Prologue
On the afternoon of 26th
July, 2020, I was probing my Facebook posts as usual when I suddenly came
across a Rangers’ Day Profile Frame made and used by a good number of my Forest
Ranger colleagues who were trained by the same college at the same time. It struck me hard
this time because I have no clue how the day came into existence although I
remember attending the said Day since 2017. Earlier, I did not take any
interest in knowing who, where, why and how the Day was established because
such celebrations depend on many factors (funds, time, institutional support
and more importantly leaders) and I just thought, maybe there are funds, so we
are celebrating. But with many Forest Rangers taking a lot of interest in
celebrating this Day, it should become a formal Day in the long run. Enthusiasm, interest, zest, zing and institutional support can make this happen every year. In my
days as Forest Ranger (in the strictest sense) since October 1998 through to December
2012, such a day was never heard of although I get an understanding through
literature search that the Day was established way back in 2007.
Origin of Forest Ranger
Origin of Forest Ranger
Of course, being a medieval world leader, many things in the world starts with England, so is the profession called Rangers who then were employed to “range” through the forests (landscape) to regulate forest resources use, especially poaching. They then had to ensure the forest laws are implemented in the countryside that included royal forests much like the medieval mounted foresters (of course very much in then British sense) and it is the same thing that the current Rangers do as well. The term ranger appears to reflect the Medieval Latin Word regardatores which was first coined in 1217 in the Great Britain Charter of the Forest. Later, regardatores was translated to ranger in English in the charter. Rangers were also then called regarders (in the Charter of the Forest) and their duty was “to go through the forests making the regard as it used to be made at the time of the first coronation of King Henry." The earliest letters patent ranger dates back to 1341 and by 1455 England had "all manner and singular Offices of Foresters and Rangers" of all the aforementioned forests. So, this is how the profession called Ranger started. This especially is interesting to me (one of the reasons that I am blogging), because I studied the Rangers’ Course designed by British in India, their former colony, where discipline is considered more important than understanding the science of the forests and the trees. Even the qualification requirement is quite open. Perhaps to adjust people from all background. You could be just a matriculate or you could have a PhD as well. They have a system of giving 500 marks for your conduct which is included in the overall performance of the trainee students just as good as writing examinations. Simple and straight forward, Bhutan copied the Indian model of forest administration which British left in India (they still have the Forest services colleges for different levels (Range, State Forest Service and Union Forest Service Officers courses at different places) and we get to see our colleagues still getting trained in one or two such colleges in India every year . Thus, our system of professionalizing Ranger is the direct copy of then British Empire so the Rangers of Bhutan are like Rangers of any country in the world.
The
word Ranger was resurrected to Warden by Americans in the 19th and
the 20th centuries. However, the word Ranger has been in continuous use to
mean those people who have been charged to take care of a designated forest
reserve or parks. There are lots of arguments around about who would have been the world’s
first Ranger but I guess, the person would be an English because Ranger as profession starts from there although I don't find it important (but perhaps important for forest historians). It would be of interest to us though if we knew who was the Bhutan's First Ranger. To continue with the origin, the then US Department of the
Interior used the term Ranger inside the badge that read “Forest Reserve
Ranger” between 1898 and 1906. These insignias were part of the Uniform that
the Forest Rangers wore, are wearing and will wear.
From hereon I am plagiarizing the contents of "https://www.internationalrangers.org/" and I put all words from here in the double inverted coma because what we here
in Bhutan do is precisely done by the Rangers in the rest of the world too.
Thus, there is no need for paraphrasing and rephrasing because of which I am just copy pasting.
