Learning through activities that encourage responsibility, teamwork, and decision-making in accordance with the principles of protecting nature
Learning through activities that encourage responsibility, teamwork, and decision-making in accordance with the principles of protecting nature
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, a new workshop for the junior rangers of the Krka National Park called Young Rangers in Action was held in the conference hall of the Krka Eco Campus. It was a simulation and problem-solving workshop in which the Junior Rangers were supposed to solve realistic situations from the actual experience of nature guards (rangers) in the Krka National Park.
The first activity was in the field, dedicated to strengthening team work, solving problems together, and achieving a goal, and this time it was a staged rescue of a nest of loggerhead turtles threatened by rising water levels. In the theoretical part of the activity, the Junior Rangers were introduced to the Law on the Protection of Nature and regulations related to nature rangers. They learned with which services they would cooperate and according to which legal articles they would most often act. They also remembered the main features of a nature ranger and listed the tasks of a Junior Ranger.
In the surroundings of the Campus, they found indigenous plants, but also objects that do not belong in nature; they recognized waste, collected it, and sorted it. They learned which foreign species of animals can be found in the Krka National Park and how to determine which are the right and left banks of the river. They performed a simulation of the access for visitors and recommended sightseeing activities. They created a Junior Ranger logo from materials found in nature. Finally, they presented the Krka National Park in English to Junior Rangers from Europe who had shown interest in visiting Croatia.
In addition to acquiring new knowledge specifically related to the tasks of nature rangers, the Junior Rangers emphasized that they were most impressed by the teamwork, thanks to which they managed to complete all activities within the given deadlines. "Although we have all known each other since early childhood and go to the same school, these exercises have shown us that we have different levels of knowledge and skills, and that only by working together and respecting other opinions can we solve tasks faster and come to a better solution,“ agreed the Junior Rangers of the Krka National Park and concluded: "Nature rangers play an important and responsible role, which we hope that we, the Junior Rangers, will also successfully carry out in the future."
The tasks of nature rangers are focused, among other things, on the preservation and observation of nature, habitats, and species, interacting with visitors to the NP, as well as maintaining order and respecting the rules that apply within the Park. Nature guards use numerous skills and knowledge that they build upon while performing various tasks. In addition to educational activities, a love for nature and awareness of the need for its protection certainly contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.