Nature conservation is built, first and foremost, through well-trained people. And sometimes, this work goes beyond national borders and becomes part of an international effort to strengthen protected area systems.

In April, Propark – Foundation for Protected Areas continued its partnership with WWF Armenia, in a process that began last year and is built around an ambitious objective: transforming Armenia’s EcoPatrol Service into a professional national ranger service, capable of contributing effectively to the protection of natural areas and forests.

This effort is based on a simple but essential belief: a protected area system works when the people working in the field have the skills, tools, and support they need.

Training the Trainers: An Essential Step for Continuity

Between 21 and 23 April, at the WWF Armenia office in Yerevan, Propark delivered a Train the Trainers course dedicated to future trainers who will be able to pass on essential knowledge to the staff involved in the management and protection of natural areas.

Professionals from WWF Armenia, the Institute of Botany, and Khosrov State Reserve took part in the course. They worked on topics related to protected areas, natural values, conservation, and management, with a focus on how information can be structured, adapted, and further transmitted within a professional training process.

For Propark, the training-of-trainers component is essential when we talk about building a sustainable system. It is not enough for expertise to be brought in from the outside on a one-off basis. It must remain in the country, within local organisations and institutions, through people who can continue the training process and adapt it to realities in the field.

Basic Course for EcoPatrol Staff and Protected Area Specialists

Between 27 and 29 April, the course “Protected Areas – Basic Elements” took place at the Zikatar Training Centre, with the participation of 24 people from the Ministry of Environment, the management and regional teams of EcoPatrol, Dilijan National Park, Lake Arpi National Park, and Khosrov Reserve.

The course combined theoretical and practical components, including field activities, in order to provide participants with a common foundation for understanding the role of protected areas, natural values, conservation principles, and the management elements needed in their day-to-day work.

These topics are fundamental for any service working directly with nature. Rangers and field teams need not only clear responsibilities, but also solid knowledge, working methods, an understanding of the values they protect, and the ability to make informed decisions in concrete situations.

Taking Propark’s Experience Further

Propark’s involvement in Armenia continues the experience accumulated in Romania in the field of professional training for nature conservation. From defining and registering occupations relevant to protected areas, to developing complex training programmes for rangers and specialists, Propark has worked consistently to ensure that the people who care for nature have recognition, skills, and clear professionalisation pathways.

In the stage that began last year, Propark contributed to analysing the legislative framework, to strategic consultations with the Ministry of Environment and WWF Armenia, and to developing a training plan adapted to the specific needs of the EcoPatrol Service.

In this new stage, the focus shifts from planning to implementation: training the trainers, preparing staff, and strengthening a shared professional foundation for those working to protect natural areas in Armenia.

International Cooperation for Biodiversity Conservation

The partnership with WWF Armenia shows how important international cooperation is for biodiversity conservation. Countries have different contexts, different institutions, and specific challenges, but the need for well-trained professionals is common to all.

For Propark, being present in Armenia means contributing to a long-term process of institutional and professional development. It means sharing what we have learned in Romania, adapting this experience to a different context, and supporting the people who will carry forward nature protection in the field.

We believe that protected areas become stronger when the people who manage them are trained, supported, and recognised for their role.

This is why we are also in Armenia: to contribute, together with local partners, to the development of a professional EcoPatrol Service, capable of protecting nature with responsibility, competence, and continuity.