The nature of ENDURANCH Project has as main goal the promotion of open-air sports activities. Developing the social, economic, and ecological processes in the territory- capable of leading to the sustainable development necessary to restore the balance between nature and man- by boosting sports and other activities in nature. ALL our small-scale projects lead to this concept we wish to evolve and replicate: afforestation, drones to test, experiential hub, energy days, open-air cinema and so on!
Our Project has as goal the promotion of open air sports activities. Developing the social, economic and ecological processes in the territory - capable of leading to the sustainable development necessary to restore the balance between nature and man - by developing sports and other activities in the nature. ALL our small-scale actions lead to this concept of NATURANCH – The nature of ENDURANCH - we are proud of and we wish we evolve and replicate (started since 2018 and continuing nowadays, through pandemics and war... L ):
PĂDURANCH - afforestation twice a year; ZĂPĂRANCH – snow-related activities; DRONĂRANCH – drones to test and understand; GRĂTĂRANCH – grill and barbecue in open air; ENDURANCH – enduro, motocross and off-road activities; ROCKYRANCH – underground rock festival / concerts in open air; CINEMADUR – open air / drive-in cinema in the nature; European Week of Sport – sports days under the umbrella of European Commission, every year since 2018; Energy Days - EU Sustainable Energy Week – officially and voluntary organizing energy days, every year, under the umbrella of EC, also; European Days of Parks – voluntary organizing „Days of Park” under the umbrella of EUROPARC Federation; Open Experiential Hub – practice what you preach
and so on!
„The nature of ENDURANCH” Project is supporting sports activities in the nature. We aim conservation of nature and the development of sustainable sports tourism and experiential tourism. Our Project contributes to the creation and promotion of a well defined image of ecotourism and sports+nature destinations at international level – no matter the place itsself. We need to develop sports services and infrastructure in the nature at the strategic level in order to bring individuals and communities closer to nature, to regenerate natural ecosystems and prevent loss of biodiversity. AWARENESS is one of our main targets and we work for it every day, with every tool, skill and action.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context
SPORT -Sports Club ENDURANCH through its Project „The nature of ENDURANCH”, has as goal and objectives the promotion of sports activities– especially open-air sports activities -both nationally and internationally, at amateur and professional level; Supporting sports activities in nature; Sustainability has been met by attracting people to practice sports in open-air sites, buildings and other energy-consumers not being necessary (besides human body energy).
NATURE -We love nature, besides organizing different sport-related actions, we meet sustainability by focusing also on special dedicated events to spend a lot more time in nature and thus paying attention to its protection, being the most valuable resource: afforestation twice a year -PADURANCH (padure means forest in RO), snow-related activities through ZAPARANCH (zapada means snow in RO), grill and barbecue in open-air through GRATARANCH (gratar meaning grill in RO) and so on.
HEALTH –we meet sustainability by focusing to diversify the methods of attracting people to spend time in nature, in benefit of the BODY AND MIND HEALTH -through implementation of similar experiences with FOREST BATHING (shinrin-yoku) –1982 founded concept in the most urbanized country of the world, Japan, (shinrin-yoku literally translates "Forest bath" and actually means only being in the presence of trees).
ARTS -we meet sustainability by offering the occasion and space for local artists to display their works and permanent displays of art installation, part of our Project, besides all the art-focused events organized (music, cinema, theatre, etc).
INNOVATION -“Open Experiential Hub –practice what you preach” concept has innovative elements and supports activities like research, development and innovation in all forms. We meet sustainability by offering the land where our Club operates - 20ha of forest and open-space (natural amphitheater), with no charge to those entities which can sustain coherent research with a practical end.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context
SPORT -aesthetics and quality of experience have been met by diversifying so much our organized sport experiences, thinking outside the box. For example a mow contest but not with nowadays mowing machines but with „classical” iron scythe. Few men still know how to cut the grass with this tool and this is a fun way to pass further a traditional skill but also to train the muscles (body AND mind – if you are not sharp and precise, it may be a dangerous activity...)
NATURE -aesthetics and quality of experience have been met by arraging our space to nurture the need of environment protection. The wildness of the nature is aesthetic too and the quality of experiences we organize is the best just because nature is the background!
HEALTH –aesthetics and quality of experience have been met by the peace of mind in every action we organize. The well-being – phisically and especially mentally, is provided by „forest bathing“ or other nature-connecting methods.
ARTS -aesthetics and quality of experience have been met by all the art-focused events organized: ROCKYRANCH – underground rock festival / concerts in open air; CINEMADUR – open air cinema in the nature; permanent displays of art or special displays of art at our premises – paintings, sculptures, installations, handmade objects, crafting and so on.
INNOVATION -“Open Experiential Hub –practice what you preach” concept, part of NATURANCH Project we brag about is also about aesthetics and quality of experience, in order to be an important part of visionary changes of mentality towards experiential tourism, environment protection, leisure activity development, health issues – physical or mental.
„The nature of ENDURANCH” Project can push the envelope – for disseminating and replicating our best practice beyond our region and our country. Only together we can reconsider our relationship with nature in a life centered perspective, as an alternative to the human centered one.
Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context
SPORT –in terms of inclusion this key objective has been met by many criteria – we promote women in sports, age is just a number (the President of our Club and this PM is a 40+ year woman), race or religion has no relevance to us and we organize many free-entrance sports events.
NATURE –it is for everyone, as long as we preserve it! That’s why every time we have an occasion we organize free-entrance events for awareness about environment protection. We were members for a time, of EUROPARC Federation (membership interrupted because of lack of finances) and we organized European Days of Parks –voluntary and we still do this no matter the membership. Our own small-scale events are inclusive, besides the free-entrance policy when it comes to attract people to spend time in nature.
HEALTH –in terms of inclusion it is universal! Research studies show us that nature helps human body and mind health. No matter the gender, the race, the religion, the social or economic status, the sexual orientation, the age, the physical features.
ART is another human universal value and we cherish it by offering the occasion and space for local artists to display their works and permanent displays of art installation, part of our Project, besides all the art-focused events organized (music, cinema, theatre, etc). Municipality of Iași City (our Club is activating in the rural area, near Iași, in N-E of Romania) financed part of a Rock Festival we organized and this part is dedicated to children, teens and youngsters.
INNOVATION -Open Experiential Hub concept, part of NATURANCH Project is offering to researchers from different fields, the space for research activities, for free.
NATURANCH can be exemplary in this context by diversity of actions taken for promoting the RECONNECTION WITH NATURE, by disseminating all the know-how achieved and all the results over the years - for partners already identified or considered but also for other partners who can join on the road).
Please highlight how this approach can be exemplary
Sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion have been perfectly combined in the NATURANCH Project we propose, as we presented above
We didn’t start in 2018 the activities of our sports club with this project in mind. But all we did, step by step, to achieve awareness about urgent environment protection (a background for open-air sports for us, at the time) reconnected us with nature and year by year (including pandemic years) we “invented” new ways to attract people to practice sports in open-air or at least to be active in nature –to move, to breathe, to meditate.
This approach we call now NATURANCH, as a whole, as a concept and as a way of doing things can be exemplary just by listening to our story and experimenting at the place. Nothing compares to experience itself: nor words, nor pictures, nor testimonials, nor movies. Nature you have to feel it, breathe it, touch it, taste it, see for yourself, smell it, hear it, connect with it
It can be named in any way. We started from the name of the sports club and the park where we are based –ENDURANCH (registered trademark) –and the word “nature”, almost the same in Romanian
One of “enduranch” symbols used for our brand communication is the skull (animal skulls). Here is its story
In 2016 when we began to implement the concept (much older) of the off-road adventure park (not the sports club), we had several naming alternatives. Enduro Ranch was chosen also because we found a skull (horse skull) in the area where nowadays is the safety path for the off-road tracks
The analogy was natural. The Wild West from the movies with the Wild East where we are. The cattle ranches from South America with a place for modern cowboys. The toughness of nature with the endurance which you presumably have if you enter our perimeter. However, we have spread this symbol everywhere in the park –AND at the Sports Club ENDURANCH, as a subtle reminder that the nature is sovereign and the human is limited, no matter how tough he thinks he is
The results/impacts achieved by NATURANCH Project in relation to RECONNECTING WITH NATURE category are:
- ideas for economic solutions for investment, for new technologies, for new products / services on the experiential tourism market, while the environment protection remains the main goal, etc
- our space available to researchers from different fields, for research activities (for partners already identified or considered but also for other partners who can join on the road)
- free dissemination of the potential results of the research and innovation activities
- promotion of an environment responsible business model, based on R&D and innovation as an open-source for other organizations interested in taking over this model
- the know-how, infrastructures and facilities for research and development and /or technology transfer
- the main endowment for research-development-innovation and / or technology transfer is NATURE
- creating the first hub open to research-development-innovation, networking, dissemination of information and results of Open Experiential Hub (A hub is a controlled business environment in which residents have access to opportunities to speed up their own business, both vertically and horizontally)
- contributing to increasing the number of socially responsible entrepreneurship initiatives that are economically responsible and environment responsible
- awareness for individuals and communities about the urge to protect nature – our source of health and well-being, a limited resource
- experiential methods to attract people in spending time in nature –for sports or leisure
- "experience" events with components of sports education, civic education, social education and environmental education elements (including music festivals, outdoor film festivals, sculpture exhibitions, installations, etc.)
