Bear Groves in Transylvania

Acorns — or rather, the lack of them

Yesterday we searched the wood pastures of eastern Transylvania for acorns from centuries-old oaks, hoping to add genetic diversity to our plantings.

We came home with a handful. Literally.

Oaks have irregular oak production, often synchronized

In May, a roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus) with an unusually large belly appeared on a camera next to our planting site on Ciomad Mountain. A few weeks later, she returned – this time accompanied by a tiny, spotted fawn.
The camera captured some incredibly intimate moments between

Do you know what those yellowish spheres on the leaves are? They are the nurseries of oak gall wasp larvae (Cynipidae), found on oak trees we planted almost five years ago.
We often talk about how countless insect species—and, indirectly, many vertebrate species—will find food and

A family of bears is walking purposefully towards a patch of wild blueberries, passing one of the Bear Groves we planted. They are far from any human settlement — exactly as it should be, for them and for us.

Wildlife at the Ciomad Oak Planting Site – Early Summer

Who Visits Our Planting Sites? Bears!

Seedlings being planted at the spring 2026 Bear Grove among the clouds