The project “Active youth for nature protection” is regional in nature and is implemented in cooperation with the Association of Dinarica. With this project, we want to encourage young people from the Capital of Cetinje and the City of Prijedor to recognize the value and importance of protected areas, primarily National Parks (Lovćen and Kozara), which gravitate to their municipalities through volunteer engagement and participation in educational activities. Both parks are known for their outstanding natural values and rich historical heritage.

Also, bearing in mind that within the municipalities (Capital of Cetinje and City of Prijedor) there are Youth Services that gather young people, we recognized the space for establishing cooperation between Youth Services and National Parks, which will result in the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation.

In order to encourage young people to take an active part in nature protection and education about nature protection, we will prepare educational material (video, brochure, visuals for social networks) that we will promote on social networks, through the media and through Youth Services.

Parks Dinarides, in cooperation with the Youth Service of the Capital of Cetinje and the Dinarika Association with the Youth Service of the city of Prijedor, will gather 15 young interested people each to take part in volunteer and educational activities, all with the support of NP Lovćen and Kozara.

Those activities are related to the organization of six volunteer actions and related lectures (three per park), which are aimed at the removal of invasive species, biodiversity monitoring (installation of camera traps) and the removal of flammable material from forests.

In addition to the above, we will also prepare the “Young Rangers Program” which will be used to organize a seven-days summer school in Lovćen National Park in which 30 participants from Prijesotnica Cetinje and the City of Prijedor will participate.

The project “Active youth for nature protection” is implemented within the Regional Program of Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 – ReLOaD2, financed by the European Union, and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

More information at: milica.kandic@parksdinarides.org