Junior Ranger News

Mascot Contest Junior Ranger 2013

We are pleased to announce the opening of the Junior Ranger Mascot Contest.

The goal of this contest is to get a MASCOT designed by junior rangers for junior rangers. It will be used for the international Junior Ranger Programme.

Dates
Launch March 1
Submission open until May 15

All participants are invited to send their sumbissions to EUROPARC Federation until May 15, 2013.

Who can participate?
Young people, preferably engaged in a Junior Ranger group, betweeen 14-18 years old

What are we looking for?
A mascot is a little figure that is a symbol to promote a "brand" - our brand, the Junior Ranger Programme! The mascot will be used for all kind of promotion and communication by all those who are involved in the programme. And, it might become alive at the Junior Ranger Camp and Conference this year!

The Junior Ranger Mascot should be a really original figure, a person, an animal or a fantasy figure that captivates the attraction of young people to get outdoor, into the wilderness, into an protected area!

We are excited to see the entries created with creativity and inspired by the fantasy of young "ambassadors for nature", the junior rangers!

And: The Mascot needs a NAME! What are your ideas?

Please download and read the details of the contest, submission format and deadline in the "Mascot Contest Infosheet" (right side menue).

A jury will select the winning entry and the mascot will be launched at the Junior Ranger Camp 2013. The winner (one person only) will receive a great SurPrize!

Connect to EUROPARC´s Junior Ranger on FACEBOOK!

If you have any question, please contact Adina Procovanu at a.procovanu (at) europarc.org.

11th International Junior Ranger Camp 2012

The Triglav National park, in partnership with the Prealpi Giulie Natural Park hosted the camp in July 2012

10th International Junior Ranger Camp 2011

The Weerribben-Wieden National Park (Netherlands) hosted 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.

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!

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!”

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.

Read more about the previous years' camps following the on the right!