On 31 July, we will once again be remembering all the rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty: on World Ranger Day 2024. It also calls on everyone to stand by rangers and recognise the importance they have in preserving a planet worth living on. This year we wanted to show how rangers already stand with rangers! Your stories stand for how vital and important the ranger network is, especially while rangers around the world are still under-resourced!
World Ranger Day draws public attention to the vital importance of better resourcing rangers worldwide. As long as rangers around the world are underpaid, under-equipped and lack sufficient training, the ranger network is all the more important. That’s why we want every single ranger to be part of it. And we are sure that your examples will encourage this! See for yourself the stories that have reached us:
CLICK PICTURES FOR MORE DETAILS TO EACH STORY!
UK RANGERS QUIT JOBS TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE WITH RANGERS AROUND THE GLOBE
“My partner Charlie and I have volunteered with rangers globally for two whole years. We have given up our jobs and used our savings to travel whilst exchanging knowledge and skills with rangers from all walks of life in all sorts of environments. In return they have graced us with their time, stories and in some cases their own homes! Although not a grand gesture to one particular association or group, we know our travels have inspired other rangers to start their own journeys and to reach out to the international community for support and idea sharing. The ERF has supported us throughout our journey and we are so grateful for their assistance.”
Kate Dziubinska, UK Ranger currently volunteering around the world with Charlie Winchester
NEW MOTORBIKES FOR RANGERS IN TIMOR-LESTE WITH FUNDS FROM RANGER RELAY
Rangers again and again lack the most basic things. For example, the rangers of Timor-Leste have long used their own motorbikes, indispensable for their work in the only national park there. But even they did their job very inadequately. This story, like so many similar ones, so moved Brendan Moodie, Chairman of the Tasmanian Rangers Association, at the World Ranger Congress in Nepal that he came up with the idea of organising a Ranger Relay for new equipment to the Timor-Leste rangers: For a month, the rangers of the Tasmanian Rangers Association hiked, kayaked and cycled over 500 kilometres from the north to the south of Tasmania to raise funds. The result was not only eight new motorbikes, but also tents, rucksacks, first aid kits and more for the rangers in Timor-Leste! This story couldn’t fit better to our WRD countdown, as Brendan describes his idea: ‘It’s rangers helping rangers’!
NUMEROUS IDEAS AND INITIATIVES TO HELP FELLOW RANGERS AROUND THE GLOBE
“As a good family should … stick together and visit each other”: This is what Mario Marschler wrote for our WRD 24 Countdown. When joining the European Ranger Congress in Litomerice he was inspired by the idea of the worldwide ranger family and at the same time felt that this means helping those who are less well off. And he did: First with a donation from him, a fundraising party and contributions from fellow rangers for the participation of two Botswanan rangers at the International Ranger Congress in Nepal. He then convinced a mate with an idea for a ranger coin the proceeds of which would go to rangers in need. 150 were produced for free – and Mario has supported rangers from Ukraine, El Salvador and countless others through the Thin Green Line ranger aid foundation by selling them. His son has even added another 10 euros on top of every coin sold! And finally, after the Israeli rangers, as twinning partners of the German rangers, have been struggling with massive disruption and traumatic experiences since the war, he came up with offering guided ranger tours for a donation to support the twinning friends.
RANGERS JOIN FORCES FOR UNIFORM DONATION FROM ICELAND
When Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland sorted out ranger uniforms, the park management wanted to donate them to rangers who are in need of this high-quality outdoor equipment – story one. Iceland’s ranger Linda Björk Halgrímsdóttir turned to us to organise the transfer of around 200 pieces of ranger clothing. Rangers Adam Turner and Lars Scharfe, Sweden and Germany, both ERF officers, worked with her on how the uniforms could make the 5-hour journey to Reykjavik. From here they could be shipped to the mainland for easier distribution of the donations. Julie Kermarec, ranger from Reykjavik, took charge of this transfer, which Lars received and stored on the other side of the ocean after tough negotiations with customs. And how do the rain jackets, softshell jackets, fleece jackets and other items of ranger clothing get to the rangers who need them? Ranger and ERF Vice President Ilan Yeger has helped to finance future shipments with a generous donation from an Israeli entrepreneur.
You are in need of this as-new, high-quality equipment? Write to us at press@europeanrangers.org!
TRAINING FEES PAID FOR ALBANIAN RANGERS
“I took the opportunity to support a meaningful project for our rangers on the front line: the participation of two Albanian rangers at the ERF training for the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART). Some rangers have very limited financial resources to attend further training courses. I have made many dear ranger friends through our twinning partnership with Albania. During my stays in this country, I and my family were always warmly welcomed and supported in all matters. We rangers are a family in spirit! If you can, you support each other.”
Alain Chambovey, Ranger in the Basel region, Switzerland, and member of the Twinning Partnership between Albanian and Swiss Rangers ©private
FIREFIGHTING UNIFORMS FOR UKRAINIAN RANGERS
“The availability of fire extinguishing equipment helps to respond quickly to fires and minimise damage. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Spanish Rangers for providing us with the protective fire suits used in this inspection. We received them personally via Borja Díaz, ERF Training Officer, during the ERF training on “Rewilding and Human-Wildlife Conflict” in Romania. Thank you to everyone for supporting Ukraine and Desniansko-Starogutskyi NNP in these difficult times.”
The Ranger Team from Desniansko-Starogutskyi National Park, Ukraine, ©Serhii Kubrakov
SMARTPHONES FOR RANGERS AROUND THE WORLD
“During my travels and meetings with rangers, I realised that there are places where the rangers do not have advanced means of communication. That’s why I started a campaign in Israel to collect advanced smartphones from the Israeli ranger organisation and give them to a technician to update them. Every time I go to a place where there are rangers who need a smartphone, I hand them over as a gift from the Israeli rangers. This was the case in 2021 in Uganda in Murchison National Park Reserve, in 2022 in Albania at the European conference with rangers from Central America and Albania and in 2023 when I met the rangers in Etosha Park in Namibia on International Ranger Day. Over the years, dozens of smartphones and a smartcard for image storage in each phone have been delivered in this way.“
Ilan Yeger, Ranger at Israel Nature and Parks Authority and ERF Vice President ©private
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