THE THIN GREEN LINE
NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL RANGER FEDERATION
July - September 2010
Volume 18 Number 3
OFFICERS’ REPORTS
President’s Report
Dear International Ranger Federation (IRF) Friends and Colleagues:
One of my goals when I ran for the job of president was to get more rangers and ranger associations involved in the workings of the IRF. If we want more volunteers, beyond the 11 elected International Executive Committee (IEC) members, I am finding that we need clear descriptions of the projects and expectations of volunteers. Thanks to Parks Victoria and our new executive officer position, filled by Elaine Thomas, we are making a dent in a backlog of administrative work. The result will be that you, as volunteers, will know what is expected if you choose a project to work on. I envision an active IRF with rangers in all countries working to make our profession stronger and safer.
As you will read in other reports, there are some exciting new opportunities for IRF and committed IRF members ready to work on the implementation of ideas. By establishing priorities and moving steadily forward on IRF actions, we can accomplish a lot.
Our recent successes:
• Participation in the 34th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee meeting, July 25 - August 3, in Brazil – Ranger Marcelo Segalerba (Brazil) represented IRF as an official observer and was able to meet with a variety of officials. One result was an invitation from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN’s) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) to review the Natural Heritage Fund Prospectus with consideration for including IRF. (See details in Vice President Wayne Lotter’s report below.)
• Inclusion in the WCPA Natural Heritage Fund Prospectus proposed funding to better equip and train rangers, as well as to provide for rangers seriously wounded and for families of rangers who have died (See details in Vice President Wayne Lotter’s report below.)
• Draft strategic plan currently being reviewed by the IEC, which will provide direction and help us set priorities for our work (See Tegan Burton’s report below.)
• World Ranger Day - Celebrations are more varied each year as the story later in this issue shows.
• The daily running of an international volunteer organization takes regular efforts by many - In addition to condolence letters to families of rangers, I’ve sent a dozen letters to partners and others, including one to express our support of those working on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Meeting management - You can imagine the challenge of trying to run a meeting of the IEC with members in time zones spanning the whole globe. We experimented with Skype and having two calls to cope with time zone differences, but that was not satisfactory. In May we were successful with an “electronic meeting” with e-mail discussion only. We are going to try that again a couple more times this year. Thank you to IEC members who wrote the discussion papers that allowed the IEC to consider and discuss each agenda item and who wrote the summaries of the discussions, too.
I would like to especially thank Marcelo, Wayne, Tegan, and Elaine for the extensive amount of energy they spent on these projects.
World Ranger Congress
I am pleased to announce that after a rigorous selection process, IRF has selected the PAMS Foundation of Tanzania as the host of the VII World Ranger Congress. The exact dates and themes of the Congress have not yet been established but will be announced in the future. The date will be in 2012 or 2013, depending upon consideration of the specific venue and seasonal constraints. For the first time since 1995, IRF had 2 proposals to consider. We consider having two proposals as very healthy for IRF and thank both the Associação Portuguesa de Guardas e Vigilantes da Natureza, Portugal, and the PAMS Foundation, Tanzania, for their proposals.
Meeting with the Thin Green Line Foundation (TGLF)
In June, I attended my first meeting of the directors of the TGLF, using the technology of Skype to call into the Melbourne meeting. As Sean Willmore reported in the last issue of IRF’s The Thin Green Line newsletter, the president of IRF is a voting member of TGLF. (David Zeller was the first to serve in that capacity.) During this meeting, the IRF position on the board was turned over from David to me. David will continue to serve on the TGLF board as a non-voting director, as recognition for all the work and time he invested in the new organization. In addition, he will continue to work with Sean on TGLF projects.
Ranger Recognition and Remembrances
In June, the National Geographic Society honored John Makumbo, Uganda, with the National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation. John has been affiliated with IRF for many years and recently helped the Uganda Wildlife Authority gain IRF affiliate membership. Many of you may recognize John from The Thin Green Line documentary by Sean Willmore. He was honored for his work for conservation of gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, for elephant conservation at Murchison Falls National Park, and for spearheading the design of a climate change and oil impact monitoring project for the Rwenzori Mountains and the Albertine Rift, respectively. For more information, visit:
http://press.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/index.jsp?cid=1276005081089&pageID=pressReleases_detail&siteID=1
We commemorate rangers who have been attacked and injured or killed in the months since the last issue of The Thin Green Line:
In Mozambique, on July 25, the manager of the Special Maputo Wildlife Reserve, Gilberto Vicente,
was ambushed and killed by a gang of six gunmen. They seriously injured his companion, Carlos Nunes. Wayne Lotter said of Gilberto: “One of the best rangers I think Mozambique has ever had in their service. He was a real thorn in the flesh of ivory poachers. I knew him, and he is a very big and
a sad loss.”
