Junior Ranger News

10th International Junior Ranger Camp 2011

Registrations open! Read more

The Weerribben-Wieden National Park (Netherlands) will be hosting the 10th International Junior Ranger camp, from the16th to the 23rd of July 2011.

9th International Junior Ranger Camp

Mendip Hills AONB 24th - 31st of July 2010

The national Junior Ranger Program from EUROPARC Germany

The official start of the German national Junior Ranger Program was in June 2009 when 300 kids from 19 different parks came together in the Nationalpark Harz. In the coming years the German section is collaborating with WWF to strengthen this ambitious youth program. The aim is to connect children with their parks and to involve them in the duties and responsibilities of the protected areas. Besides the long term established intention to involve the youth living nearby the parks, the new program also focuses vacationers, students and kids at home via a “WebRangers” section – just to get them up and out in the parks. All together the German Junior Ranger Program is a four pillar program to attract kids wherever they are – in the park, school, at home or on holidays to gain future ambassadors for Germans protected areas.

International Junior Ranger Camp 2009

Read about the camp here.

Junior Rangers for International Parks. EUROPARC Conference 2009.

The Conference 2009 was also an opportunity to concentrate on one of our most successful programmes: the Junior Ranger Network! This programme connects approximately 500 youths from 30 protected areas in 14 different countries across Europe. Moreover, the annual International Camp, organised by EUROPARC and hosted by member protected areas, has become a regular opportunity to improve the knowledge of around 30 Junior Rangers on nature conservation in protected areas through practical experience. This camp also provides the chance to further strengthen links between the Junior Rangers.

Kristin Biebl, a Junior Ranger from the Bayerischer Wald National Park (D), was invited to attend the conference this year as a representative for the Junior Rangers in Europe. She gave a fantastically moving speech, transmitting her

emotions, passion and enthusiasm for being a Junior Ranger to the audience. “Young people will continue your work in the future” she said to the 300 attending protected area practitioners. “But we youngsters first need to learn what that means, we need to discover nature and protected area before taking over the responsibility for it. Because, why should young people love something they don’t know and that they don’t understand? We protect what we love!”

“Furthermore,” she added, “with the Junior Ranger activities and Camps, the solidarity between protected areas in Europe is becoming stronger and stronger. Future employees of national parks, having been part of the Junior Ranger programme, will already know each other and thereby work together more efficiently [...]. We won’t talk anymore about National Parks but about International Parks!”

Kristin then introduced a video produced by EUROPARC, which enabled all the conference participants to understand the activities of the last Junior Ranger Camp better. It gave them a clearer idea of the importance and values of the Junior Ranger Programme across Europe.

The Junior Ranger Project in the Cairngorms National Park (Scotland)

The Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Project was launched in June 2009 involving 21 young people aged 12-15 in two 5 day programmes - one in Deeside and one in Strathspey.

The project helps meet Cairngorms National Park Priorities for Action to:

• Develop a programme of practical volunteering opportunities that link people to the special qualities of the Park.

• Develop a programme of activity to encourage people to become ambassadors for the Park, promoting messages about care, active enjoyment and wise use.

The project also links in with EUROPARC Federation, a pan-European association of protected landscape areas. Its aims for young people are to:

• Create a network of youngsters who participate in nature protection by acting as advocates for their protected area.

• Improve youngsters’ knowledge and understanding of the Ranger profession.

• Raise awareness about the natural, cultural, social and economic values of protected areas.