The sixth edition of the European Ranger Congress has begun today in Romania. The event takes place at Cheile Grădiștei, Moieciu, and brings together over 260 rangers and conservation specialists from 33 countries over five days, running until 10th October 2025.
The Congress will be attended by the Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Diana Buzoianu, alongside representatives from the European Ranger Federation (ERF), the Romanian Rangers Association (ARR), Foundation Conservation Carpathia, as well as conservation experts from Romania and abroad.
The opening conference on 7th October will be broadcast live on the Foundation’s official YouTube page from 09:00 to 13:00.
This Year’s Theme: ‘Rangers – The Voice of Nature: Building Bridges Between Local Communities and Nature Conservation’
Throughout the event, which runs from 6th to 10th October 2025, participants will attend workshops focused on the role of rangers and the integration of local communities, debates, idea-sharing sessions, and case studies on species reintroduction and ecological restoration. The programme also includes five field visits, enabling rangers to explore protected areas and examples of best practices in nature conservation.
Bridging Local Communities and Nature Conservation
The theme of this year’s Congress is more relevant than ever. In a period marked by rapid species loss and worsening climate crises, nature conservation must be a priority on the global political agenda. While conservation efforts can sometimes be sidelined internationally, there remain commitments and policies addressing these crises directly, such as Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 (30×30), alongside numerous national and international objectives.
Achieving these targets requires the engagement of those directly affected by conservation measures: the local communities in the targeted areas. Rangers, who implement these measures on the ground, act as representatives of these strategies in front of the communities. Their role in building bridges between people and nature is more important than ever, as conservation efforts can have a lasting impact only with the support of local populations.
Rangers – The Voice of Nature
Who better to fulfil this mission than rangers? They are mediators between people and nature, with a role that goes beyond simply protecting species and habitats. As the first point of contact on the ground, rangers have extensive experience and a deep understanding of how to communicate the value of nature to people. They do more than just provide information: rangers create a personal connection between people and nature, fostering interest and responsibility for its protection. Once people reconnect with the environment in this way, its preservation becomes a personal concern. In short: rangers are the voice of nature.
Inspiration and Exchange of Experience
Using this voice to build better-targeted bridges between people, their cultural heritage, and nature conservation is the focus of the sixth European Ranger Congress. The location could not be more fitting: a region where Foundation Conservation Carpathia pursues an ambitious goal – creating the largest national park in Europe, within the continent’s largest remaining area of continuous forest.
Participants will draw inspiration from examples of how local communities are engaged in major conservation initiatives through education, dialogue, sustainable income generation, and more. In addition, the Congress will showcase international initiatives by rangers and conservation specialists, inspirational projects that make Europe wilder, integrate people’s cultural heritage, and highlight the essential role of rangers and their expertise in political and economic contexts.
A Comprehensive Programme of Workshops on Community Engagement, Practical Conservation, and Coexistence
A central feature of the Congress is professional exchange among rangers, organised through 12 workshops. These cover a wide range of topics: from nature interpretation techniques and community engagement through storytelling, to junior ranger programmes and volunteer involvement in conservation, as well as successful examples of coexistence between people and wildlife, such as bison. The programme also addresses practical conservation issues, including habitat protection, prevention and management of environmental disasters, and tackling illegal activities affecting nature. Physical and mental health, vital in such a demanding profession, are also included in the programme.
The updated programme is available here.
