Carpathians wildlife adventure holiday, Romania

Planet

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
We are a charitable foundation dedicated to the protection and restoration of wild areas in Europe. We support projects that protect and restore ecosystems, build coexistence with native wildlife, empower rural communities, and connect people to nature.

As part of this work, our charitable, small-group journeys spotlight conservation success stories and Europe’s lesser-known wild areas, while generating funds for human-wildlife coexistence programmes. Our aim with these trips is to create a positive cycle where wildlife conservation, responsible tourism and local livelihoods reinforce one another, giving communities a tangible economic benefit from protecting the wildlife and landscapes around them.

The central Apennines are an important stronghold for large carnivores, including the Apennine wolf and the rare Marsican brown bear. 50 percent of the total cost of this adventure is a direct donation to our Italian conservation partners, Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo and Salviamo l’Orso, supporting the protection of wolves and Marsican brown bears across the Apennines. Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo works to protect wolves and promote coexistence through monitoring, community engagement, conflict prevention and efforts to combat wildlife crime. Salviamo l’Orso is dedicated to conserving the Marsican brown bear, working to protect its habitat, improve ecological connectivity and promote coexistence between bears and local communities.

During the adventure, you’ll learn about the ecology and conservation of these species while exploring the landscapes they depend on. Wildlife you may encounter includes Apennine wolves, Marsican brown bears, chamois, golden eagles, griffon vultures, wild boar, red and roe deer, and Apennine woodpeckers.

CARBON REDUCTION
This adventure is designed around slow, low-impact travel. Rather than moving between multiple destinations or relying on extensive internal flights, the itinerary is centred around Pescasseroli, allowing you to spend meaningful time in one region, exploring its wildlife and landscapes at a slower pace. Daily wildlife watching, ecological walks and hikes are human-powered, while the small group format also helps to reduce the environmental impact per guest.

We coordinate collections to and from airports to reduce cars on the road with group transfers and select recommended flights with lower emissions where practical. Food is an important part of the experience, with guests eating lunches at small, local restaurants in Pescasseroli and dinners at Villa Parco which employs a ‘farm to table’ philosophy, helping to reduce food miles. Vegetarian and vegan options can be provided as lower carbon meal options.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
By working with local guides, conservationists, businesses and communities, our adventures aim to ensure that tourism supports the people who share these landscapes with wildlife. Based in the mountain town of Pescasseroli, guests stay at an independently owned hotel and eat at local restaurants, helping direct tourism spending into the rural economy.

The experience also connects guests with the communities living alongside wolves, exploring how local people are adapting to the return of large carnivores and developing practical approaches to coexistence. The itinerary introduces guests to local conservationists and biologists from Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo and Salviamo l’Orso, who share their work protecting wolves and Marsican brown bears. A visit to Bear Smart Community offers further insight into how communities are working towards coexistence with large carnivores.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
The adventure is operated by a local wildlife tour group, founded by co-host Umberto Esposito, alongside Italian wolf conservation organisation Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo and Marsican bear conservation organisation Salviamo l’Orso, creating employment and income opportunities for local guides, conservationists and wildlife experts.

We deliberately focuses on lesser-known regions of Europe and works with communities living closest to wildlife, recognising their important role in creating long-term, sustainable coexistence. Our approach aims to ensure that the economic value created by wildlife tourism reaches rural communities and supports livelihoods connected to healthy landscapes. By bringing visitors to lesser-known destinations and working with locally rooted partners, we help create opportunities for communities to benefit from the presence of wildlife and the protection of their natural environment.

All staff working on the adventure are paid above the minimum wage. The trip is LGBTQ+ friendly, and we aim to make reasonable adjustments where possible for guests with accessibility requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing or cognitive needs. This is an active wildlife adventure involving hiking and potentially challenging terrain, so some aspects of the itinerary may not be suitable for everyone. We encourage guests with specific accessibility requirements to contact us before booking so we can discuss their needs and the suitability of the itinerary.