We are in the locality of Poiana Botizii, within the “Strâmbu-Băiuț” Forest District, in a UNESCO site forest.
The forest here is a secular forest and all the trees that are here come through natural regeneration
from native species.
We have no artificially introduced species, no exotic species.
Moreover, there must be trees that have reached the physiological limit,
we are talking here about 400-450 years for fir and 450-550 years for beech.
Trees that practically die of old age.
Another criterion of the secular forest is the presence of trees of all ages.
Starting from the seedling that has just germinated and up to that tree of several hundred years 
with intermediate generations.
What distinguishes this forest from other types of forests is the biodiversity that grows here. 
Biodiversity is linked both to species and especially to age differences.
We have trees from one to two or three to 500 years old.
You will realise how difficult it is to achieve something like this today. 
If this forest were cut down, it would be practically irretrievably lost, such an age could never be achieved,
 it would take thousands of years until we could have something like this again.
Wood from the forests here is the main source of food. 
An entire trophic pyramid is built on it, where the deadwood is at the base of the pyramid.
Then different floors appear: the wood is attacked by fungi, insects. 
Insects are eaten by birds, insectivores.
There is a concert of bird songs around us. It is practically an oasis, so to speak, 
where they find their home among the last species of insects, birds.
It was a great chance to be able to protect these forests to save some species from extinction.
Here we have tinder fungus, a parasitic fungus, which feeds on lignin and cellulose in the wood structure, 
transforming it into substances that insects easily assimilate.
The secular forests of Strâmbu-Băiuț are perhaps the best-preserved forests that have remained in Europe
and formed without a significant human influence but as a result of a long natural evolution 
of thousands and thousands of years.
Pure nature.
Here we can experience if you will, a return to the past, hundreds and thousands of years ago
because this was the common landscape that once covered over 70% -80% of the Carpathian Mountains 
in the time of Dacia.
But the secular forests of Strâmbu-Băiuț are not only a window into the past, 
but also a window into the future. 
These forests are real living laboratories that will help us understand the secrets of the forest universe.
If the primeval forest disappears, a natural evolution of thousands of years is lost with it, 
and all the data that are encrypted and waiting to be discovered, stored in the body of the forest.
The origin of the fir tree from Strâmbu-Băiuț is known and appreciated all over the world, 
both from a phenotypic point of view, as well as from a genotypic point of view.
 I heard that from the fir tree in these places where we are here, the Strâmbu-Băiuț Forest District, 
would be the floor of several premises, in several exhibition halls at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The forests here from Strâmbu-Băiuț can be the most beautiful in the country.
They are not as extensive as the forests at Cheile Nerei or the Semenic area, in Cozia.
But in terms of their structure and the biodiversity found here, 
they are the most beautiful forests in Romania.
Regarding the tourism in Lăpuș Country, there is a rebirth, let's say, of this activity.
The number of tourists does not always matter, 
I say that the quality of those who come here matters the most. 
There must be people who want to learn something, 
who want to get some answers to the questions that bother them
and I can guarantee that at the end of the day they will be really happy with what they found here 
and the knowledge they will gain.
Starting with 2011, Maramureș also means "Feast of Hot Air Balloons". 
We are talking about two different worlds that have merged into a game of unsuspected 
experiences from the two worlds. 
The archaic and the future. "Maramureș Plai cu Zbor" was, first of all, a festival of joy.
A beautiful story about the local traditions and cultural richness of Maramureș.
The little ones and the big ones actively participated.
We enjoyed together  the beauties of nature in the Lăpuș Gorges.
We learned about the Secular Forests from Strâmbu-Băiuț, about ecological corridors, 
about wildlife species and, last but not least, we flew with the hot air balloon
over the mysterious forests of Maramureș.
And we merged with the infinite of the sky until the haystacks and houses became mere dots on a map.
It was an emotional story about the heat from the hearth of the Maramureș village,
as strong as the fire that started the burners in the hot air balloons.
Both experiences are unforgettable.
I saw Băiuț growing. Through activities of interest related to biodiversity conservation,
I explored the area years ago and I saw how a very valuable area begins 
to transform and begins to prepare for tourists,
to prepare their visiting infrastructure and infrastructure interpretation.
Today we can talk about packages that are sold and sought after by tourists.
What we offer to tourists in the Băiuț area is visiting the
"Virgin Forest" combined with observing wildlife at the observatory.
