The Mobility in Romania
Project work was pupil-centered and allowed the student’ involvement in decision making. Starting from the activity title - Rivers and Recreational Values, the objective was to make students work together in transnational groups using research methods and determine information which is relevant and interesting for their partners about the inherent process of the implementation of the project because they participated in the meetings and in the production of materials. The tasks took place in the computer rooms, but the project also involved activities in the local community at Antim Ivireanu Library, Călimănești, National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion, Vâlcea, History Museum. Pupils planned and produced the maps, posters or other materials. The final products were the result of the student’s work. The project study forms and methods (group work, discussions, brainstorming, simulations, study trips, etc.) guaranteed an improvement in language skills. The participants were open to new ideas and considerate of differences in culture, they easily and faster adapted themselves to changes. The main activities were optimized with respect to the original agenda, and they can be summed up as follows: DAY 1 – Presentations of the school including the student’s community with their families, staff and local authorities. All participants presented the community where their live, their rivers and cities (celebrations, festivals, competitions, etc.). Partners showed the results coming from output 1 of the dossier, In the afternoon a walk through the city revealed the most important recreational values linked to the river: Capela Hill, „Antim Ivireanu” County Library, Anton Pann Memorial House, etc; DAY 2 was dedicated to An interactive touristic map of Cozia National Park using GIS, Lecturer, Gabriel Vasile Dascălu, PhD at “Simion Mehedinți-Nature and Sustainable Development” Doctoral School, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest and to a workshop on how to develop creativity: How to organize an interactive map of the most important cultural, economic and touristic objectives in the River Olt basin and Cozia National Park taking in consideration that recreation is a major ecosystem service and an important co-benefit of nature conservation. The students and teachers pay a visit to the History Museum in Rm. Vâlcea; DAY 3 – Visits to the Ciunget Hydropower plant, Cozia Monastery, and S. C. Călimănești Căciulata, the main actor in the exploitation of the geothermal waters used for treatment but also in Aqua Parks. DAY 4 – Methods and strategies used to promote Vâlcea region in Europe, taking into consideration the recreational values of Olt river, presented by missis Monica Gheorghiu from the National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion, Vâlcea and an Workshop – students, in transnational groups realized posters to promote the tourism in Vâlcea County, taking in consideration that recreation is a major ecosystem service and an important co-benefit of nature conservation; DAY 5 – Recreational values of the Olt River Valley – Hike to the Lotrișor waterfall and Arutela castrum to analyze recreational values and management effects in the River Olt basin - seeking recreational benefits through fishing, swimming, camping, walking, birdwatching, sporting events, social gatherings and other activities on or near the waterway.
The training activity was focused on improving the direct participation of teachers and students in the project, giving instruments and technologies to undertake leadership, question actions and regulations and accept responsibility for their own behaviour
RECREATIONAL VALUES
The most important part of the potential that a country can have is the recreational resources, which are defined components of the natural environment, objects of economic activities, with uniqueness, originality, aesthetic appeal, and recreational importance, which can be used to be used to organise various types and forms of recreational activities.
THE VALUE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN RECREATION
Natural environments represent background settings for most outdoor recreation activities, which are important non-consumptive benefits that people obtain from nature. Recreation has been traditionally considered a non-market service because it is practiced free of charge in public spaces and therefore of secondary relevance for the economy. Although outdoor recreation in natural parks became relevant during the 19th century, the increased popularity of recreation after the Second World War required tools for the assessment of recreational benefits, which were not considered in the evaluation of investments in recreational facilities, and increasing spending for recreational equipment captured the attention of outdoor recreation as an economic sector. In the 1990s, it was observed that many recreational activities were commercialized and started being considered equally important to tourism as a means to boost the economy of local communities. The expansion of outdoor recreation is reflected in a growing interest in the economic aspects, including cost-benefit calculations of the investments in recreational facilities and research on appropriate methods to evaluate the non-market benefits of recreation. The first economic technique used for valuing recreation was the travel cost method that consisted in the assessment of a demand curve, where the demanded quantity is the number of trips to a specific site and the cost is the unit cost of travel to the destination. After this first intuition, the number of contributions on recreation valuation exponentially grew, and new methods were proposed, including methods based on stated preferences for recreation that can be used when travel cost data that reveal consumers' behavior are not available. A regular assessment of recreational benefits has several advantages for public policy, including the evaluation of investments and information on visitor profile and preferences, income, and price elasticity, which are essential to understand the market of outdoor recreation and propose effective strategies and recreation-oriented management. The increasing environmental pressure associated with participation in outdoor recreation required effective conservation activities, which in turn posed limitations to economic activities of local communities who live in contact with natural resources. Therefore, a balance between environmental, social, and economic interests is essential for recreational destination to avail of benefits without conflicts among stakeholders.
People use the nation's rivers, lakes, and coastal waters for many different forms of recreation. Some recreational activities take place in or on the water, such as swimming, boating, fishing, whitewater rafting, and surfing. Other activities are enhanced by being close to water, such as hiking, nature viewing, and hunting waterfowl.
Recreation use was studied on a diverse state river system to test the hypothesis that recreation use patterns vary systematically by river type. River segments were classified into representative river types through the application of a two-fold classification system. The first classification factor, generalized geomorphology, defines and groups the dominant resource bases of which rivers are comprised. The second classification factor, cultural setting, defines the land use and settlement patterns in which each river type is found. Significant differences were found among resulting river types with respect to the nature and intensity of recreation activity, desired use density, and user-perceived problems and conflicts. Management recommendations were developed, based on study findings, for each river type. It is concluded that when both environmental attributes and cultural setting are taken into account, regularities appear with respect to the way in which river resources are used and perceived by recreationists. Further exploration and expansion of such recreation-resource relationships to other activities and environments may hold substantial implications for the allocation and management of outdoor recreation resources.