- diversified methods of attracting people to spend time in nature - through implementation of similar experiences with FOREST BATHING (shinrin-yoku)
Please also explain the benefits that derived from their involvement.
We developed the educational component of the NATURANCH Project, through experiential methods to attract people -organizing "experience" events with components of sports education, civic education, social education and environmental education elements. Inviting and involvement of the local community - presence and promotion of local producers of goods and services, free of charge, to the public events organized within the premises of our Sports Club. Of course, the goal was to increase the number of visitors and consumers of experiences -increasing both the number of individuals and corporate visitors; increasing the number tourists; increased demand of specific tourism services experience; increasing the number of people informed and convinced of the physical and mental benefits of spending time in nature. For achieving this goal, off-line and online promotion was done (with limited financial resources but in an efficient way). Of course we need promotion of all that we do, both classically and through modern methods: paid advertising off-line, online and multimedia; mutual promotion partnerships; endorsement; merchandising; brand presence at various events, fairs, conferences linked to tourism or tourism related; participation to exhibitions
The benefits that derived from the involvement of citizens and civil society in the design and the implementation of the project are actually the design and the implementation of NATURANCH. This project we propose is an accumulation of concepts and activities carried on for some years now (including pandemics), adjusted and improved step by step exactly for this reason -permanent feedback from citizens and civil society
Awareness is the other benefit –the most important one and it feeds on itself, just by being present and involved in our different actions
The involvement of the local community was achieved by the presence and promotion of local producers of goods and services, free of charge, to the public events organized
Besides citizens and local communities “from the neighbourhood”, we targeted different partners: businesses, NGO’s, Universities, private R&D units, local /central authorities –for increasing awareness about practicing sports in nature –and thus the need for environment protection
Our sports club has its headquarters and carries out most of its activities in the near proximity of Repedea Hill, one of the 7 hills on which lies the old town of Iasi. It was originally an ancient sea bottom, which, in time, withdrew south. Geological research proved that 5-7 milion years ago (in Miocene geological epoch) the territory which is today Repedea Hill was covered by Sarmatian Sea. The totality of fossils and existing limestone made Repedea Hill to become in 1953 the first geological reserve of Romania. The initial scientific reserve area was 1.9 hectares, but, in 1973, it was increased to 5.8 hectares, with a buffer zone of 38.5 hectares, with a total of 44.30 hectares. The reserve scientific area of 5.8 hectares is represented by the western and north-western slope of Repedea Hill, including the limestone walls, the former quarries (oolitic limestone), the caves and an area of the structural plateau
NOW, due to our involvement for increasing awareness for this geological reserve, many other NGOs took initiative to protect the area, to put public pressure on authorities to claim responsibility, to monitor promises made by politicians, action plan editing, monitoring, evaluation). Also we encouraged on-site cleaning actions, measurements, promotion events, assessment, reports. We plan also to analyze the difference between the virtual involvement and the real, actual involvement in the matter, by the community
From the known global challenges, NATURANCH provided local solutions for addressing the following:
-sustainable development and climate change
-population and resources
-health issues
-education and learning
-status of women
-energy
-science and technology
Innovative character of the project - The main endowment for research-development-innovation and / or technology transfer is NATURE. For creating the first hub open to research-development-innovation, networking, dissemination of information and results - ENDURANCH - Open Experiential Hub (A hub is a controlled business environment in which residents have access to opportunities to speed up their own business, both vertically and horizontally), and for contributing to increasing the number of socially responsible entrepreneurship initiatives that are economically responsible and environment responsible, we provide free of charge space for partners, residents or future residents for carrying out R&D, innovation activities, networking, etc., activities which could help to develop other MODELS /access to the equipment, facilities and amenities of the park for the realization of the research-development-innovation and /or technological transfer activities carried out by the partners or residents /we promote free of charge partners and entrepreneurs who carry out the activities of initiating and developing their own ideas, within our sports club's perimeter
