I've just been sent the dates for this year's International Haymaking Festival in Transylvania. The fourth festival will take place on 19-26 August 2012 in Gyimes, Transylvania. Last year's festival was a wonderful week and the event grows and improves year. Hosted by a local farming family and the Pogány-havas Association this is an opportunity to mow some of the most species-rich hay meadows in Europe and learn about how to make hay and build the beautiful, iconic haystacks that you can see throughout the region. The work helps to bring income to the region, highlighting and aiding the work to preserve these meadows.To book a place, contact Barbara Knowles a british biologist and science policy adviser to the Society of Biology, UK who works with the Pogány-havas Association. Visit her Treasures of Transylvania website for more on the region.
If you need more convincing that the area is special and that mowing is for everyone, in May HRH Prince Charles visited the project and had a go with a scythe. It turns out he's been visiting the area for years and likes it so much that he has a home out there.
Agggghhhhhh! It starts on the last day of Dark Mountain so if I wanted to go, I'd have to fly (and miss the first day...) Ethical decisions ahoy. Actually I imagine a flight is less carbon intensive than driving the Blunderbus across loads of countries...
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