Large and small guardians together for nature

The first Croatian Junior Ranger group of young nature conservationists gathered in the Krka National Park for their second workshop, where they learned about pollinator species, among which bees are particularly important, as they play a key role in preserving biodiversity. They are small, but essential was the name of a new workshop that brought together young people from the Oklaj Regional School as part of the Erasmus+ project, fully funded by the European Union.* In the stimulating environment of the Krka Eco Campus in Puljane, on Saturday, June 14, 2025, a group of Junior Rangers made progress in recognizing and understanding the elements of nature that surround us. After learning theoretically about the types of pollinators and their role in nature, the young nature conservationists got to work observing and recording them at work on the blooming lavender bushes. Surrounded by fragrant flowers, they diligently recorded the movements of various insects, whose interactions they creatively described. They later used all this in a knowledge quiz. The most attention was drawn to the colorful butterflies, but also to the bees, which are considered to be the greatest miracle of nature. Young nature rangers were able to obtain information about bees, their breeding, maintaining healthy communities in beehives, and bee products from a nature ranger of the Krka National Park who, in addition to guarding the Park, dedicates his free time to beekeeping and preserving biodiversity. Honey, pollen, propolis, wax, wax foundation, and honeycomb are just some of the products that the Junior Rangers touched and smelled, and the golden nectar in the honeycomb collected just before the workshop began was a delight for their palates. “If bees disappeared, the world as we know it would cease to exist in three years. In addition to bees, all other pollinators have their role in nature, we just need to recognize and appreciate their efforts. They may be small, but they are very important to us, so let's help them to make their work as effective as possible. Just like them, we are still small, but we are learning with great interest how to help nature survive. Everyone can participate in this mission. Join us!” say the young nature guardians from the Krka National Park. In the end, hardworking hands joined forces to create a hotel for insects, which was set up on the Krka Eco Campus and has already recorded its first guest. We hope for good reviews 😊. This summer, the young junior rangers can expect new creative workshops, designed just for them, in order for them to advance in knowledge and wisdom. The Junior Ranger group was formed on the basis of a cooperation agreement signed between the Krka National Park and the Europarc Federation, the largest European network of protected areas, founded in 1973, which strongly supports the involvement of young people in nature protection. It does this through two initiatives: the Junior Ranger programme, for children from twelve to eighteen years old, and the Youth+ program, for young people from eighteen to thirty years old. Activities within the Junior Ranger and Youth+ programmes are promoted through the Europarc network of protected areas. Direct cooperation between Junior Rangers and the rangers of protected area is encouraged, with the aim of transferring knowledge and skills to younger generations, as well as international cooperation and networking between young nature rangers from different countries. * 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.