Tree Monkey Project Romania Tour

Most people think of Transylvania as the home of fictitious character Count Dracula. But did you know that Romania is considered home to some of the last remaining virgin forests in Europe, and home to wildlife such as brown bears, wolves, and lynx? Some of these forests have been growing for over 300 years, and are a mix Beech, hardwoods, and softwood trees. Unfortunately, as is happening with other forest areas, they are under pressure from illegal logging and poaching. This temperate forest needs protecting just as much as the Amazon or Bornean jungles.

The Tree Monkey Project had the pleasure of working with Agent Green, a local NGO, as well as technology non-profit Rainforest Connection, in 2017. Together, we set up devices called Guardians, which do forest monitoring of illegal activities on a private forest property in the Carpathian mountains. After seeing first-hand the beauty of these forests, and experiencing the wildlife up close, the Tree Monkey Project wanted to share that experience and create awareness of the effort to save this precious environment. We are offering this tree climbing tour to Romania for others to get first-hand experience of why these forests are so important!

Our base will be Zabola Estate, a private forest property in a small village about 3.5 hour drive directly north of the capital city of Bucharest. Those who want to experience tree climbing for the first time will be facilitated into the trees by experienced guides. For those ground dwellers, there will also be day trips to local sightseeing locations from Zabola, such as hot springs, medieval villages and day hikes. We will also learn about Romanian history and culture. Come and explore with us the Primeval Forests of Transylvania!