Who are the Karlovac rangers?

They are an informal group of citizens who, through the Ranger Karlovac Facebook page, have been warning for years about the pollution and devastation of Karlovac's four rivers-the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica, and Dobra.

What exactly are they calling out?

They call out festival and gathering organizers who exceed permitted capacities, as well as individuals who leave large amounts of waste, burn garbage, and discard chemical toilets along the rivers.

How many people follow their work?

Their Facebook page is followed by about four thousand people, although the activists themselves believe that, given the importance of their mission, that number should be at least ten times higher.

Croatia

Karlovac Rangers: "How many people do you have a permit for? 7,000? How many of you are there, over 8,000?"

A.E. · Prije 3h | 2 min

The Ranger Karlovac page daily documents the devastation of the banks of the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica, and Dobra rivers, calling out irresponsible individuals and event organizers.

Summary

Karlovac Rangers call out festival organizers on the Mrežnica for exceeding visitor numbers (permit for 7,000, but over 8,000 present).
The group daily documents waste dumping, garbage burning, and chemical toilets being left along the banks of the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica, and Dobra rivers.
Their work on Facebook is followed by only 4,000 people, and the group says that number should be ten times higher.

More than 8,000 people at a festival along the Mrežnica, and a permit, if there is one at all, for at most 7,000. This ratio, captured from the air and shared on the Ranger Karlovac Facebook page, is just the latest detail in a years-long catalog of damage that this informal group attributes to the systematic neglect of Karlovac's four rivers.

The Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica, and Dobra, the rangers claim, are treated as public dumping grounds. Almost daily, they post photos and videos of discarded trash bags, chemical toilets ending up in nature, and garbage being burned right along the riverbanks.

Aerial Footage and Direct Accusations

Particular attention was drawn to a post related to events on the Mrežnica. Drone footage revealed the scale of the gathering, accompanied by a sharp message to the organizers. "It's nice when people have fun and celebrate, enjoying life, but this no longer makes sense," reads the post from Ranger Karlovac on their Facebook page, followed by the key question.

"You're destroying things again, you're not polite! How many people do you have a permit for to hold the festival? 7,000? How many of you are there, over 8,000? Really?" This directly questions compliance with capacity limits and permits, suggesting that the actual number of visitors far exceeds what was reported.

Four Thousand Followers for Four Rivers

In addition to documenting the damage, the rangers clean forests and riverbanks with their own hands. However, their fieldwork is followed by only four thousand people on social media. Given their years of engagement and the scale of destruction, the group says that number should be at least ten times higher.

Their struggle is not just a fight for clean riverbanks. It is an appeal to citizens and institutions to recognize the value of the natural wealth that Karlovac possesses, and which, judging by the testimonies from the field, is being irreversibly destroyed. Discarded chemical toilets and large amounts of waste along the Korana are just part of the picture that these dedicated river activists present to the public every day.