Parks Dinarides is implementing the project “Junior Rangers: Young Guardians of Nature Parks”, aimed at strengthening the role of young people in nature conservation through the development and establishment of a Junior Ranger educational programme in Montenegro’s nature parks.

The project is intended for young people aged 15 to 17 from local communities surrounding the Piva, Dragišnica and Komarnica, Komovi and Orjen Nature Parks. Through education, fieldwork and volunteering, young people will have the opportunity to learn more about the natural values of their local areas, gain practical knowledge and skills, and become actively involved in their conservation.

The main objective of the project is to empower young people to actively participate in nature conservation and the sustainable development of local communities through the development and establishment of a participatory Junior Ranger programme in Montenegro’s nature parks.

A particularly important aspect of the project is that the programme will be developed together with nature park management bodies, young people, youth organisations and local authorities, ensuring that it responds to the needs of young people and the specific characteristics of each area. The programme will be developed for four nature parks, while the complete model will be piloted in Piva Nature Park.

The main project activities include:

• participatory development of the Junior Ranger programme for the Piva, Dragišnica and Komarnica, Komovi and Orjen Nature Parks;
• organisation of a five-day Junior Ranger camp in Piva Nature Park for young people aged 15 to 17;
• volunteering and field activities for young people in the four nature parks;
• implementation of a four-month digital campaign “Youth and Protected Areas”;
• organisation of a final event in Piva Nature Park; and
• promotion and development of a cooperation network involving nature parks, youth organisations, youth offices, schools and local communities.

The project will develop a model for long-term engagement with young people that will extend beyond the project’s duration. The aim is for the Junior Ranger programme to become part of the regular activities of nature parks and to be integrated into their management plans. The experience gained through the project will also serve as a model that can be replicated in other protected areas across Montenegro.

The project “Junior Rangers: Young Guardians of Nature Parks” is implemented by Parks Dinarides with the support of the Youth Environment and Social Innovation Hub (YES iHub) project, implemented by Juventas in partnership with Help Montenegro, ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy and the Network for European Policies – MASTER. The YES iHub project is funded by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations.

For more information: jelena.marojevic@parksdinarides.org