Dartmoor Youth Rangers are back!

Over the summer you may have seen young people out on Dartmoor, getting stuck into a wide range of practical projects, from site maintenance, practical conservation and archaeological preservation. They are our junior and youth rangers! A project originally set up by Dartmoor National Park in 2015, junior rangers are 12-14, and youth rangers are 15-19. The group, unfortunately in hibernation since Covid, has had a new lease of life due to a green recovery grant, Generation Green, which has enabled the employment of a youth engagement ranger. The aim of the 9-month funding and project is to provide a more accessible and varied menu of practical opportunities, that will inspire and enable a larger number of young people to experience the outdoors, in particular Dartmoor.

We are doing this through a series of tailor-made taster days for youth organisations, longer-term volunteering via the junior and youth ranger programme, and two weekend residentials in partnership with Okehampton YHA. Working with the Dartmoor National Park ranger team, archaeologists and other Dartmoor conservation charities, we have created an exciting programme of activities at sites around the moor. In return for their efforts, young volunteers can work towards a John Muir Award, and last weekend 15 young people received their Discovery Awards. Our young rangers’ reasons for taking part include: ‘It’s just great to get out again since Covid’; ‘making new friends’; ‘using tools; ‘doing something to help nature’; and of course ‘the hot chocolate & cake’!

Over the summer our junior and youth rangers repaired an eroded bridleway near Yarner Woods, re-surfaced a boardwalk in Longtimber Woods, removed turf from the granite tramway at Haytor, pulled up Himalayan balsam in North Bovey, and helped in a tree nursery near Dartington. From September the programme moved to weekends and young rangers have been busy removing gorse, cutting down conifer regeneration, helping restore a leat, and learning the traditional skill of coppicing. We have also started delivering tailor-made taster days, from one-off visits with a Plymouth youth group scrambling up Leathertor and a bushcraft session, to mini taster day programmes. Over the last few weeks, year 7 pupils from Tavistock College carried out drainage work to the bridleway near Peter Tavy, City College Plymouth students and Tavistock Youth Café young people carried out bracken management work at hut circle and enclosures, and Millford School removed conifer regrowth at Bellever. To date 45 young people have been involved in the junior and youth ranger programme, contributing over 1000 hours to looking after Dartmoor’s environment!!! I would like to say a massive thank you to all our amazing young rangers (and their parents for getting them to quite challenging meet-up points!), and to local conservation charities - StOC, North Bovey Volunteer Group, Dartmoor Preservation Association, Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, Moor Trees, and the Common Cause Project.

If you would like information on becoming a youth ranger, or if your youth group may like a taster session, please contact Emily: ecannon@dartmoor.gov.uk or 07912 470778. Please book junior & youth ranger activities (below) at ecannon@dartmoor.gov.uk

Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 December, 10am-3pm: Green woodworking at Yarner Wood

Saturday 15 January, 10am-3pm: Scrub clearance with DTRG at Brimpts Farm

Saturday 22 January, 10am-3pm: Coppicing and woodland management near Bovey Tracey

Sunday 30 January, 10am-3pm: Scrub management work with SWLT at Fernworthy Reservoir