Young Guardians of Forest and Nature – Empowering Youth to Protect Our Planet

From February 21st to 28th, 2025, a powerful wave of environmental awareness and youth engagement swept through Ankara, Türkiye, where the Erasmus+ youth workers mobility project “Young Guardians of Forest and Nature” brought together passionate young people and youth workers from Czechia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Türkiye.

Representing Iceland, our team proudly participated in this unique experience, uniting with 40 participants from 6 countries to explore critical environmental issues and the role of young people in forest and nature conservation.

Forests across Europe are facing mounting challenges—urban expansion, pollution, biodiversity loss, and increasing demand for biomass are threatening forest ecosystems. The Young Guardians of Forest and Nature project aimed to empower young people as stewards of the environment, offering education, leadership development, and tools for meaningful action.

Participants took part in hands-on activities, workshops, and creative sessions designed to raise awareness about:

• The vital importance of forests,

• Biodiversity and climate change,

• Conservation methods and threats to ecosystems,

• EU Forest and Biodiversity Strategies for 2030.

Through literature reviews, group research, engaging discussions, and artistic expression, participants explored how to translate environmental awareness into real impact.

The project also placed strong emphasis on:

• Leadership and teamwork skills through group work and peer learning,

• Inclusivity and gender equality, with equal representation and active participation from youth with fewer opportunities,

• Transnational collaboration to build a stronger European network for nature protection.

Erasmus+ gives young people the opportunity not only to travel and learn, but to become change-makers in their communities and across borders. For many of our Icelandic participants, this was their first EU project, and they returned home with a renewed commitment to environmental advocacy and youth engagement.

We thank our hosts in Türkiye and all the international partners for this incredible opportunity. Together, we are growing a greener, more united Europe—one young guardian at a time.