,000 lei.
“Green footprint” is a beautiful education and awareness project, which includes no less than 18 ecological education programs with a focus on forests, tree planting (edible chestnut seedlings) and participatory walks in the forests of the Harghita area. The pièce de résistance – a symphonic concert in a “green cathedral”! The amount requested is 139,225 lei, and the total value of the project is 169,225 lei.
Fundația Leul Albastru din Pitești a câștigat un grant pentru un proiect inedit, care aduce tehnologia în zona de cunoaștere, protecție și administrare a pădurilor: proiectul va include educație și conștientizare cu ajutorul tehnologiilor VR (realitate virtuală), traininguri de utilizare a dronelor pentru silvicultură și alte activități cu potențial educațional enorm. Suma solicitată este de 142.050 lei, iar valoarea totală a proiectului este de 239.050 lei.
Professors from the Faculty of Biology (UBB) propose an additional monitoring protocol for assessing the health and biodiversity of forests, in addition to the criteria usually used in forestry. The protocol is based on mosses and lichens, indicators for several qualities that are evaluated within ecosystems, and will be tested in forests belonging to the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and the Apuseni Mountains Natural Park with the help of mixed teams (specialists and people from the community). The amount requested is 108,700 lei, and the total value of the project is 122,700 lei.
The minutes of the evaluation committee can be downloaded from the Pădurea de Mâine Foundation website. The contracting of the projects will start soon and the implementation will proceed according to the accepted schedule.
About the Forest Communities of Tomorrow
Tomorrow’s Forest Communities program is addressed to community actors in the forested areas of Romania – forest owners or managers (and their associations), UATs, NGOs concerned with sustainable forest management, nature conservation and management of protected areas, NGOs with a social mission, social enterprises and educational institutions.
Help us plant Tomorrow’s Forest!
Our donors planted more than 1,200 seedlings this year: for every 20 lei (4 €) donated, we plant a tree. For 10 €, we plant 5. For 20 €, we plant 10 seedlings – and so on! Help us continue our reforestation efforts in Romania – donate using the button below. Donate!