The area has potential, but it is not fully used, being a former mining area,
now the mines have been dismantled. All we have left is tourism.
There are rocks in the area, there are beautiful forests, places where you have a dream view, nothing else.
I started on Izvorul Negru, I have an observer there since the '90s 
and that one is dearer to me then the others.
But the others are also dear to me, because wherever you put your soul, you see an animal;
you see something beautiful wherever you go in the area.
We have enough bears, I've been taking care of the bear for a long time.
Carpathian deer, roe deer, wild boar, wild cat, wolf, badger, rabbit.
During the day we do a route through the forest with UNESCO and in the evening we bring them 
to the observatories, if they are lucky to see the bear, to see animals.
From a social point of view, the population is ageing.
It is old because young people, not having a job or having very few jobs available,
prefer to go abroad so that they can support their families.
Economically, after the mine closed it was a very hard period.
In 2007, it seems to me that the last people left on the ordinance,
after which only the maintenance activities remained.
There are about 10-11 people in total.
To talk about the Băiuț area as a whole and focused on Strâmbu-Băiuț 
we have to look at the geology of the area.
The importance of lead and zinc deposits. Let's take it on metals.
Of course, silver and gold also appeared secondary, associated with these metals.
On one hand, we can say that copper also played an important role
in the history of the deposits in the Baia Mare area.
The whole history of this community is related to the opening of these mines.
When we talk about Băiuț commune, the whole administrative part and the surrounding area,
including Cavinc, when we cross the hill, they are related to these deposits.
But it remains, of course, after the 1990s the problem of investment, adaptation to new 
environmental standards, adaptation to new international conventions and so on.
Here we are already discussing other aspects, another level and other processing methods in which,
unfortunately, less was invested and the decision was made to close the mines in September ’97
when the first layoffs took place. 
Băiuț Mine closed somewhere in 2004, as far as I can remember.
Closure means, interruption of activity, conservation and dismissal of some staff.
The dismissal was voluntary, it was not forced, certainly every local who worked in the mining field
and in the administrative field, at the exploitation, gave up this activity.
Most left the area.
I worked at the mine. After the mine closed,
I took care and I still take care of forestry and primary wood processing. 
Being the area where agriculture is developed too little,
what choices did I have, I either had to go abroad or stay, and I like it here.
 I was born here, I don't want to leave from here.
We didn't leave because we have a life here. Here we have fresh air, we have peace.
For us, as retirees, we can say that we have everything we need.
Here in our area, we could develop tourism as a base activity.
Crafts with wood shakes and agriculture, with sheep, cows, and so on. 
The women wove spinning shirts and pants. That we were wearing in the past.
Here in Rogoz, we flourish Easter Eggs, we don't decorate them,
in our area it is said that they are flourished.
With beeswax with the pen, with the help of a pen and a lighted candle.
Heat the pen on the flame, after it is well heated, put it in the wax, and then quickly draw the egg.
I learned this from my grandmother when I was little.
Grandma did not made eggs for everyone, but she made 10-15 eggs for the family
I loved doing it and I wanted to learn. When I saw that there are many children who want to learn,
I said come on, I know and I will show you.
We were interested, we made a line of feathers and a lot of people and at school,
the teachers gave children the theme of decorating eggs.
They were here, they learn from each other now.
But when one knows how to do this, one can also teach the neighbour, to a friend.
Decorating, flourishing with onion leaves, onion skins, putting all kinds of flowers, leaves on the egg.
So the tradition begins to revive.
Today we use the term "Protected Natural Areas" 
which somehow leads us to think that man protects nature,
maybe we will come to a different conclusion and we will baptise these surfaces with a healthy life,
as "Natural Areas that protect us".
It is clear that those who will visit the protected area have or will have a close connection
with nature and thus will certainly go much richer from here in Maramureș.
More than 10,000 species live together in the primeval forests of Strâmbu-Băiuț.
Various trees of all sizes and ages.
Although they are in a permanent competition for light, a fierce struggle for survival,
they live together with a close connection.
Together they form the most productive and stable terrestrial ecosystems.
So, the forests of Strâmbu-Băiuț are a living lesson not only about ecology or forestry,
but it is also a lesson about normality, about being natural.
From the result of this natural evolution of thousands of years,
we can find the long-verified model of nature from which to learn how to behave in society.
The struggle for the existence of each of us, but at the same time, 
pursuing the common long-term interest of the community,
exemplified so beautifully here by the forest as an ecosystem.
