Communities in parts of rural Romania retain a more collaborative, integrated and traditional approach to living on the land than survives in western Europe, though now under immense pressures of change. Peter Quelch, native woodlands expert and Dendrochronicle colleague, has recently visited Romania and shares his thought-provoking observations in this illustrated account (PDF document). A striking aspect is the integration of woodland and agricultural use, with wood pastures and leafy fodder in evidence, and the survival of a vibrant traditional wood-working and wood-using culture; there is much here to help us understand our landscape’s history and perhaps to shape its future. Peter’s visit was with a group supported by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme’s, ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ (VETPRO).
mobility project ‘Cultural Heritage and Training’.