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jobogo Mirindi reports three incidents in Virgunga National Park. Ranger Mbusa Valava was killed on July 26 while protecting the lowland gorillas of Mount Tshiaberimu against a Mai Mai militia attack. He leaves a widow and four children. In June, Rangers Katembo Samedi and Dusabe were shot by poachers. Both survived but have serious injuries. In another June incident, Ranger Chacha Muhindo Kipasula, age 29, was shot by poachers while driving a team to patrol in the Central Sector. Jobogo has visited him in the hospital and says he is recovering well from a shot in the chest.
In September, a boating accident in the protected area of San Matias, Bolivia, took the lives of Ranger Donato Bejarano Paraba, and community leader Pedro Apunte (Comunario Corregidor de La Gaiba). Two other rangers are missing and presumed dead - Narciso Soliz Centenero and Eladio Tacuchaba Chuve. Two rangers survived - Jacinto Mercado Cuellar and Agustín Chamaca Cabrera.
An airplane in Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, went missing on August 21. Debris has been recently found and only debris has been found. The missing Katmai maintenance staff are Mason McLeod, 26; Neal Spradlin, 28; and Seth Spradlin, 20; along with Pilot Marco Alletto, 47.
My deepest sympathies go out to the families of those who have died on behalf of all IRF members. Please keep them in your thoughts in the coming days. If you know of a ranger’s death, please send me an e-mail at IRFdeanne@aol.com and to Sean Willmore at sean@thingreenline.info. Any information you have, especially contact information, is appreciated by IRF and the TGLF.
Looking Ahead
Over the next three months, my goals will be to continue to build the capacity of IRF with focus on providing tools for new volunteers, including:
• IEC review of the IRF strategic plan and distribution to IRF members
• Development of a scope of work for highest priority committees/task groups, with the goal of asking for volunteer help in leading each group
• Meetings in Europe and a presentation at the EUROPARC conference in Italy in September
I look forward to hearing from many of you as you review the IRF strategic plan and consider ways your ranger association or you can contribute to the organization.
Best wishes,
Deanne Adams
IRFdeanne@aol.com
Vice President’s Report
As per my previous report from the last quarter, we looked forward to reporting on progress with regard to various activities/proposals and to working with some of you within IRF on making them successful and furthering other broader aims of the IRF. It is thus gratifying to report that some strides have been made in being able to realize some of what may be considered fairly ambitious aims of the IRF.
Following previous liaisons with IUCN and various WCPA colleagues since the Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress held in Melbourne during April 2010, IRF has been invited to join in an exciting partnership with IUCN’s WCPA known as the Natural Heritage Fund. The IRF leadership team, Marcelo Segalerba, and Sean Willmore were afforded the opportunity to comment on the draft prospectus for this proposed initiative.
The Natural Heritage Fund will aim to provide funds and technical and other support to improve the management of World Heritage Sites (WHS) and for assisting rangers, wounded rangers, and the dependants of rangers who have been killed in the quest to preserve the integrity of these internationally important protected areas. The IRF’s executive committee voted and approved the motion to partner with IUCN on this project. The Thin Green Line Foundation will play a meaningful part in this partnership, as may various IRF member associations.
I’d like to thank everyone who played a part in setting this important opportunity up, especially Marcelo Segalerba, who represented IRF admirably at the World Heritage Committee meeting held in Brazil. Marcelo volunteered to participate in this important meeting on our behalf, in particular to represent the cause of obtaining urgent and tangible support for the rangers working in the World Heritage Sites within the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to introduce the concept proposal of Rangers without Borders to the
delegates. The progress made with these two issues was encouraging as well, but will take substantial appropriate follow-up before the desired outcomes may be achieved.
