Participatory monitoring of biodiversity in Rodna Mountains National Park, Romania

The Rodna Mountains National Park is a protected areas established in 1990 as a national park with 47.000 ha, being one of the biodiversity hot spot at Carpathian level. The Rodna Mountains National Park Administration implemented in the period 2004-2017 more than 26 projects in partnership with 35 institutions (universities, NGOs, museums, county councils, mayors, ministries, national and international agencies, administrations and custodians of protected areas etc.). The total budget accessed was 4.403.500 euros in partnership with other stakeholders through more than 15 funding sources.
Over 7.450 volunteers were involved in the Rodna Mountains National Park in various activities, with priority being the inventory, mapping and monitoring of biodiversity. Most volunteers come from the surrounding localities of the Rodna Mountains and only a small part of the countryside.
The Rodna Mountains National Park Administration in collaboration with the ECO RODNA Association (a non-governmental organization comprising over 1.000 volunteers, teachers, researchers around the protected area) has implemented numerous projects to obtain financial support to create and develop an interactive process of volunteer involvement in biodiversity conservation in the Rodna Mountains. More than 15 funding sources have been accessed to ensure effective management of the protected area.