Duties, disciplines and specializations
The duties of the modern
park ranger are as varied and diverse as the parks where they serve and in
recent years have become more highly specialized. Regardless of the regular
duties of any one discipline, the goal of all rangers remains to protect the
park resources for future generations and to protect park visitors. This goal
is accomplished by the professionalism and sometimes overlapping of the
different divisions. For example, an interpretive ranger may perform a law enforcement role by explaining special park regulations to
visitors and encouraging them to be proper stewards of natural and cultural
history. Law enforcement rangers and other park employees may contribute to the
mission of the interpretive ranger by providing information to park visitors
about park resources and facilities. The spirit of teamwork in accomplishing
the mission of protecting the parks and people is underscored by the fact that
in many cases, for the U.S. National Park Rangers in particular, all park
rangers share a common uniform regardless of work assignment.
Law enforcement
Law enforcement rangers have police
powers and enforce national, state, provincial, and/or local laws as well as
park regulations. In some developing countries, the park rangers patrolling
natural preserves may be heavily armed and function as paramilitary
organizations against organized poachers or even guerrillas. In many other
developing countries however, park rangers have law enforcement authority and
do carry firearms as they seek to achieve respect for nature by building good
relationships with local communities and the visiting public. In units of the
U.S. National Park System, Law Enforcement Rangers are the primary
police agency; their services may be augmented by the US Park Police, particularly
in the Washington, DC and San Francisco metropolitan areas. The U.S. National
Park Service also has a section of "Special Agents" who conduct more
complex criminal investigations. According to U.S. Department of Justice
statistics, National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers suffer the highest
number of felonious assaults, and the highest number of homicides of all federal
law enforcement officers. The City of New York has a uniformed division of Park
Rangers called the New York City Parks Enforcement Patrol who are
responsible for patrolling the city parks, pools and beaches.
Interpretation and education
Park Rangers provide a wide range of
informational services to visitors. Some Rangers provide practical
information—such as driving directions, train timetables, weather forecasts,
trip-planning resources, and beyond. Rangers may provide interpretive
programs to visitors intended to foster stewardship of the resources
by the visitor as a method of resource protection. Interpretation in this sense
includes (but is not limited to): guided tours about the park's history,
ecology or both; slideshows, talks, demonstrations; informal contacts, and
historical re-enactments. Rangers may also engage in leading more formalized curriculum-based
educational programs, meant to support and complement instruction received by
visiting students in traditional academic settings and often designed to help
educators meet specific national and/or local standards of instruction. All
uniformed rangers, regardless of their primary duties, are often expected to be
experts on the resources in their care, whether they are natural or cultural.
Emergency response
Rangers are often trained in wilderness
first aid and participate in search and rescue to locate lost
persons in the wilderness. Many national parks require law enforcement rangers
to maintain certification as Emergency Medical Responders, Emergency Medical
Technicians, or Paramedics. Depending on the needs of the park where assigned,
rangers may participate in high-angle rescue, swift-water rescue, may be
certified scuba divers, and can become specially trained as helicopter pilots
or crew members.
Firefighting
Rangers are often the first to spot forest
fires and are often trained to engage in wild land firefighting and in some
cases structural firefighting. Rangers also enforce laws and regulations
regarding campfires and other fires on park lands. In the face of a fire
outside their control, rangers will call for help and evacuate persons from the
area pending the arrival of additional firefighters.
Dispatcher
Some rangers work as park protection
dispatchers, answering emergency calls and dispatching law enforcement rangers,
park fire fighters or Park EMS crews by radio to emergency calls for service.
Park Dispatchers provide pre-arrival instructions to callers to help them stay
alive until responding units arrive. Dispatchers coordinate multi-agency
responses to emergencies within the park boundaries and utilize computer
systems to check for criminal histories of subjects stopped by park law
enforcement rangers. Park Dispatchers typically perform other duties such as
taking lost-and-found reports, monitoring CCTV surveillance cameras and fire
alarms. Dispatchers are assigned to the Park Protection Division.
Scientists and scholars
Rangers are responsible for protecting
the natural resources or cultural sites for which they work. This includes
obtaining and preserving knowledge about the area. As such, many different
types of historians and scientists are employed as rangers. Some
scientific positions often filled by rangers include archaeologist, many
different types of biologist, ecologist, fire scientist, geologist, hydrologist,
paleontologist, soil scientist, volcanologist, etc. Rangers in these
positions are expected to study, monitor, and inform others (in the form of
published, peer-reviewed scientific papers as well as internally) about their
findings. These people add to the knowledge dispersed in interpretive and
educational programs, and provide information needed by managers and others to
more effectively protect the resource.
Maintenance
Some rangers perform regular
maintenance on infrastructure or equipment such as fire rings as part of their
duties — especially in preparing for winter closures and spring reopenings.
Rangers are often the first to discover vandalism or weather-related damage to
park roads, trails and campgrounds.
Administration
In many cases administrative staff
members are categorized officially as park rangers and may wear the distinct
park ranger uniform while working "behind the scenes" to ensure the
continued operation of the parks. These rangers may set policy for the parks,
or handle park budgets, computers and technology, human resources, or other
fields related to the administration of parks. In the case of management
these positions are usually filled by individuals who have moved up from other
field-based positions. These individuals are often heavily cross trained in
order to allow for a knowledge of all other areas and duties under their
authority (See my once multi-talented colleagues in the figure below).
Worldwide ranger deficit in developing countries
Worldwide ranger deficit in developing countries
The Adopt A Ranger
Foundation has calculated that worldwide about 150,000 rangers are needed for
the protected areas in developing and transitions countries. There is no data
on how many rangers are employed at the moment, but probably less than half the
protected areas in developing and transition countries have any rangers at all
and those that have them are at least 50% short. This means that there would be
a worldwide ranger deficit of 105,000 rangers in the developing and transition
countries.
One
of the world's foremost conservationists, Dr. Kenton Miller, stated about the
importance of rangers: "The future of our ecosystem services
and our heritage depends upon park rangers. With the rapidity at which the
challenges to protected areas are both changing and increasing, there has never
been more of a need for well-prepared human capacity to manage.
Park rangers are the backbone of park management. They are on the ground. They
work on the front line with scientists, visitors, and members of local
communities."
Adopt
A Ranger fears that the ranger deficit is the single greatest limiting factor
in effectively protecting nature in 75% of the world. Currently, no conservation
organization or Western country or international organization addresses this
problem. Adopt A Ranger has been incorporated to draw worldwide public
attention to the most urgent problem that conservation is facing in developing
and transition countries: protected areas without field staff. Specifically, it
will contribute to solving the problem by fund raising to finance rangers in
the field. It will also help governments in developing and transition countries
to assess realistic staffing needs and staffing strategies.
Around the globe, park
rangers are on the front line in the fight to protect our natural heritage.
World Ranger Day offers a chance to support their vital work, which ranges from
environmental campaigning to education. The day is also an opportunity to pay
tribute to rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It’s estimated there
are more than 100,000 reserves, parks and protected areas around the world.
World Ranger Day was created by the International Ranger Federation and was
first held in 2007. Many mistakenly think
America’s Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the world,
but there’s one that is over 100 years older. Established by the Mongolian
government in 1778, the area surrounding Bogd Khan Uul Mountain is the oldest
national park in the world. Many events are being
staged around the world, including guided walks and screenings of the
documentary The Thin Green Line. If there isn’t an event in your area, you
could organize one – and help to raise awareness of the vital role performed by
custodians of the world’s parks.
Learn about World Ranger Day
World Ranger Day is
celebrated to commemorate Rangers that have been injured or killed in the line
of duty. It also celebrates all of the work that Rangers do around the world to
protect the cultural heritage and natural treasures of the planet.
What is a Ranger?
A Ranger typically
refers to a forest ranger or a park ranger. A Ranger is a person that is
charged with preserving and protecting parklands and natural protected areas.
Rangers will usually work with other volunteers and staff members in order to
maintain bridges, stiles, gates, and footpaths. They are also the eyes and ears
of the national park authority, spending most of their time out and about. They
provide contact between the national park authority and between local people
and visitors. Rangers need to have a lot of local knowledge of the history of
the national park and the wildlife, as well as where to go and what to see.
They help answer questions about the park from the public. However, their work
goes a lot further than this. They also have to look out for any potential
problems, and because they are dealing with live animals, it can be very
risky. To become a Ranger,
practical skills and the right knowledge are needed. Aside from this, a degree
in environmental management, conservation, or a similar subject is typically
required.
The true dangers of being a park ranger
You may think that the
real danger of being a park ranger comes from the animals and the national
landscape. In fact, you would be wrong! Statistics show that park rangers are
facing more dangers than ever before. Assaults on park rangers are at an
all-time high. In fact, park rangers are more likely to be assaulted than FBI
agents and border patrol officers! A lot of experts have
spoken about the increased risk, and they believe it is down to the fact that
there are more park visitors than ever before but there 50 percent less rangers
today as there used to be in the ‘80s. Therefore, while Rangers are often
dealing with wild animals and their safety is at risk in this sense, this is
not the only danger that they need to worry about.
History of World Ranger Day
The first World Ranger
Day took place in 2007, the date represented the 15th anniversary of when the
IRF was founded. IRF stands for the International Ranger Federation. This
organization was founded in 1992. It was founded when the ANPR (U.S.
Association of National Park Rangers), SCRA (Scottish Countryside Rangers
Association), and the CMA (Countryside Management Association, which represents
rangers in Wales and England), got together and signed a joint agreement. This agreement was to
raise support and awareness of the critical work that rangers around the globe
do when it comes to conserving cultural and natural heritage.
How to celebrate World Ranger Day
There are a number of
different ways that you can celebrate World Ranger Day and get involved. This
includes the following.
Raise money for Ranger projects
One of the ways that
you can play honor to rangers of the world on World Ranger Day is by raising
funds for all of the critical work that Rangers do. There are a lot of
different causes that you can raise funds for. This includes supporting the
families of fallen Rangers, as well as raising funds for equipping and training
Rangers in the field.
To fundraise
effectively, you need to have an idea that is going to raise money and get
other people involved. A lot of people like to do things that involve the
community. For example, you could organize a fun run, a cake sale, or something
along these lines. The idea does not need
to be complicated. You need to get other people involved. If you raise money
and awareness, you have done your job! Of course, you can also raise money
through other means. For example, you could make a craft or a certain type of
product, and you can sell it online or in the local area. You can then donate
all of the profits, or at least some of them, to helping out Rangers and their
families.
Pause for a moment
Another way to
celebrate World Ranger Day is to simply take the time to think about everything
that Rangers have done for the world. Simply pause for a moment and think about
all of the Rangers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our planet’s
cultural heritage and natural treasures.
Spread the word and raise awareness
Of course, we can have
already mentioned how you can raise awareness through fundraising. However, you
can also spread the word and raise awareness through the likes of blogging and
social media. There are lots of great pieces of content online, including
infographics and fact sheets, which you can share with others to try and raise
awareness about the work that Rangers do. Of course, you could write your own
personal message to spread the word to your friends, family, and followers. It
is up to you.
Host an event
Another way to
celebrate World Ranger Day is to host an event. You can organize an event at
your favorite place, community center, school, work, or even your home, and invite
your loved ones. Mark the occasion by learning about everything that Rangers
do, and making others aware of this. You can then inspire them to join the
cause.
So, there you have it:
an insight into World Ranger Day. This is a great opportunity for you to learn
more about all of the incredible work that Rangers do and the dangers that they
put themselves in on a daily basis.
A lot of people do not
stop and think about this, and so it is nice to be able to take the day and
show Rangers just how much we appreciate them. As well as paying our respect to
those that have lost their lives in this job.
