Spotlight on Youth
Spotlight on Youth
Creating opportunities for young people in and around Protected Areas
1st December – 15:00 – 16:00 CET
Young people are the future of Protected Areas in Europe.
As such, EUROPARC believes our Parks and Protected Areas should make sure that young people have a role in shaping and building this future, today. After all, youngsters can make a great contribution to their local community when encouraged to participate in nature orientated events – and Protected Areas are well-placed to give them this opportunity.
The EUROPARC Youth Manifesto, launched in 2018, paved a way with clear visions of a future built together with youth, Protected Areas and local municipalities. Since then, there have been many initiatives to implement these visions on local levels.
In this webinar we wanted to showcase three examples where Protected Areas have implemented various projects to increase opportunities for young people to take up active roles in their Protected Areas and local communities. Get inspired, and see how your Protected Area can support and empower youth, to create the green future of tomorrow!
Jessica Micklem-Kolenić
Youth Officer at the EUROPARC Federation
Jessica gave a short overview of the EUROPARC Youth Programmes:
- Junior Rangers: ages 12 – 18
- Youth+: ages 18 – 30
- The EUROPARC Youth Manifesto
Download Jessica’s Presentation here.
Iona Kellas & Liam McAllen
Cairngorms Youth Action Team members, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Liam and Iona shared the Cairngorm’s youth involvement in the EUROPARC Youth Manifesto creation and the implementation of it in the Cairngorms National Park. One of the outcomes was the creation of the Cairngorms Youth Action Team which manages a fund for young people, empowering them to develop, increase or act on local projects. In addition it has also set up a programme for artists to spend time in the Park and create. All of the projects have been highly successful and are gaining attention from the media and the local community.
See their Presentation here for more details.
Johanna Ugander
Nature Guide at Kullaberg Nature Reserve, Sweden
Johanna loved the experience of working with a mixture of different ages, cultures and young people as she did this summer with the Youth+ Summer Experience in Kullaberg Nature Reserve in Sweden. Over the course of 3 weeks, the 9 youngsters were involve in all aspects of the management of the Nature Reserve and the local community involved in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
Access her presentation here.
Read more about the Youth+ Summer Experience in the News Article written by one of the Youth+, Moritz Mairl.
Caroline Hall
Youth Volunteer Officer at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, England
Caroline’s passion for working with young people really shone as she shared the experience of working with the Up Skill Down Dales youth programme over the last 2 years. The programme started with as part of a nationwide scheme to empower young people with green skills and was so successful that when the funding period was over, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority allocated part of their own budget for a second year of the programme. The programme really focuses on the individual participants, ensuring they each get the skills and experiences that will further develop their own interests and potential careers, and setting up opportunties for them in partnership with the local community and local organisations.
Access her Presentation here.
