News from the EUROPARC Youth Council as they start their 2-year Mandate!

The second cohort of the EUROPARC Youth Council is off to a good start!

The second cohort of the EUROPARC Youth Council were invited to Gut Siggen for the second part of the Siggen Seminar, an annual event dedicated to capacity building and further developments in the EUROPARC Federation. The group were selected by their peers in November 2025 and have met online over the last 3 months ahead of the event.

As a group they are well-balanced and bring a diverse range of perspectives. The group consists of 7 young professionals (from contractors to dedicated staff) working on topics including transboundary parks, sustainable development, nature restoration, community engagement, education, and landscape management. The remaining 3 members are very active Youth+ers, working with non-formal youth engagement and the Junior Ranger programme. They also have regional diversity with all sections having at least 1 Youth Council member active in their area except for Federparchi.

The core criteria for a youth council member:

• Young (19-28 years old)
• Good English competencies
• Active in their local Protected Area as staff or Youth+ or Junior Ranger Alumni
• Passionate about conservation, culture and sustainability in Protected Areas
• From a range of diverse countries and backgrounds (9 countries represented)
• Dedicated to volunteering for 2 years (2025-2027)
• Able to work together online

As members of the Youth Council, they came together through a shared passion for Protected Areas, driven by a common goal to support their legacy while fostering collaboration, networking and connection among young people across borders. Through advocacy, learning and active engagement, they aim to empower youth, strengthen our network and contribute to a more sustainable future built on growth, progress and continuous improvement.

The role of the Youth Council: To represent and be the voice of young people of Protected areas and the EUROPARC Federation

Supporting the work of EUROPARC

During their time on the Youth Council, they aim to amplify youth voices across all EUROPARC spaces, engage and empower young people in conservation, build stronger human-nature connections, and create inclusive communities, ultimately making a meaningful impact and growing together as confident leaders for nature. Similarly, as a network and the directorate, it is up to us to help them develop their competencies by creating opporunities for them to learn and participate.

The Youth Council members play an important role as a bridge to ‘on-the-ground’ members and activities, playing a similar role as a section. They are the link to young professionals or stakeholder groups such as Junior Rangers and Youth + . They bring energy and new experiences sharing these with the youth representative sitting on the EUROPARC Council, in the sections in which they can be actively included, and also in the newly established working groups.

They can also promote EUROPARC and its work as ambassadors, by being active voices in conferences, workshops, in their own organisations and in their studies. They play an active role in the European Youth in Parks Day (15th of September), determining a youth priority for the theme and actively organising youth-led activities within their own Protected Areas.

First in-person meeting in Gut Siggen

The in-person meeting at Gut Siggen proved to be an essential and transformative step in strengthening the foundations of the Youth Council. While online collaboration enables continuity, coming together physically has allowed them to build trust, deepen connections, and engage in more meaningful and productive discussions. This shared experience enhanced our understanding of one another, clarified our collective role within the EUROPARC Federation, and reinforced our shared responsibility to represent and amplify the voices of young people in Protected Areas across Europe.

Such in-person collaboration is an investment into effectiveness, cohesion, and long-term impact of the Youth Council. With renewed motivation and shared direction in place, they are well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to EUROPARC’s mission and to actively participate in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future for Protected Areas across Europe.

Stay tuned to their activities by following EUROPARC on social media (and @youth.europarc on Instagram)!

If anyone wants to make a direct connection with a member of the youth council, reach out to Jessica Micklem-Kolenić from the EUROPARC Directorate who can assist you further.