The Văcărești Natural Park Association wants the nature reserve to be the "City's Factory of Life"

The Văcărești Natural Park Association has announced the launch of their new development project Văcărești Natural Park - The City's Factory of Life.

The aim of the project is to develop the capacity of the association to attract financial support to raise awareness and ensure optimal conditions for the conservation of the park and the development of green urban infrastructure.

This announcement comes after a period ofconflict between the Association and Bucharest City Hall, and marks a new phase in their partnership - one where the Văcărești Natural Park Association’s role extends to supervising the local administration and ensuring efficient and active management.

The project is going to be implemented with the financial support of the Active Citizens Fund Romania - a program financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through EEA Grants 2014-2021.

"The City’s Factory of Life is an organizational development project but also a metaphor to illustrate the contribution of natural areas in cities to the well-being of communities,” says the Association.

The City’s Factory of Life project will run for the next 12 months and includes training activities, consultancy, communication, and promotion, as well as the development of a fundraising department for the Văcărești Natural Park Association.

By means of the project, the Association is hoping to find strategies for the promotion of the park and its services, and of its ecosystem and urban biodiversity, and support for the development of initiatives and public policies for nature conservatorship.

They will also be supervising the local public authorities in their mission to plan and develop the city's green infrastructure, taking into account the needs of nature and people in the context of climate change and rapid urban expansion.

About the Văcărești Park Nature Reserve:

It was established in 2016 by Government Decision, following a civic initiative of associations. In 2014, the initiative group decided to create the Văcărești Park Natural Association, for better coordination of the campaign to promote the establishment of the park.

The park is a naturally developed wetland on the site of a construction site started and abandoned in the communist period. It covers an area of 183 ha. It has rich biodiversity and is a unique natural landscape for urban agglomerations.

The Văcărești Natural Park Association’s vision is that „nature becomes a major component of the urban infrastructure, playing a key role in optimizing people's quality of life by facilitating access to healthy recreation and environmental education”.