Barbara & Christoph Promberger
on Rewilding the Beautiful Carpathians
The “rocky cliffs”, the “karpate” or Carpathians, surrounded by their fairy-tale aura, shelter the largest free European wolf and bear populations and the highest number of European virgin forests. These forests have been muses for many authors like Bram Stoker or Jules Verne, thanks to their enchanted plants, unique flowers, and medicinal herbs, making Transylvania a fascinating destination for dreamers all around the world.
It takes fairy-tale-like guardians to preserve and protect the beauty and health of this sanctuary that offers healing remedies and breathtaking scenery. The good news is that these heroes, Barbara and Christoph Promberger, are among us, more resilient and driven than ever.
“Be prepared for the worst and grow a thick skin. In conservation, nothing is straightforward, so you need to be bold, have a long breath, stay flexible and adapt to different situations while always keeping your bigger vision clear in your mind”, Barbara reflects. Conservation is hard work, but she believes it is the ability to manage stakeholder interests that makes the difference and turns a project into a real success.
When they came to Romania for the first time on their own separate paths, they were both mesmerized by the splendid flora and fauna. Magic worked its way and brought them together, where love, not just for each other, but for the country’s natural beauty, is central. They turned Romania into their home and, after studying wolves, bears, and lynx, they witnessed first-hand the abusive and unhealthy practices of dealing with nature in many parts of the country.
In the past 20 years, old-growth forests have disappeared in the blink of an eye. But Barbara and Christoph decided to turn this love into something bigger: a courageous daring mission of saving Făgăraș Mountains and developing them into the most important National Park on the continent. When they co-founded the Conservation Carpathia Foundation, they gained support from a passionate and dedicated global network of conservationists, bringing back species that have been gone for over 200 years, like the European bison.
Their biggest dream is to create a European “Yellowstone Park”, a 100,000-hectare wilderness reserve in the Transylvanian Făgăraș Mountains. Turned into reality, the project would create Europe’s largest forested national park. You can discover their story at Climate Change Summit in Romania, the largest event in CEE dedicated to climate change, on the 15-17 October in Bucharest, where they will be speaking on stage.
Read the answers Barbara and Christoph Promberger gave for Inspirators to see how love is capable of not only ‘moving mountains’, but also protecting them!
Thank you, Barbara and Christoph, for being the Guardians of Carpathians!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Barbara Promberger-Fuerpass; Christoph Promberger
Company / Institution: Foundation Conservation Carpathia
Title: Executive Directors
Website: https://www.carpathia.org/
LinkedIn profiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-promberger-5769b8178/
Country of origin: Christoph - Germany; Barbara - Austria.
Country you currently live in: Romania.
Your definition of Regeneration:
Barbara: Acting to reverse climate change.
Christoph: Getting back to a situation which is better than the previous one.
Main business challenge you face:
Barbara: Short-term business goals often contradict long-term conservation goals. Finding
Christoph: Conservation is long-term, but for businesses, there are always short-term options which are more profitable.
Main driver that keeps you going:
Barbara: The conviction that the creation of large protected areas will ultimately protect and benefit all of us.
Christoph: The creation of a Fagaras National Park is a unique opportunity for the protection of all our fellow species and the sustainable development of the local communities all around.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself:
Barbara: Holistic thinking.
Christoph: Finding win-win situations.
The trait you most value in others:
Barbara: Commitment.
Christoph: Honesty.
Passions & little things that bring you joy:
Barbara: Landscapes that are thriving with wildlife.
Christoph: Beautiful landscapes and wildlife.
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
Douglas Tompkins
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey:
Barbara: Measure your impact!
Christoph: Think of what type of world you want to leave behind!
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you:
Barbara: The habit that a complex process is called automatically and quickly sustainable if only a small improvement is made.
Christoph: If solutions, which are not the worst possible, are already considered sustainable, just because it could be even worse.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope:
Think global, act local. You can always change things for the better in your own environment.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
Barbara: Wilding by Isabella Tree; Feral by George Monbiot.
Christoph: Half-Earth by E. O. Wilson; Feral by George Monbiot.
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again:
Barbara: Soil.
Christoph: Koyaanisqatsi.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing:
Mark Knopfler, Platon Karataev.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you:
Barbara: Arctic, African National Parks and especially the Radioecological Reserve in Belarus.
Christoph: Arctic, African National Parks.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
George Monbiot
Kristine Tompkins
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030:
EU Biodiversity Law.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030:
Barbara: Slow pace of transformative laws.
Christoph: Rise of right-wing populists.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today:
Barbara: Positive communication.
Christoph: Holistic views on things.
The Inspirator(s) you are endorsing for a future edition:
Kristine Tompkins
The quote that inspires you:
Barbara:
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." (Mark Twain)
Christoph:
"If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant an apple tree today." (Martin Luther King)
Your quote that will inspire us:
