WORLD RANGER DAY 2011
commemorate and celebrate

Ranger - Naturoppsyn - Garde - Moniteur - Game Guard - Nationalparkbetreuer - Guardaparques Naturwejleder - Neach curaim na duthcha - Naturwacht - Boswachter - Guardiaparco - Gozdar Gajowy - Termeszetvedelmior - Ceiwad - Conservator - Game Ranger - Roje Miskininkas Warden - Natur und Landschaftspfleger - Vigilantes de Natureza Guardarecurso

What is World Ranger Day?

World Ranger Day is observed on the 31st of July each year.
It is the day to commemorate the many Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty.
It is also the day to celebrate Rangers and the work they do to protect the world’s natural and cultural treasures.
World Ranger Day is promoted by the 54 member associations of the International Ranger Federation (IRF), by our partner the Thin Green Line Foundation, and by individuals who support the work of Rangers and the IRF.
The first World Ranger Day was observed in 2007 on the 15th anniversary of the founding of the IRF.

How can I celebrate World Ranger Day?
You can celebrate World Ranger Day in a number of ways:

Light a candle and observe a minute’s silence to think about those Rangers who have died in the line of duty
Plant a tree as a living tribute to Rangers around the world
Host a screening of the international Ranger documentary The Thin Green Line
Take the time to talk with park visitors and partners about the work of Rangers around the world
Host a special public event in or near your park dedicated to the work of Rangers in your particular area and highlight the role they share with Rangers around the world
Meet with your local communities, partners, and support groups to talk about the work of the IRF and how they can help support Rangers and protected areas
Visit a school – engage young people in the future of world parks, biodiversity, and conservation
Invite a Ranger from another park or country to join you and your co-workers for a week in your park, encompassing the 31st of July
Rangers may wish to meet with fellow park staff and/or your boss to discuss World Ranger Day and the role of Rangers, including the work of the IRF
Seek partners and donors interested in supporting and sustaining the work of your protected area and the IRF
Write an article for your local newspaper about Rangers and the significance of World Ranger Day
Present an award to a Ranger in your park or ranger association who has made a special contribution to the management of protected areas, their association or the IRF
Lobby your state or national government to establish a National Ranger Day
Have fun! Celebrate your role in protecting the world’s natural and cultural treasures

How will others celebrate World Ranger Day?

The Thin Green Line Foundation will host the International Ranger Day Dinner Gala
The Protected Area Workers Association of New South Wales will be holding its annual fund raising presentation night
Rangers from Kiskunság National Park in Hungary will be providing ranger guided tours for their visitors as well as a small exhibition and an information desk.
Rangers from Anza Borrego Desert State Park in California will host an advanced screening of ‘A history of California State Parks’. They will also promote their training efforts at their sister park Ikh Nart Chuluu Nature Reserve in Mongolia.
Volunteers from Italy’s Volontari D’Europa, an Associate Member of the IRF, will pause to remember those rangers killed in the line of duty.
The Queensland Ranger Association will be hosting a fund raising dinner.
The Council of Australian Rangers Associations will be publishing a media release.
Rangers from Dartmoor National Park in the United Kingdom will be putting on a display at Paignton Zoo.

We can do nothing to bring the fallen Rangers back, but we can honour their memory and ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten.

click image to download full size pdf

Extra material about IRF and World Ranger Day 2011:

World Ranger Day Background Briefing

Dia Mundial del Guardaparques_información de fondo

Celebrating World Ranger Day

Celebrando el Día Mundial de Guardaparques

IRF WRD Press Release

2011 Young Conservationist Award

I am pleased to announce that the IRF & IUCN WCPA have selected the recipient of the 2011 Young Conservationist Award. Héctor Caymaris is a park ranger in Laguna de Rocha, part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Uruguay. He was selected for his outstanding work as the only ranger in the park for years, who confronted poachers and illegal 4 wheel driver operators. In his early years there was little government support of his work and he often had no salary. He continued his work with partners and the community, resulting in reversing a decline in species at Laguna de Rocha.

His work with the community has dramatically reduced egg poaching with the result that coastal birds have returned to nest. Poaching of the capibaras (large rodent-like creature) has also declined and that species has grown. The local community now appreciates the value of the site and are developing tourism activities. As part of his partner work he established the Foundation of the Friends of the Coastal Lakes of Rocha and now serves as the Executive Director.

The runner-up for the award is Julie Martínez, an environmental education specialist who works for the conservation non-governmental organization, Paso Pacifico. Her program reaches over 500 students near the La Flor Wildlife Refuge in Nicaragua. Children learn to identify turtle nests, mark them, and return so that they can hold the hatchling in their hands before the little turtles return to the sea. That experience has been vital to show the alternative to egg poaching.

An innovative part of her program focuses on changing behaviors by offering to exchange slingshots, used to kill birds, for binoculars to watch birds instead. A student completing a 5-week curriculum on the natural history of birds receives a pair of binoculars in return for a sling shot and becomes a part of Paso Pacifico’s bird-watching network. Thus far, 400 sling shots have been exchanged for binoculars. As one reference said “It is this kind of innovative work that makes Julie’s contribution to conservation and Nicaragua so important.”
The other candidates in the top tier:
Andrew Scanlon, Ireland
Diane Matar, Lebanon
Javier Alejandro González Leija, Mexico

Thank you to the 4 reviewers who rated all the applications and narrowed the choices to the top five candidates: Svetlana (Russia), representing IUCN WCPA; Alistair Harris (Scotland), last year’s award recipient; Matthew McGettigan (UK) , representing IRF member associations, and Elaine Thomas as the coordinator of the team. Thank you to Cristi Marie Nozawa of BirdLife International and a WCPA vice-chair, who represented WCPA for the final selection process with me.

Elaine and I will be busy getting the US visa and travel arrangements done quickly for Héctor so he can attend the award ceremony in New Orleans, Louisiana next month. We are working on a press release with IUCN WCPA. I will also include in my report for the Thin Green Line bulletin.
The vice-chair of IUCN WCPA Mesoamerica has already taken the information on the 3 applicants from his region and will be reviewing to see if they qualify to be invited as WCPA members. If any of the regional representatives would like information on the candidates from your region, please send a note to Elaine or me. This would be a good area for you to work with the IUCN WCPA representative for your region.
Warm wishes,
Deanne

“Coastal Conservation offers survival for the poor”

A young British Conservationist has won an international award for helping to create a new model of community-run Marine Protected Areas, which both saves marine diversity and helps to feed marine dependent communities.

Alasdair Harris, 30, was selected as winner of the 2010 Young Conservationist Award, an award by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and the International Ranger Federation which honours outstanding achievements by young people in the world’s protected areas.

In Madagascar, Alasdair established Blue Ventures, a conservation organisation dedicated to working with local communities to conserve threatened marine environments. In 2004 Blue Ventures launched the region’s first community-run Marine Protected Area (MPA), which resulted in significant increases in fishing yields and size, increasing earnings of fishers.

Within a year, Madagascar’s government adopted the model to create seasonal fishing bans throughout Madagascar, and within two years, other villages independently adopted it. It became ‘Velondriake’—meaning ‘to live with the sea’—the largest community-managed MPA in the Indian Ocean, providing a regional blueprint for community-based marine and coastal conservation planning

Alasdair avoided top down conservation by working with coastal communities to develop his ideas and create social enterprises to ensure sustainable financing of conservation efforts. Blue Ventures organizes expeditions of scientists and volunteers to support conservation while bringing economic and environmental benefit to local communities.

“Alasdair’s outstanding work has benefited the marine environment and local people in Madagascar. It has shown that the involvement of local people with conservation can result in benefits to the environment and to people’s livelihoods. We warmly congratulate Alasdair on his leadership and well deserved award. We look forward to his further contributions to the global challenge of conservation.” says Nik Lopoukhine, Chair of the IUCN World Commission Protected Areas.

Velondriake’s communities have led grassroots education efforts to help other villages establish dozens of further marine reserves in Madagascar. This year Blue Ventures replicated its work in Malaysia, Fiji and Belize, and supported the Indian Ocean’s first international fishermen exchange, with the Mauritian islands. Blue Ventures’ vision is to scale this model for maximum impact: thousands of tropical marine communities in the Indian Ocean could benefit from this approach to marine conservation.

"This award is an incredible honour, but also a reminder of the sobering reality of the condition of our oceans today” says Alasdair. “Throughout the world fisheries are collapsing on an unimaginable scale. In the tropics, many coastal people are already among the most marginalised communities on earth, acutely vulnerable to the impacts of developed-world over-consumption and climate change. In these environments conservation is not just about protecting coral reefs and biodiversity – it’s about ensuring the survival of people and the fragile ecosystems they depend upon. This award is testament to the commitments of some of the world's poorest communities to finding a sustainable future. Never has the need for commitments like these been greater."

Alasdair will soon be in Australia to be presented with the award at the Healthy Parks Healthy PeopleCongress in Melbourne, Australia, this April.

“The IUCN-IRF Young Conservationist Award honours the contribution of young people to conservation. Many of us in the world of Protected Areas know that local communities are and will be the key to taking care of these special places” says Deanne Adams, President of the International Ranger Federation. “The work that Al has done is an inspiring model for engaging local fisherman in identifying and managing sustainable conservation efforts. His work gives us hope for our planet's future."

The Young Conservationist award is a joint initiative coordinated by the International Ranger Federation and IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, and supported by the George Wright Society and Parks Victoria, Australia.

For more information:

Alasdair Harris, Blue Ventures: al@blueventures.org
Based in Antananarivo, Madagascar: Telephone +261-343-133-987

Deanne Adams, International Ranger Federation President
Based in California, USA: Telephone: +1-415-613-2480, email: IRFdeanne@aol.com

Rebecca Koss, Young Professional Deputy Chair for Oceania, IUCN World Commission Protected Areas.
Based in Victoria, Australia: Telephone +61 3 402 510 704, email: rkoss@deakin.edu.au

Alasdair Harris

Message from

IRF President Deanne Adams

I am pleased to report to you all the results of the elections held at our World Ranger Congress last week, and report on some of the key results from the Congress. I thank all of you for your support in electing me as your new president and I pledge to be in regular contact with you about IRF actions. With this first message as your president, I want you to know your newly elected officers and regional representatives are prepared to be active – and you will hear from us often.

IRF Election
The election for the IRF’s officers and regional representatives was held during the World Congress Membership Meeting in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on November 6. The election results as reported by Election Committee Member Kristen Appel, who conducted the elections, are as follows:

Officers:
President Deanne L. Adams, USA
Vice-President Wayne Lotter, South Africa
Treasurer: João Manuel Dos Santos Correia, Portugal
Secretary: Elaine Thomas, Australia

Regional Representatives:
Asia: Young-Deok Park, Korea
Africa: André Bothe, South Africa
Central America: Cesar Augusto Flores Lopez
Europe: Florin Halastauan, Romania
North America: Jeff Ohlfs, USA
Oceania: Tegan Burton, Australia
South America: Ana Carola Vaca Salazar, Bolivia

Congratulations to all the candidates and thank you for volunteering to take these responsibilities for IRF. Special thanks to Aarno Tervonen, Finland, for running for the European Representative. Europe was the only region with two candidates and both are well respected in Europe. IRF is fortunate to have both Aarno and Florin interested in working for IRF.

Thank you also to Sean Willmore, Australia, for running for the position of President. Early in the week of the Congress Sean and I had a good meeting to discuss our goals and vision for IRF. We are very much in alignment. After that discussion, Sean announced he was withdrawing his nomination and fully supporting my nomination. Thank you, Sean, for your gracious remarks during the Congress and for challenging ranger associations to be more engaged with IRF.

Thank you to the outgoing officers and representatives – I hope you will each stay engaged in IRF work. We know how much needs to be done in this all volunteer organization. Much of that work was identified as part of the strategic planning workshops held at the Congress.

Congress
The VI World Ranger Congress was a big success for the 261 participants from 43 countries. As expected, the highest percentage of participants came from Central and South America – 164 from 13 countries. That is 63% of the participants and 30% of the countries. While those countries dominated in numbers, it was still a diverse group representing many cultures and ranger needs. That is our goal with our Congresses – bringing together rangers of the whole world. The panel discussions were lively and we are still compiling the many good recommendations.

The Santa Cruz Declaration and the Climate Change Proclamation were accepted on 6 November. The Climate Change Proclamation recognizes the critical issue of climate change and the role of rangers. The Santa Cruz Declaration truly focuses on professional rangers, the importance of their role in protected areas and in monitoring climate change, while recognizing the fact that many rangers still do not have legal authorities and recognition from governments. Without that recognition and support rangers can’t be effective managers for the future of protected areas.

The proceedings of the Congress will take some time to write and compile. We expect to have those posted early in 2010.

Special panel discussions that provided input for the future of IRF were on the strategic planning effort for IRF, and proposals for implementing an agreement with Google Earth to create a database and map for a Ranger-Roll-of-Honor, for a Rangers Without Borders project, and for input into the Thin Green Line Foundation’s processes. All those proposals will be part of the draft strategic plan which will be posted on the IRF website by late December. We will be asking for your feedback at that time.

The New IRF
In addition to the elected officers and representatives, there are a number of non-voting members on the International Executive Committee (IEC). In one of our first items of business, the new IEC appointed a new ex-officio non-voting position for the Managing Director of the Thin Green Line Foundation, so Sean Willmore will now be part of our IEC discussions. The president of IRF has been a voting director of the Thin Green Line Foundation for about a year and that will continue with the new president.

The other non-voting members of the IEC are the past presidents (Gordon Miller, Rick Smith, David Zeller). The volunteer staff that are included with IEC business discussions are the editor of the Thin Green Line and Guardaparque newsletters (Bill Halainen), Youth Officers (Michal Skalka and Kveta Cernohlavkova), and the IRF web manager (David Burns).

The Congress was a good opportunity for Elaine Thomas, secretary, to update our IRF mailing list. Untill our database is updated, she will forward this message to those new addresses. Please be sure to keep Elaine informed when the key contacts for your association change email addresses. Usually those key contacts are the president and an IRF liaison. When new members take those positions, please let Elaine know.

The new IEC is a strong and committed team. We are looking forward to working together to implement the actions identified in our draft strategic plan and will be in contact with you more regularly.

With warm wishes to all,
Deanne L. Adams

Mediante la presente me complace informarles los resultados de las elecciones celebradas en el Congreso Mundial de Guardaparques la semana pasada, además de un informe sobre algunos de los principales resultados del Congreso. Agradezco a todos ustedes por su apoyo al elegirme como su nueva presidente y me comprometo a estar regularmente en contacto con ustedes respecto a las acciones de la FIG. Con este primer mensaje como Presidente, quiero darles a conocer a sus oficiales electos y los representantes regionales que están dispuestos a ser activos – todos ustedes serán informados frecuentemente por estas personas

Elecciones FIG
La elección de los oficiales de la FIG y representantes regionales celebrada durante el Congreso Mundial de Socios de en Santa Cruz de la Sierra , Bolivia, el 6 de noviembre de los corrientes obtuvo según lo informado por la Comisión Electoral de miembros Kristen Appel, los siguientes resultados:

Funcionarios:
Presidente Deanne L. Adams, EE.UU.
Vice-Presidente Wayne Lotter, Sudáfrica,
Tesorero: Manuel Dos Santos, João Correia, Portugal,
Secretario: Elaine Thomas, Australia

Representantes Regionales:
Asia: Young-Deok Park, Korea
África: André Bothe, Sudáfrica
América Central: César Augusto Flores López
Europa: Florin Halastauan, Rumanía
América del Norte: Jeff Ohlfs, EE.UU.
Oceanía: Tegan Burton, Australia
América del Sur: Ana Carola Vaca Salazar, Bolivia

Felicito a todos los candidatos y les agradezco por ofrecerse como voluntarios para tomar las responsabilidades de FIG. Un agradecimiento especial a Aarno Tervonen, Finlandia, por su postulación como representante europeo. Siendo Europa la única región con dos candidatos, ambos muy respetados en Europa. La FIG se siente honrada de que tanto Aarno como Florin estén interesados en trabajar para la Federaciòn.

Gracias también a Sean Willmore, Australia, por su postulación para el cargo de Presidente. A principios de la semana del Congreso, Sean y yo tuvimos una buena reunión para discutir nuestras metas y visión de la FIG. Charla que puso en evidencia el hecho de que ambos nos encontramos en la misma línea de trabajo . Después de ese debate, Sean anunció que retiraba su candidatura otorgando su pleno apoyo a mi candidatura. Gracias, Sean, por tus amables palabras durante el Congreso y por impugnar a las asociaciones de guardas forestales a ser más comprometidos con la FIG.

Gracias a los funcionarios salientes y los representantes - Espero que cada uno mantenga su implicación en el trabajo de FIG. Sabemos de lo mucho que falta por hacer en esta organización y de todos los voluntarios. Gran parte de ese trabajo fue identificado como parte de la planificación estratégica en los talleres celebrados en el Congreso.

Congreso
El VI Congreso Mundial de Guardaparques fue un gran éxito para los 261 participantes de 43 países. Como era de esperar, el mayor porcentaje de los participantes provenían de América Central y Sudamérica - 164 de 13 países. Un 63% de los participantes y el 30% de los países. Mientras que los países asistentes continuaba siendo un grupo diverso que representa muchas culturas necesidades de los guardaparques. Siendo ese el objetivo en nuestros Congresos - que reúnen guardaparques de todo el mundo. Las mesas redondas fueron muy animadas y todavía estamos compilando las recomendaciones que son muchas y muy buenas.

La Declaración de Santa Cruz y el Cambio Climático Proclamación fueron aceptados el 6 de noviembre y pronto estará disponible en el sitio web de IRF. La Proclamación sobre el Cambio Climático reconoce la crítica cuestión del cambio climático y el papel de los guardabosques. La Declaración de Santa Cruz se centra en los guardaparques profesionales, la importancia de su papel en las áreas protegidas y en la vigilancia del cambio climático, al tiempo que reconoce el hecho de que los guardaparques mismos aún no tienen autoridad judicial ni reconocimiento de los gobiernos. Sin que los directores reconocidos y guardaparques de apoyo el funcionamiento no puede ser eficaz para el futuro de las áreas protegidas.

Las actas del Congreso tomaran algún tiempo para ser escritas y compiladas. Esperamos tenerlas en el sitio web de IRF a principios de 2010.

Debates en grupos especiales y aportaciones para el futuro de la FIG se centraron en el esfuerzo de planificación estratégica para la FIG, y propuestas para la aplicación de un acuerdo con Google Earth para crear una base de datos y el mapa de un Ranger-Roll-de-honor, Proyecto de Guardaparques sin Fronteras y para su ingreso en los procesos de la Fundación Delgada Línea Verde . Todas estas propuestas formarán parte del proyecto de plan estratégico que será publicado en el sitio web de la FIG a finales de diciembre, momento en el que necesitaremos sus comentarios .

Nueva Directiva de la FIG
Además de los oficiales electos y representantes, hay un número de miembros sin voto en el Comité Ejecutivo Internacional (CEI). En uno de nuestros primeros artículos se denominó un nuevo oficio sin derecho a voto, la posición de Director Gerente de la “Fundación Delgada Línea Verde”, por lo que Sean Willmore. Presidente de la FIG ha sido electo director de voto de la “Fundación Delgada Línea Verde” por un año y continuará como nuevo presidente.

Los otros miembros votantes de la CEI son los presidentes (Gordon Miller, Rick Smith, David Zeller). El personal voluntario que se incluyen con discusiones de negocios CEI son el editor de la “ Fundación Delgada Línea Verde” y boletines de Guardaparques (Bill Halainen), los oficiales de la Juventud (Michal Skalka y Kveta Cernohlavkova), y el administrador de webs IRF (David Burns).

El Congreso fue una buena oportunidad para Elaine Thomas, secretaria, para actualizar nuestra lista de correo IRF. Hasta que se actualice la base de datos, se transmitirá este mensaje a las nuevas direcciones. Por favor, asegúrese de mantener informada a Elaine si cambian los contactos clave de sus direcciones de correo electrónico. Por lo general, los contactos clave son el presidente y un enlace de la FIG. Cuando los nuevos miembros ocupen sus respectivas posiciones, por favor aseguresé de enviar esta información a Elaine.

El CEI nuevo es un equipo fuerte y comprometido. Estamos deseando trabajar juntos para aplicar las acciones identificadas en nuestro proyecto de plan estratégico y estaremos en contacto con ustedes con mayor regularidad.

Con buenos deseos para todos,
Deanne L. Adams

WORLD RANGER DAY 2011 commemorate and celebrate