What better way to discover rewilding than by living it directly?

Itinerary

🦬 Day 1: Arrival in the Southern Carpathians and settling into our local rewilding hub, a restored traditional home. The afternoon unfolds with meeting the people behind the work, hearing first stories from the field, and beginning to understand the landscape and its challenges. Activities of the day: •Pickup from Timisoara Airport or city and drive to Tarcu Mountains •Welcome session and introduction to the Southern Carpathian Rewilding landscape Informal Meet the Ranges afternoon session •Discussions about the Return of the European Bison •Real coexistence challenges on the ground •Stories from the field experience Introduction to the Bison Smart Community model The day ends with a traditional dinner prepared by local neighbours using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients. 🦬 Day 2 - Orchard work as coexistance messaure Work alongside local communities in orchards at the forest edge, harvesting apples that would otherwise attract wildlife into villages. This simple intervention reduces conflict and directly supports farmers living with bison. Outdoor lunch in nature, followed by a screening of Wild Romania and local dinner. Activities of the day: 8.30: Breakfast 10.00: Apple harvesting in orchards located at the forest–community interface 13.00: Picnic lunch in nature 14.00: Sorting apples for quality selection and preparing batches for transport to local producers (Mero Apple Spritzer) 16.00: Coffee breaak provided by a local bakery 19.00: Evening (light programme): Outdoor screening of Romania Salbatica (Wild Romania) documentary Local dinner 🦬 Day 3 - Bison Monitoring & Landscape Interpretation Learn to read tracks and signs, understand movement patterns, and see how large herbivores actively shape the ecosystem. You’ll also be introduced to real monitoring tools used in the field. 8.00: Breakfast 9.00: Bison monitoring together with the Rewilding Rangers Identifying tracks and signs Understanding movement patterns Interpreting how bison shape the landscape How you contribute Camera traps: retrieving data Radio tracking - searching GPS signal on the ground with an antenna to monitor the bison movement, and understand behaviour patterns. 13.00: Picnic in nature 14.00: Retrieving acoustic data: bat population monitoring to assess bison impact on other species. 19.00: Local dinner 🦬 Day 4: Open Rivers This day expands the rewilding perspective beyond land, focusing on rivers as lifelines of ecosystems. Participants explore how restoring river connectivity supports biodiversity, from fish migration to species like beavers that actively reshape habitats. Activities of the Day: 08:00 – Breakfast 09:00 – Field visit: Open Rivers & Aquatic Rewilding Introduction to the Open Rivers programme Understanding why river connectivity matters Visiting barriers scheduled for removal Exploring how these barriers affect ecosystems Learning how restoring flow supports biodiversity 10:00 – Monitoring activities Macroinvertebrate monitoring (water quality indicators) 13:00 – Picnic lunch in nature Afternoon: 16:30 – Reflection & storytelling (informal session) Sharing insights and impressions from the week 19:00 – “From the Age of the Bison” Dinner Festive dinner hosted in a local household (Local Gastronomy Point) 21.00: BONUS for super passionate rewilders, thermovision evening experience to spot beaver activity 🦬 Day 5: Closing and departure 10.00: Reflections on how to improve future Rewilding Weeks 11.00: Departure

What's Included?

- 5 Days / 4 Nights of Accommodation in Țarcu Mountains - Full Board meals 3 days of fully guided rewilding activities - Transfers from Timisșoara to Țarcu Mountains and back - Not included: •Personal Insurance •Flight Tickets and travel to Timișoara. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to the pickup point in Timișoara. •Accommodations and meals outside of the programme

What to Bring

- Comfortable walking boots or hiking shoes - Weather-appropriate, waterproof clothing (conditions can change quickly in the mountains) - Small backpack for day trips – Reusable water bottle - Binoculars and camera (optional, but recommended)

Pickups and drop-offs

Pickup from Timisoara Airport/City - 27 September 2026 no later than 15:00 local time. Participants should arrive in Timișoara before that. Dropoff at Timisoara Airport/City - 1st of October 2026 around 12:00 local time. Please do not book departing flights or transportation earlier than this time.

How your experience helps rewilding efforts

This experience connects you to real rewilding work in the Southern Carpathians, where ecosystems are recovering and communities are learning to coexist with wildlife once again. At the forest edge, you help harvest apples that would otherwise attract bison into villages, transforming potential conflict into opportunity. Together with Casa Despi, these apples become MERO, a local drink that supports coexistence farmers and may be one of the first wildlife comeback stories you can actually taste. In the field, you contribute to ongoing monitoring efforts by retrieving data from camera traps, tracking bison movements and collecting acoustic recordings. Along the rivers, you explore restoration projects that reconnect natural flows, allowing species to return and ecosystems to function again, from migrating fish to beavers reshaping the landscape. The information gathered helps researchers and rangers better understand how ecosystems evolve and how rewilding can adapt over time. Beyond conservation work, your presence directly supports local communities, nature-based economies and the Bison Smart Community through the Bison Fund. Built around local partners, short supply chains and coexistence farmers, this experience ensures tourism benefits those living within the rewilding landscape. And by sharing your experience through stories, reflections or reviews, you help make rewilding tangible and relatable for others. Rewilding is not something you simply observe, it’s something you become part of.

Rewilding landscape

Rewilding vision

Southern Carpathians | Romania

At the southern end of the mighty Carpathian Mountains in Romania, a vast natural landscape is taking shape. This region, defined by dramatic peaks, lush forests, and expansive valleys, is one of the most spectacular areas in Europe. With a backbone of over 1 million hectares of protected land, the Southern Carpathians offer an extraordinary sanctuary for wildlife and a unique adventure for those who seek nature in its purest form.

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This experience involves

• Hiking
• Wildlife tracking
• Gastronomy (local)
• Workshop
• Farm (co-existence)
• Educational experience
• Volunteering

Wildlife in this landscapePlease note that the presence of wildlife doesn’t guarantee sightings — these animals live freely and may remain out of view.

Location