Established in July 2020, the Ranger Roundtable is a collaboration between three partner organisations: the International Ranger Federation, The Thin Green Line Foundation and the Universal Ranger Support Alliance. Together, we host online discussions designed to raise the professional profile of and support for Rangers as essential frontline conservation workers. Originally, it emerged in response to the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on Rangers, their communities and Protected and Conserved Areas, as well as ongoing efforts towards the Chitwan Declaration.
The Ranger Roundtable has two forums:
1) Focus Sessions: aimed at leaders from global development, health and conservation organisations.
2) Webinars: aimed at Rangers and Ranger sector leaders.
Martu carrying out landscape restoration burns in the Western Desert Region – Western Australia (Photo – Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, Tim Schneider)
Ranger Roundtable: Focus Sessions
The Roundtable Focus Sessions bring together leaders from the Ranger sector and global development, health and conservation organisations. This forum is breaking down traditional silos and opening new collaborative solutions to the Planetary Emergency. These are private, invitation-only events which focus on global issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, zoonotic diseases and connecting the dots between Rangers and Natural Capital accounting.
Special thanks to participants from organisations such as:
World Bank, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, UN World Health Organisation, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Global Environment Facility Trust Fund.
Past Events
Impacts of COVID-19, Jul 2020 (opened by Dr Jane Goodall and speakers from Indian Forest Service, Kenyan Community Rangers Association and a representative for Brazilian Indigenous Rangers)
Repositioning Rangers, Nov 2020 (opened by Dr Bruno Oberle, IUCN)
The Regenerative Economy, Feb 2021 (with speakers from World Bank and UNDP)
One Health, May 2021 (with speakers from WHO, WCS and Virunga National Park)
Climate Change, Jul 2021 (with speakers from UNEP, IUCN WCPA and Great Bahamas Parks)
Ranger Roundtable: Webinars
The Webinars are designed specifically for Rangers, Ranger organisations and supporters as we work together on the professionalisation of the Ranger sector in alignment with the Chitwan Declaration. These public events take place at three points through the year, including during World Ranger Month (July). The Webinars serve a vital function in keeping Ranger to Ranger conversation alive between the World Ranger congresses. They give voice to Rangers, facilitate peer to peer knowledge transfer, spotlight important challenges and support Ranger-led collaboration on solutions.
Upcoming Events
Ranger Roundtable 6: Embracing Diversity. August 4, 2022.
Please follow IRF’s Facebook page for details.
Convenors:
Chris Galliers, President of the International Ranger Federation
Sean Willmore, Managing Director of the The Thin Green Line Foundation
Barney Long, Senior Director of Species Conservation at Re:Wild (URSA Member)
Contact Us:
For more information, please contact: [email protected]
Photo courtesy of Mount Kenya Trust and The Thin Green Line Foundation
World Ranger Day
World Ranger Day is celebrated worldwide on July 31st to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage.
Let’s pause for a moment to reflect on the courage and sacrifice that Rangers make: by honouring Fallen Rangers and standing with Rangers who bravely undertake their role on the frontline. World Ranger Day is an International Ranger Federation initiative promoted together with its official charity arm, The Thin Green Foundation.
Want to help promote World Ranger Day?
Perhaps you’ve organised a local event for the day, or you want to print a sign for your social media photos: ‘I/We Stand With The World’s Rangers’.
We have a wide range of promotional items you can download to help push World Ranger Day along in your area and through your networks.
Download all items as zip files:
As well, this year a Ranger Safety & Well Being Support Pack was created to assist Ranger Associations with a press release, social media content, and printable banners to promote rangers across the world.
International Ranger Awards
The IUCN and the World Commission on Protected Areas are proud to announce the new International Ranger Awards. Developed in collaboration with the International Ranger Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation, and Conservation Allies, these awards will recognise the remarkable work of rangers in protected and conserved areas around the world. Each Awardee will receive a unique uniform patch and their employing/supporting organisation will receive US$10,000 to support their work (e.g. purchasing essential supplies or equipment, providing training, providing insurance supporting the family of a deceased ranger, and more).
Deadline: Now Closed. Award announcements coming in 2021.
World Ranger Congress
The IRF World Ranger Congress brings together Rangers from all over the world, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills, share knowledge and create partnerships. It occurs every three years in a different location, allowing host countries from each IRF region to raise the profile of Rangers locally and internationally. It allows them to showcase their successes, to identify how they’re addressing their regional challenges and share their knowledge and skills with colleagues from around the world.
Attending a congress like this is a once in a life time opportunity for many Rangers; meeting colleagues from around the world gives Rangers hope and boosts their morale. Often their jobs are located in remote and isolated areas where they don’t have a lot of contact with the world family of Rangers. They don’t often have the opportunity to exchange stories and learn from others that may be located half way across the world.
The World Ranger Congress is also a forum for the creation of recommendations on issues that affect Rangers and the work that they do on the front-line. Having these challenges come directly from Rangers makes the message more powerful; the recommendations are presented at conservation forums globally.
The 9th World Ranger Congress was held in Nepal in 2019. The 2023 WRC has been cancelled.
Statement on 2023 WRC Cancellation:
Past IRF World Ranger Congresses
2019 – Chitwan, Nepal
Declarations: English | Español
2016 – Estes Park, Colorado, USA
Declarations: English | Español
2012 – Arusha, Tanzania
Declarations: English | Español
2009 – Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Declarations: English (1) (2) | Español (1) (2)
2006 – Stirling, Scotland
Declarations: English
2003 – Wilsons Promontory National Park, Australia
Declarations: English
2000 – Kruger National Park, South Africa
Declarations: English (1) (2) | Español (1) (2)
1997 – San Jose, Costa Rica
Declarations: English | Español
1995 – Zakopane, Poland
Declarations: English | Español