Forty young nature conservationists dedicatedly explored the exceptional features of the Krka National Park

Junior Rangers from Croatia and Latvia, and scouts from Finland, gathered in the Krka National Park to get to know each other and to exchange knowledge and experiences in the mission of preserving nature and the environment.

The final conference of the Erasmus+ project “Raising Environmental Awareness among Young People from Protected Areas”, fully funded by the European Union, held from the 15^th to 19^th September 2025 in the Krka National Park, brought together true nature lovers and their leaders.

The topic of the final conference was the presentation of the results of the two-year project. Young people from three countries who actively participated in the work of their protected areas got to know each other, exchanged knowledge about the natural features ​​of individual national parks, and agreed to set up mutual networking. The conference programme also included specially designed workshops aimed at interactive learning and mutual networking of young nature conservationists/junior rangers. Over the course of five days, with expert guidance, and thanks to, among other things, hiking routes and an electric boat excursion, they were introduced in detail to the features of the Park, from the Krka Eco Campus, to the Skradinski buk waterfall, and also the nearby city of Šibenik.

“This was an unforgettable experience, meeting other young nature rangers, socializing, exploring, having fun learning, and all with lots and lots of laughter. We are very proud that we were able to show the wonders of our region to young people from Latvia and Finland, who, to put it mildly, were delighted. They especially liked our nature, long walks along the Krka River, but also our traditional heritage. We taught each other to dance traditional dances,” said the young nature rangers of the Krka National Park and further stated: “We are happy that the Krka National Park invited us to be part of this program and that we are the first junior rangers in Croatia. We hope that there will be even more of us and that we will be able to continue in the programme when we are high school students. The workshops are phenomenal, and the socializing represents a wonderful adventure full of memories. A better understanding of nature has opened a new chapter in our lives. We are grateful to our wonderful leader and really proud of our group of young nature rangers!”

The project objectives* have been achieved, and all project activities have been implemented. Three study trips and workshops with young people have been held, an art competition has been held, and a visual project has been designed, a manual for implementing the Junior Ranger programme with the associated methodology has been written, a cooperation agreement has been concluded with the Europarc Federation, the first Croatian Junior Ranger group of young nature guardians has been established, a Croatian logo has been created in accordance with the Europarc standards, a final conference has been organized, and all the assigned project visibility parameters have been met. However, the most important result of the project is that making a connection with nature will enable young people to be better students, wiser rangers, and more conscientious advocates for the protection of nature in adulthood.

* Activities within the project “Raising Environmental Awareness among Young People from Protected Areas” (2023-3-LV02-KA210-YOU-000170610) will be carried out from 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2026. The total value of the project is 60,000.00 euros, which is fully financed by the European Union. The project leader is the Ķemeru nacionālā parka fonds from Latvia, and the project partners are the Gaujas nacionālā parka fonds from Latvia, Kehittämisyhdistys Sepra ry from Finland, and the Krka National Park. The objectives of the project are to inform young people about climate change, strengthen their awareness of the need to preserve nature and the environment, have them participate in activities within the project, and exchange their experiences through joint platforms of protected areas in the countries that are partners in the project, and to develop a system of motivating young people to participate in environmental protection, their networking, and exchange of ideas.

The project is co-financed by the European Union. The content of this material is the sole responsibility of the Krka National Park.