New Young Park Rangers in Val Troncea

The team of Young Park Rangers that the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps can rely on is growing. On Friday, July 19, the Young Ranger Week in the Val Troncea Natural Park, organized and managed by the Park Authority with official guides Elena Bianco Chinto and Massimiliano Pons, came to a close. It was a sort of outdoor summer camp, set in the beautiful mountains of Pragelato, open to children aged 7 to 12 engaged in games and educational activities from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm. This was the second experience, following the week organized in July 2023, which will be repeated again from August 26 to 30.

- "I really liked the activity about the wolf," says Cesare, 7 years old, a resident of Pragelato. "Even though I don't like wolves because when I grow up I want to be a shepherd. My favorite animal is the ibex that we observed during the excursion to the Troncea refuge." 
 

- "I also had fun on the trip," Achille, 10 years old, Cesare's older brother, chimes in. "And at lunch in the refuge. With Max's binoculars, we saw the ibex and a beautiful male deer with two great antlers. Last year we spotted the eagle's nest, which we couldn't find this year." 

Some children had already participated in the Young Park Ranger week in 2023 and decided to repeat the experience. Families residing in Pragelato welcomed the proposal as a real service, especially during a busy period for those working in the tourism sector. But about half of the participants were children of vacationers who came to the valley thanks to the opportunity to keep the children busy with an educational activity organized by a qualified entity like the Cozie Alps Parks.

- "A park ranger showed us the banding of a chaffinch," explains Giacomo, 7 years old, from his home in Turin where he returned at the end of the week. "It's done to measure the size of the bird and to recognize it thanks to a ring on its foot. I also want to become a park ranger when I grow up." 

In addition to these activities, the guides organized a day dedicated to streams and ponds, where water samples were collected to monitor the composition of macroinvertebrates and assess the quality of aquatic ecosystems. Not to mention games, leisure moments, and the final oath ceremony for the delivery of Young Ranger certificates in the presence of parents, who were also enthusiastic about the initiative.

- "He came home every day with something new to tell," reports Michele's mother, 11 years old. "From the rules that must be observed within a protected area to how to recognize a wolf's paw print. We are from Cuneo, but we specifically planned our vacation to participate in the week in Val Troncea." 

- "Carlo was so excited," wrote the mom, "that he asked us not to go on vacation to his grandparents' in Calabria to come in August as well! We will definitely see you next year, but hopefully even sooner..." 

So, mark your calendars for August 26 for another Young Park Ranger event. Those interested in enrolling are requested to contact the Val Troncea Natural Park headquarters in Pragelato.