7th international EUROPARC Junior Ranger Camp 2008 – a big success!! 07/26/2008

The EUROPARC Federation would like to thank the Cairngorms National Park Authority very much for the great week which they organised for the 31 junior rangers and their mentors from 8 countries from 26th July to the 3rd August. After a week of fun, discovery and adventure, everyone went home with a smile on their face and took some brilliant memories with them!

   
Welcome by Eric Baird at the camp fire on first evening...
...discovering new species with a Ranger in Glen Tanar...
...and practicing Scottish dance at the ceilidh for the last night...


The camp, around 50 tents, was situated in the very east of the Cairngorms National Park. Participants enjoyed swimming in the river, good food and gathering around the camp fire in the evening and all Junior Rangers had prepared excellent presentations of their home protected areas. The highlights of the week were: amusing canoeing on the River Dee, interesting conservation work with the Ranger Services, visiting the Balmorals Royal residence, the fantastic puppet theatre “The men who planted trees” by the Puppet State Theatre and the Highland Games in Aboyne.


Group picture in front of Balmoral's Royal Residence (CNPA/Donald Stewart)


This wonderful programme was rounded off by the presentations of both the John Muir Award and the Junior Ranger certificate by Eric Baird, Vice-Convener of the CNPA, and Carol Ritchie, EUROPARC Director. Afterwards youngsters and adults alike all partied together at a fabulous ceilidh and tried their luck at Scottish dancing.

This fantastic experience in Scotland yet again highlights how enjoyable and useful Junior Ranger Camps are and the EUROPARC Federation is now very much looking forward to the next camp in summer 2009!
An article about the camp, published by the Times Educational Supplement, can be read here.

More pictures can be seen soon in the gallery. For further information or questions, don't hesitate to contact Damien de Chantérac.


             
 Event coordinated as
 part of the EUROPARC
 Junior Ranger network...
      ...organised and hosted
      by the Cairngorms
      National Park Authority		          In partnership with the
           Scottish Countryside
           Rangers' Association



...and financially supported by: