Let’s take a moment to praise our rangers who have been on their toes in safeguarding our nature.
“Happy World Ranger Day!”
A ranger is a caretaker who aids in the management of natural resources like public parks and forests or someone who works in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role, specializing in patrolling a given territory. A ranger’s work is dynamic and covers six key areas. They patrol, monitor wildlife, combat poaching, engage local communities, manage fires, and assist with tourism. Forest rangers perform a wide range of tasks for state and national forests. For example, they may help maintain campground facilities and trails and help with fire prevention and firefighting. Some enforce laws and regulations on public lands, roads, and campgrounds. They may also interact with the public during their patrols and visits to campgrounds. Some of them give fire education programs, provide information to visitors, and explain regulations to the public. They also enforce these regulations, taking appropriate action when necessary. In addition to that, planting seedlings, monitoring seedling growth, inspecting tree stands for signs of pests and diseases, counting the number of trees examined during forest inventories, removing diseased trees with hand or power equipment, and participating in search and rescue missions are some other services done by forest rangers.
Rangers are considered the backbone of global biodiversity management and protection. Wildlife wardens, forest guards, and watchers are included in the category of Rangers. World Rangers Day commemorates rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and celebrates the critical work they do to protect natural and cultural treasures. When we consider the role of rangers, they protect the local environment, improving the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Also, they are responsible for saving species, generating tourism, and advancing livelihoods. They manage wildlife conditions by arresting violators and removing snares, and they protect both land and sea in extreme weather and tough conditions. In situations of wildfire, they put their lives on the line to protect habitats and species. They have a deep understanding of ecology and conservation, and they use that knowledge to raise awareness in the public community. They support local communities in accessing clean water and practising sustainable farming. They collect valuable data to find endangered species and enhance scientific research. Rangers respond to emergencies in wildlife and are also responsible for providing first aid. Wildlife management is not only their responsibility; they also preserve cultural and historical places. Also provides early warning signals for natural and human-induced threats like predators and diseases. Rangers usually work with other volunteers and staff members in order to maintain bridges, stiles, gates, and footpaths. They provide contact between the national park authorities and local communities. They have to look for any potential problems and provide appropriate solutions for the issues. Rangers transform conservation hope into reality, but they need support from policymakers and the public. These wildlife workers constantly work, and their service will create the future of the world.
If we consider the examples of some famous rangers, Shelton Johnson (born in 1958) is a forest ranger who works in Yosemite National Park in the U.S.A. He began his career at Yellowstone National Park in 1987. As of 2023, he had worked in Yosemite for 30 years of his 37-year career. Johnson is an advocate for bringing minorities, particularly African Americans, to the National Parks and connecting them to the natural world. He believes that “one of the great losses to African culture from slavery was the loss of kinship with the earth”. He dedicated his work to this issue when he found the history of Buffalo Soldiers, the African-American regiments of the historically segregated U.S. Army. Johnson is now known for his research and publications on the assignments of the 24th Infantry Regiment and the 9th Cavalry Regiment to protect the new National Parks in California’s Sierra Nevada. He created a website called Shadow Soldiers around a fictitious letter to the Buffalo Soldiers at the parks and wrote and maintained a segment on the Buffalo Soldiers on Yosemite National Park’s official website. He wrote and performed a living history performance called Yosemite Through the Eyes of a Buffalo Soldier, 1904, which is presented as an interpretive program at the park and at locations around the country. In 2009, Johnson received the National Freeman Tilden Award as the best interpreting ranger in the National Park Service for his work with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan on their national parks documentary. (Buffalo soldiers were United States army regiments composed exclusively of African American soldiers, formed during the 19th century to serve on the American frontier.) Secondly, Betty Reid Soskin is another famous retired forest ranger in America. Until her retirement on March 31, 2022, at the age of 100, she was the oldest National Park Ranger serving the United States. In 2013, during the federal government shutdown, Betty gained national and international fame as the oldest National Park Service ranger, participating in numerous media interviews. Her ability to stay out of politics while emphasizing the importance of sharing WWII Home Front stories resonated widely. In 2015, Betty was selected by the National Park Service to participate in the national tree-lighting ceremony at the White House and introduced President Barack Obama during the annual PBS special. Despite suffering a stroke in fall 2019 and undergoing months of physical therapy, she returned to work in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 1995, Betty Reid Soskin was named “Woman of the Year” by the California state legislature. As the next example, Pandillapalli Srinivas was an Indian Forest Service officer (Deputy Conservator of Forests, Karnataka), a Kirti Chakra recipient (second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards), who is widely considered to be one of the most outstanding figures in Indian forest conservation, served as Assistant Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) to nab gangster Veerappan. He was a highly successful visionary who helped the villagers of Karnataka, by paving roads and connecting settlements. He provided drinking water channels to tribal regions and initiated a mobile dispensary unit to assist the poor with medical services. He constructed more than 40 homes for the homeless with his own salary, started afforestation drives, and spread awareness about wildlife and the environment among the villagers. He also rehabilitated and reformed around 120 rebels. But unfortunately, he was murdered in November 1991 by Koose Munisami Veerappan. In 1992, the President of India conferred the Kirti Chakra on the slain officer’s mother as a testament to her son’s bravery, noble deeds, and commitment to serving the nation. Today, Srinivas is remembered as an honest, dedicated and highly competent Indian civil servant who uplifted the lives of the poor, and he is revered as a deity in several villages in Karnataka. Forest rangers’ duty is very risky and dangerous, as they have to deal with wildlife. So often, forest rangers get murdered and injured during their duties. The two deadliest forest service countries in the world are India and Africa. One ranger has been killed and another seriously injured in Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this week by members of a militia, according to a park statement. This attack underscores the dangers that those on the front lines of conservation, in Virunga and across Africa, face every day. Virunga is one of the world’s oldest and most dangerous parks. More than 150 rangers have been killed there during the past decade in attacks by the FDLR, the Rwandan Hutu rebel group, and mai-mai, a term that refers to a range of different community-based militia groups established during the Congo’s two wars.
Rangers are the guardians of our planet, they protect 15% of land and 7% of seas, including 47 million square kilometres, as they are critical for our economies. In the world, ecosystem services, clean water, and protection from storms provide about 125–140 trillion dollars of benefits per year. Tourists are involved in 12 million wildlife trips each year, and wildlife tourism is growing by about 10% annually. Rangers work tirelessly to stop illegal trade and protect plant species. Help humans coexist with wildlife, increase the crop rating, monitor problematic animals, relocate them and reduce the human impact. Protects rapidly disappearing ecosystems such as tundra, coral reefs, and forests and secures the planet’s carbon stores. Keeps the oceans healthy and manages sustainable fisheries.Supports indigenous people’s cultural domains and promotes environmentally healthy farming techniques.Prevents illegal wildlife crimes and wildlife diseases. Promoting ecological stability and improving food security while protecting water resources. Rangers work with tough environments and complex social and ecological problems with few basic necessities. Although it’s dangerous, most of them do not have the required safety measures. According to studies, 50% of them do not have clean drinking water, nearly 45% don’t have access to insurance, and 60% of rangers are contracting serious diseases. During the last 10 years, about 1200 rangers have died during their work, and most have happened due to homicides. Although we think that the main risk for rangers is from animals, it’s totally different, according to statistics. Assaults have created a high risk for rangers, and homicide has been a major cause of death. Because of these risks, the number of rangers all over the world has decreased by 50%, as it used to be in the 1980s. Recent studies show ranger deaths in the Asian region are higher than in other regions. Rangers need good training and a valuable salary for their service. They deserve appropriate and reliable working conditions and deserve training and standards with government support and accountability. They need to be treated as the heroes of the planet.
When we talk about how to empower rangers all around the world, there are some methods that have already been used in society. One of the ways that we can give honour to rangers is by raising funds for all the critical work that rangers do. This can include supporting the families of fallen rangers as well as raising funds for equipping and training rangers in the field. Another method is that we can spread the word and raise awareness through the likes of blogging and social media. Most people can write their own personal message and spread the word to friends, families and society. We can improve awareness by hosting an event and have the ability to organize events at community centres, schools and workplaces. The documentary “The Thin Green Line“ is a great example of empowering rangers. Filmmaker, conservationist and former Australian park ranger Sean Willmore has played a crucial role in making World Ranger Day popular worldwide. Willmore through his documentary, shed light on the struggles of forest rangers. It’s the chance to mark the occasions by learning about everything that rangers do and making others aware of the rangers’ day. Small decisions and actions towards rangers will prove that the journey can be continued with the help of truly dedicated people. On World Ranger Day, we must express our gratitude to the guardians of our natural resources for their commitment and sacrifices in protecting our environment. Finally, it’s the duty of the whole world to act as a ranger for the betterment of the environment.
Written by:
Erandi Manukularathne,
First Year Undergraduate,
Biological Science
Faculty of Science
Naduni Ratnayake
Third Year Undergraduate
Immunology and Integrative Molecular Biology Hons.
Faculty of Science.
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