The Vacaresti delta, in the middle of Bucharest, needs to be recognized as a nature park and protected, says the Association to Save the Danube and the Delta.

The group has launched a project, including an information campaign, which highlights the need to create the nature park in the middle of the Romanian capital.

Their kick off event on Friday, September 20, includes a tour of the area for students and teachers and educational workshops.

Participants will also help clean up the area together with volunteers from Let's Do it Romania, as well as members of the local community, and the Sector 4 local police.

Ministry of Environment Rovana Plumb and Sector 4 mayor Cristian Popescu Piedon will also attend the event.

The Vacaresti Delta is an area covering around 200 hectares, including some 80 hectares of water in the middle of Bucharest, close to Soseaua Vacaresti, in the Vitan Barzesti area.

The area, whose ownership is yet unclear, has been found to host foxes, more than 90 species of birds, including swans, ducks and seagulls, as well as snakes and fish, which is almost unheard of in a large city.

However, the area is not legally protected and many people use it as a waste dump.

Earlier in June, the Romanian Academy gave its green light for turning the area into a protected zone.

Should it be protected, authorities could create infrastructure in what could become Bucharest's newest and wildest park.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Vacaresti Delta Community on Facebook)