Repedea Hill -Paleontological Reserve from Iasi, Romania needs urgent protection and the involvement of the community, especially young people with their communication tools, is crucial
Waste disposal in a protected area is NOT managed by anyone. Iasi City Hall, Iasi County Council, Barnova Commune City Hall –the sanctuary is actually on the commune’s territory, even the Ministry of Environment through the national agency for protected natural areas –Iasi territorial branch, everyone declares that they are not responsible for managing the reserve and thus our paleontological treasure is abandoned for years and constantly degrading
Yes, we are a sports club but we can – and we want to play- a bigger role in environment protection and valuing NATURE, both locally and also internationally, by the power of example
Please provide clear documentation, communication of methodology and principles in this context.
NATURANCH Project’s results and learnings are entirely available for interested parties.
How? We can provide the following, to other NGO’s, environment protection organizations or even state-owned organizations, provided they are interested in preserving our planet (so far we learned they are not, history is repeating by wars, every day, all around the planet)
-project sheets for every small-scale actions implemented so far
-what is specific about Romania and not necessarily could work for other countries (cultural differences, attitude towards religious celebrations – in Romania some of these days focus on nature, on elements of nature and we used this specific feature to increase awareness about environment protection)
-how we ordered the small-scale events according to the specific (sport, nature, combination of sports and nature, art, innovation / technical and so on)
-how we took the opportunity to replicate /bring locally, major celebrations /events held on European level, also –Energy Days -Sustainable Energy Week, European Week of Sport, Days of Park, etc
-the lack of constructions and other invasive nature interventions; how we manage to “resist” the outer and inner pressure (lack of financing can lead to compromising, as we all know)
-the plan to develop the educational component of every action we took. In every small-scale action we implemented in this Project we propose to Bauhaus, we had the EDUCATIONAL side
-the thinking process we come-up with the experiences proposed to people in order to spend more time in the nature –doing organized sports activities, being active in the nature or just forest bathing for their well-being
-how we handled it legally with the concept of NATURANCH –presented here in front of the Bauhaus jury by the Sports Club ENDURANCH; the idea of all-inclusive concept of sport and nature came up in 2015–2016, than organizing a private nature and off-road adventure park in 2017, than setting up the sports club in 2018
We have no evaluation report available for the NATURANCH Project here presented.
Of course, we have reports sent to Romanian Authorities for the Sports Club ENDURANCH activities.
This project we propose is an accumulation of concepts and activities carried on for some years now (including pandemics), adjusted and improved step by step. It is the first time we think to "name" what we did, what we do. When reading about Bauhaus application, we said: This is us!!!
We even have in our legal status vision-wide objectives:
Developing and sustaining the social, economic and ecological processes in the territory - capable of leading to the sustainable development necessary to restore the balance between nature and man - by developing sports activities in the nature; Developing sports services and infrastructure in the nature at the strategic level needed to promote regions, countries and any other places open to this objective; Press campaigns focused on the development of sport in the nature, no matter the place, etc.
Conservation of nature and the development of sustainable sports tourism and experiential tourism; Contribution to the creation and promotion of a well-defined image of Romania and especially of Iasi as an ecotourism and sports destination at international level; Participation in national and international tourism fairs, sports tourism, experiential tourism, etc. Contribution to the design and implementation of tourism strategies, sports tourism, experiential tourism for the region and for the country;
@ENDURANCH Sports Club, 2021
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