Ever since we started the horse riding centre we have tried to practice the environmental friendly and responsible tourism.
We have the central heating working on wood, and since 2005 we have also had modern solar panels to help the wood based system.
This way we don't have to use the central heating at all during the summer, the solar panels are able to provide enough energy to have hot water and we can save about 4 fully grown 90 - 100 years old fir trees and beech trees every year!
We have been using low energy light bulbs since 2003.
What is the impact of our business in the local region?
- We provide jobs for at least 3 locals at our riding centre
- We buy the surplus of hay from local farmers, who still cut it traditionally with scythes and dry it manually! Our riding centre is the only close enough place where they can sell it ...
- We have been recycling the garbage since last year and we are trying to implement this mentality to the locals!
- We help an environmental association clean the Mures Valley and Ilva Valley every summer from plastic bottles and anything left behind by picnicers
- By coming to our riding centre and paying for the riding holidays, the guests help us buy pastures and plant new trees every year!
When we bought this land where the chalet is today, 20 years ago there was a wild land, with a lot of forest and wildlife.
Today it still is quite wild, but we are trying to compensate our presence in the Valley by buying up land from the villagers. Not just any land, but pasture land which had been deforested years ago to create new pasture for the extensive farming.
In 2005 we decided it was time to act so it is now a plan we intend to keep, to buy this land and reforest it! So far we have managed to buy 3-4 ha /year which we are going to turn into fir tree nursery.
Starting this year, we will keep you informed through our website about our progress in our work with the nurseries by posting maps and photos with the replanted areas!
The best example is that we have already turned one of our paddocks near the chalet into the first nursery with 30 000 silver fir and spruce (Abies Alba and Picea Abies).
Comments (0) 04.03.2008. 13:50
