A chance to learn, develop and have fun; the National Park Authority and The Outdoor Partnership have partnered to provide placements for enthusiastic individuals aged 14 – 17 with an interest in both outdoor adventure and the environment.
For one full day a month, typically on a Saturday or Sunday, the Young Rangers meet to work alongside our team and join us in discovering more about the beautiful and diverse landscape we are lucky enough to call home. Typically, the day is split in half between doing a fun physical activity such as hiking, climbing, abseiling, kayaking, gorge walking, biking (and more!) and some conservation work, which includes planting trees, clearing invasive species, path maintenance, litter picking, surveying nature (and more!). Some sessions are themed more around learning about Eryri and its landscapes: geology and geography, history, and heritage, archaeology, or biodiversity. These sessions include visits to museums or sites of historic or scientific interest, and/or seeing wildlife up close.
The aim of the programme is to give the young people of Eryri the chance to engage with and learn about their national park through developing on-the-job skills (navigation, rope-work, use of tools, ect) by completing a range of practical tasks while working with knowledgeable national park staff and external services, as well as occasionally engaging with the public. The Young Rangers are actively involved in the care and management of the National Park, including its historic sites, tourist hot-spots, woodlands, and nature reserves. The purpose of the placement is to help young people understand, value, and contribute to conserving, enhancing, and enjoying the National Park’s special and distinctive natural and cultural qualities.
This is a particularly great opportunity for those who are considering pursuing careers in sectors such as agriculture, the environment, the outdoors, sports and leisure, and tourism. It is also possible to use the young ranger scheme towards your Duke of Edinburgh, under the volunteering section. The scheme presents opportunities to try new experiences and hobbies (potentially for the first time) without barriers such as equipment, expenses, and knowhow. The cost is completely free for applicants and participation is voluntary.
The group number varies per session based on availability but is usually capped at around 7 Young Rangers per session. We understand that our young people have other commitments such as school, hobbies, social lives, and clubs, and can also fall ill, and therefore can’t always attend every Young Ranger Day. We ask that you give us notice of absence prior to the session so that we can offer the space to someone else. We still need to keep numbers up and would like each session to be as full as possible. This means that some sessions are run on a ‘first come first serve’ basis.
The current Young Ranger scheme is based predominantly in the North of the National Park. In the next couple of months, we are hoping of establishing a separate group in the South of the Park as well, to make travel easier for applicants and their parents. This is because transport is not always provided for sessions. Occasionally we have a small mini-bus pick-up and drop-off, but usually only via one route to the destination for that day’s activities.
If you’d like to register your interest in becoming a Young Ranger, click this link and fill out the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/mir0pJqnkN
If you have any other questions, please feel free to email Ailish.roberts@eryri.llyw.cymru