The European bison conservation activities carried out within the LIFE with Bison project include collaboration with organisations and specialists from Romania and other European countries, facilitating the exchange of experience, information and expertise relevant to the conservation and management of the species.
To date, the project team has collaborated and exchanged experience with:
- FCC (Foundation Conservation Carpathia);
- EBFS – European Bison Friends Society, Poland;
- ZTP – Pomeranian Nature Society, Poland;
- IUCN SSC (Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature);
- Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, involved in the reintroduction of European bison in Bulgaria;
- Rewilding Spain, involved in the reintroduction of European bison in the Iberian Highlands;
- Cheile Nerei–Beușnița National Park;
- WWF CEE (World Wide Fund for Nature Central and Eastern Europe).
The exchange of information and experience has also included contact with teams from completed and ongoing LIFE projects, such as LIFE Bear Smart Corridors (LIFE20NAT/NL/1107) and LIFE SAFE-CROSSING (LIFE17 NAT/IT/000464).
At the same time, the Rewilding Romania team has participated in conferences, workshops and other specialist events, where it has presented the activities and experience gained through the LIFE with Bison project. These events facilitate the exchange of experience and good practices with specialists in European bison conservation across Europe, as well as with organizations working in nature conservation, rewilding and human–wildlife coexistence.
- In 2024, members of the Rewilding Romania team participated in the Eco Tusnad Bear Conference. They presented the coexistence measures implemented through the LIFE with Bison project during the Wildlife Intervention Workshop.
- On 27–28 March 2025, Anghel Drașovean, Rewilding Manager, presented the LIFE with Bison project at the Biodiversity Conference in Hortobágy, Hungary, where successful rewilding initiatives were presented and discussed.
- In June 2025, the LIFE with Bison project was presented at the BIOLOGIA Annual Conference, organized at the University of Timișoara.
- In October 2025, the project team participated in the European Ranger Congress (ERC) 2025, where the presentation “Rewilding in Romania: Reintroduction of Species in the Southwestern Carpathians” was delivered. It covered the LIFE with Bison project, the reintroduction of European bison in the Țarcu Mountains, and approaches to wildlife conservation and human–wildlife coexistence. The event also featured a presentation on coexistence activities carried out by rangers and an educational workshop.
- On 25 October 2025, the LIFE with Bison project was presented at the “NGOs with an Impact for Nature and Communities” conference, organized in the context of the Climate Change Summit. The presentation focused on the project’s approach to European bison conservation and coexistence with local communities.
- In January 2026, WeWilder, a partner in the LIFE with Bison project, represented Romania at an exhibition held at the European Parliament, dedicated to regenerative tourism projects from across the European Union. WeWilder presented local development initiatives built around the return of European bison and the LIFE projects supporting them.
- The LIFE with Bison project was also presented at the closing conference of the POIM project, dedicated to developing and approving the Management Plan for Cheile Nerei–Beușnița National Park, as well as within the WWF Central and Eastern Europe network.
These exchanges help strengthen collaboration with organizations and specialists involved in European bison conservation and place the experience gained through LIFE with Bison within a broader European context. They also facilitate sharing and adapting good practices relevant to species conservation and coexistence with local communities.
