Junior Rangers of Latvia
What are Junior Rangers?
The Junior Ranger Programme is an international movement of young people aged 12 to 16 living within or close to the Specially Protected Nature Areas (e.g., national parks). These are young people who care about nature and want to spend their free time actively outdoors – taking part in nature exploration expeditions, ecological monitoring, orienteering challenges, games, and conservation work.
The movement is led and coordinated by the Nature Conservation Agency in Latvia.
Activities take place during school holidays, and sometimes on weekends.
The movement was launched in 2002 by the European Federation of Nature and National Parks (EUROPARC Federation) to raise young people’s awareness and interest in nature exploration, conservation, and the protection of local natural and cultural heritage through a variety of practical activities, including non-formal education. Around 80 protected areas in 20 different EU countries are currently part of the programme. Every year, around 5000 young people participate in Junior Rangers activities. Learn more on the EUROPARC website: www.europarc.org
Junior rangers go on nature exploration and cultural heritage discovery hikes, volunteer to help preserve natural qualities by participating in nature clean-ups, engage in small-scale research activities, and assist Nature Conservation Agency specialists and environmental inspectors with various tasks. They also participate in educating visitors about protected areas.
In which nature territories in Latvia do Junior Rangers work?
There are five groups of Junior Rangers in Latvia – in the Gauja, Ķemeri, Rāzna and Slītere National Parks, and the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Each group contains 10–20 young people.
Participation in Latvian summer camps
Every year, Junior Rangers from all groups have the opportunity to participate in a large summer camp organised in one of the Specially Protected Nature Territories. During the camp, participants not only have the opportunity to discover the natural and cultural heritage of the area but also to learn practical skills for survival in nature and for preserving its natural qualities.
How to apply?
Any young person living within or close to a Specially Protected Nature Area can become a Junior Ranger. If you are a young person aged 12 to 16 and want to get involved in the movement, choose the Junior Rangers group closest to where you live and contact a Junior Rangers mentor:
- Gauja National Park: Anda Andrušaite, +371 26433668; [email protected]
- Ķemeri National Park: Agnese Čamane, +371 28487565; [email protected]
- Rāzna National Park: Diāna Selecka, +371 25708126; [email protected]
- Slītere National Park: Baiba Ralle, +371 28611079; [email protected]
- North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve: Inta Soma, +371 26329412; [email protected]
For more information about the Junior Ranger movement, you can email the coordinator in Latvia: Anda Andrušaite [email protected]..