World Ranger Day takes place on the 31st July. #WorldRangerDay2024 #Istandwithrangers
Rangers are killed in their work every year, by heavily armed and extremely organised poachers. This leaves the Rangers’ families behind, trying to fend for themselves. The Thin Green Line Foundation has a Roll of Honour for 2024 for those rangers killed in action - 140 men and women in 37 countries. It recognises their incredible bravery, commitment and sacrifice. Let us remember them and honour them. The Thin Green Line Foundation says that over the last 10 years, 1,000 rangers have been killed in the line of duty. It helps those families of those who have been killed and who are otherwise left with nothing.
The day also celebrates the work that Rangers do to protect earth and her heritage worldwide.
Please spend some time exploring the links from these pages and donate, if you can, for instance to the International Ranger Foundation.
Thank a Ranger
Please thank a ranger with the African Wildlife Foundation. They want to send 20,000 notes of gratitude from wildlife lovers to rangers protecting wildlife under extremely challenging circumstances.
Thank a Ranger
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is asking us to send thanks to rangers who protect the world's most vulnerable wildlife. It only takes a minute!
World Ranger Day is an International Ranger Foundation initiative promoted with The Thin Green Line Foundation.
The IRF's mission is “to develop, advance and promote throughout the world community, the Ranger profession and its critical role in conservation of natural and cultural resources.” You can read its objectives here. They have 160 member organisations across 7 regions of the world.
The Thin Green Line Foundation is dedicated to protecting wildlife by supporting rangers on the frontline of wildlife and habitat conservation. Its projects focus on supporting rangers’ needs, with emphasis on those in low-income countries and conflict zones, and it works in over 60 countries with ranger groups, ranger associations and conservation partners. It's in Australia, and its registered charity partner, the Thin Green Line Foundation, in the UK is here, In the USA, the registerd charity partner is Born Free USA
The theme in 2024 is “30 x 30” which is based on the 2022 UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), where world leaders and decision makers agreed on a Global Biodiversity Framework.
Target 3 outlined a requirement that at least 30% of the planet is effectively conserved and managed by 2030, which is where 30 x 30 comes from.
Needless to say, this will need to be managed and Rangers, indigenous people, community and volunteer guardians and privately managed areas will all play a crucial role. And it’s a broad one – protection, conservation, monitoring, visitor services, fire management, law enforcement, education, community support and the regulation of sustainable use are all part of this.
So what is being done around the world? What are Rangers involved with? On World Ranger Day when you start to look at what Rangers are doing, there’s far more than one originally thinks and the 31st July is a very good opportunity to tell people about that, and how they can get involved and help.
The World Land Trust supports conservation projects around the world and it couldn't do that without the incredible rangers who work on the projects. The rangers have shared their stories and work with the Trust. Why not support Keepers of the Wild and the rangers?
The Trust has 27 anti-poaching teams, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, and including a Canine Unit. They are trained and equipped to deal with illegal activities. They also have a Water for Wildlife Project.
On the 21st September 2024, 100 ranger teams will do a co-ordinated 21km run carrying 22kg across their respective terrains to raise funds and awareness for wildlife rangers. You can support this by donating to one of the fundraisers or being a fundraiser yourself! Find out more from Tusk
Take a look at Dartmoor National Park, which has rangers - including juinor and youth rangers! And there are regular volunteer events so that you can help the rangers look after Dartmoor. Their 365 day role is varied, and includes enforcing bye-laws, helping emergency services, researching, surveying and monitoring, practical conservation work and educating and advising! Find out more here
Paso Pacifico have a sea turtle conservation programme. With the help of supporters, local community rangers receive stable employment with social benefits and they can help protect sea turtles from poachers. They also have a junior ranger programme for children aged 8 to 13. They have teams of community forest rangers who patrol the forest, protect wildlife and collect data about the black-handed spider monkeys. They are working to strengthen these teams, and put aside more core spider monkey habitats. Find out more here
The Snow Leopard Trust is raising funds to give 150 rangers in Pakistan, Kyrgystan and Mongolia by giving them the tools and training they urgently need to protect snow leopards. They are looking to raise funds by the 31st July 2024 – World Ranger Day – to give these incredible people what they need to safeguard the snow leopard. Please find out more and donate here.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Lewa serves as a safe refuge for the critically endangered black rhino and the endangered Grevy’s zebra, plus elephant, lion, giraffe, wild dog and other iconic wildlife species in Kenya. Lewa is asking for help to hit their garden of raising $28,500 for Lewa's rangers and critical core programmes - this will be doubled by generous matching dnors to raise a total of £57,000! Please find out more and donate here.
In Australia...
Take a look at Parks Victoria and find out about their rangers and the work they do to project natural treasures, biodiversity and our cultural heritage.
"The role of a wildlife ranger is vital if we are to win the war against wildlife crime," says the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. They are vital in protecting the wildlife we all love so very much.
Watch out for the film, Rhino Man
Rhino Man's vision is "to fund, train, acknowledge, and raise the profile of rangers around the world." They seek to do this through education, training and support. Get on their email update list here!