During the second week of August, a group of 35 young rangers from four European countries had the opportunity to learn more about nature conservation and interpretation, as well as to visit several important natural, historical and cultural sites in the north of the Czech Republic.
The Regional Junior Ranger Camp took place in the Březina Nature Trail (Central Bohemian Highlands Protected Landscape Area) from 10 to 17 August and was organised by the Czech Ranger Association and the Czech Association of Nature Conservators (Ophidia Litoměřice) with financial support from the Europarc Federation and its Youth+ programme. It hosted young environmental volunteers and their mentors from the Czech Republic, Germany, Moldova and Romania. Arnika provided logistical support for the Moldovan group.
The programme of the camp included various games and educational, sports and cultural activities, such as knot tying, basics of tourist trail marking, orientation and work with maps, first aid, bat monitoring, presentations and lectures, as well as team building and leisure activities or trips, excursions and visits. For example, to Litoměřice, which is not only a historical town but also a historical site for rangers from all over Europe - it was there that the European Ranger Federation was founded in 2017 during the 4th IRF European Ranger Congress, and brought together rangers from 24 European countries.
Dmitry Ciornii (18 years old, from Transnistria), one of the 10 Moldovan participants, said: "The Junior Ranger Camp was an exciting adventure for me, where I not only enjoyed nature, but also learned a lot about its protection. Hiking in the mountains and spending time in the forest helped me feel connected to the world around me".
Arnika and its partner organisation Biotica are supporting Moldovan volunteer rangers since 2022 through the Transition Promotion Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, as well as via the United Nations Development Programme´s Challenge Fund. We have been organising workshops and trainings for rangers and environmental volunteers from both banks of the Dniester river, we provide them with financial support and basic equipment and we lobby for a better systemic support of their work, their recognition and overall protection. Several Moldovan rangers also visited four Czech protected areas during a study tour organised by Arnika in May 2024.
