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Forest youth shows team spirit: Large state camp inspires in Kirchhellen!
The Forest Youth NRW 2025 state camp took place in Kirchhellen, with 400 participants and numerous activities despite the rain.
Forest youth shows team spirit: Large state camp inspires in Kirchhellen!
The state camp of the Forest Youth of North Rhine-Westphalia, or LaLa for short, recently brought together numerous children and young people in Bottrop-Kirchhellen. Around 400 rangers from different regions, including 18 from Windfus, were present at this special event. Despite the unpleasant weather with a lot of rain, the participants cheerfully took part in the activities on offer. Oberberg Aktuell reports that a special highlight was the Haijk, an exciting cross-country game for the younger participants.
The managing director of SDW Oberberg, Malte Haase, did not miss the opportunity to visit the camp. Another important part of the camp was the new Hochkohte, a tent that was used for the first time. This was financed by the SDW Oberberg and contributed significantly to the atmosphere of the camp.
A celebration for young and old
The eagerly awaited national fire took place on Sunday evening. The new rangers were ceremoniously presented with their scarves. What was particularly pleasing was that two rangers from Windfus lit the flame, which made the evening very special. The Windfuser Pimpfe also achieved fourth place at the Haijk – a great success! Waldjugend Meinerzhagen emphasizes that the motto of this year's camp was “3 friends from the forest laboratory” and that the feeling of community was clearly noticeable when singing together around the campfire.
In total, between 380 and 500 rangers took part in LaLa this year, a typical fluctuation for this event, which traditionally takes place at Pentecost, with the venue changing annually. Forest youth has a long tradition of exchange and community, which is also reflected in the diversity of the past state camps - from the cold nights in Brilon to the big festivals in Viersen.
Insight into the organization
The Forest Youth organization constantly strives to get young people excited about nature and to convey important values to them. The thing is coming up in autumn 2025, in which part of the federal leadership will be re-elected. Fuchsi and Anna will remain there, but four positions are vacant. The federal office in Bonn is also looking for an administrative employee on a mini-job basis in order to further strengthen the organization. The aim is to continue the forest youth tradition with fresh ideas and new members.
The return of the participants after such an eventful weekend will certainly bring with it many wonderful memories. After a final round on Monday morning in which their experiences were reflected, the young rangers began their journey home - full of new impressions and experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We can't wait to see what surprises the next state camp has in store.