The Strangford and Lecale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is looking for Youth Rangers. Lecale is a peninsula in the east of County Down and lies between Strangford Lough and Dundrum Bay. It was designated an AONB in 1967 and was merged with the Strangford Lough AONB in 2010 to form the new Strangford and Lecale AONB.
The area is located between the Lough and the Mourne Mountains in South Down and has a low sandy, rocky or grassy shoreline. Its southern tip lies along an extensive sand dune system at Dundrum Bay.
The AONB Youth Ranger Programme 2022/23 is looking for young people aged between 14 and 17 who would like the opportunity to learn outdoor adventure and practical conservation skills. The programme will extend to the Ring of Gullion Landscape west of Newry in South Down, lying around the mountain’s mystical ring dyke formed over 60 million years ago.
The Programme will run for five days in each of the AONBs, starting on Saturday, 14th January 2023 in Strangford and Lecale. It is designed to give the opportunity to learn outdoor skills such as navigation and canoeing, whilst exploring the Ring of Gullion and Strangford and Lecale AONBs; learning about how it formed and its rich biodiversity and heritage. Most importantly of all, it’s an opportunity for to learn practical conservation skills and contribute to the environmental management of the area.
Some past Youth Rangers had these comments to make about the programme:“It was very educational and fun and helped me learn how to help the environment more.” “Great for CV, thanks” “It was brilliant fun and I would definitely come back and recommend it!”
The programme is part funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Ards and North Down Borough Council.
The application deadline for our Youth Ranger programme has been extended to 5pm on 6th January 2023 and you can download the application pack here