The Rangers without Borders project requires a champion or task team leader, to take it forward. Unfortunately, Marcelo has indicated that he is not in a position to lead it at present. If anyone is willing and motivated to lead or assist with this project on behalf of IRF, please contact me directly.
Thank you, Tegan Burton, for taking another task onto your already exceptionally busy schedule since Bolivia. Due largely to her efforts, the draft IRF Strategic Plan has been written and is in discussion within committee circles. The plan is expected to be sent out to all member associations for final review and comment by late September. The plan belongs to the entire IRF family and its successful implementation will be dependent upon the active involvement of many more rangers than the few who are currently serving on the committee. When you receive the plan, please see if there is anything you would be interested in assisting to accomplish. Please do not hesitate to volunteer your services or share your ideas!
To come back closer to my home territory and what’s been happening here, I had a meeting with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association’s (WIOMSA’s) Executive Secretary Julius Francis on Zanzibar Island. During this meeting, we discussed how best to follow-up on various potential areas of collaboration between the IRF and WIOMSA, as reported in my previous report in The Thin Green Line.
Some very impressive results have been delivered by my colleagues on both sides of the recent twinning partnership between the Protected Area Workers Association, of New South Wales and the PAMS Foundation in Tanzania, as far as the Ranger Support Program is concerned. I would like to see a report from them concerning the details and progress of this exciting initiative, in the next edition of The Thin Green Line!
Work on management effectiveness continued at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO WHS, and more seems likely to start in areas in East Africa (with IUCN). A collaborative relationship was also formalized between the PAMS Foundation and World Wildlife Fund Tanzania, which also could potentially develop to assist with the achievement of several IRF objectives in future. Personally, I was also able to connect with various rangers in Tanzania and in our neighboring countries of the DRC, Mozambique and Kenya, and with the Game Rangers Association of Africa in South Africa.
Tragically, we learned of the violent deaths of more rangers in DRC and in Mozambique! The last mentioned murder had been of a former colleague of mine, someone whom I held in very high regard. (See the President’s Report for additional details.)
My thought for this quarter is quite simple: let’s move ahead by not staying where we have always been. We need to make a difference.
In concluding this brief report I would like to thank everyone who played a part in enabling any component of the above mentioned progress to be made. That includes IRF members and some of our allies and colleagues from outside the immediate family of rangers. Thank you also to Deanne and Elaine for their planning and successful management of the IEC’s first e-meeting. Lastly, thank you to everyone who celebrated or promoted World Ranger Day 2010!
Wayne D. Lotter
wayne@pamsfoundation.com
Treasurer’s Report
During the recent e-mail discussions about the IRF Trust, I received an e-mail on August 9 from Gordon Miller stating that he had a check in the amount of £244.28 to deposit in the IRF account from the sale of merchandise at the VI World Ranger Congress in Bolivia. In addition, he had £20 cash to add to the deposit. Colin Dilcock sent me an e-mail on September 9 to let me know that Gordon was away but would handle the deposit upon his return.
On August 11, I proposed that the IEC should compile all information regarding past and present treasurers and put it on a CD (in digital format) so this information could be kept for future treasurers. I asked everyone, especially former treasurers, to please send me this information.
On September 7, I received an e-mail from Colin Dilcock with a scan of the following:
- Authorization letter from the bank stating that he has access to the accounts
- Latest statement for the current account, 70448842, showing a balance on June 24, 2010 of £1,098.69 (In October 2009, the balance of this account was £1,098.70, showing a deficit of £0.01.)
- Latest statement for the high interest account, 70360856, showing a balance on June 24, 2010 of £939.32 (In October 2009, the balance of this account was £938.97, which shows a profit of £0.35.)
- Latest statement for the Dependant’s Fund, 70823333, showing a balance on June 24, 2010 of £4,127.30. (In October 2009, the balance of this account was £4,125.75, showing a profit of £1.55.)
- Latest statement for the USD account, 63094555, showing a balance on March 31, 2010 of $3,922.29 (In October 2009, the balance of this account was $3,920.31, showing a profit of £1.98.)
- Invoice from Door4 for the website domain at a cost of £70.50, which has been paid from the current account, 70448842.
This e-mail also informed me that Colin now has the necessary clearance to act on behalf of IRF and at the direction of the IRF Treasurer with Gordon Miller needed for a second signature for checks and international payments.
João Correia
vigilantenatureza@gmail.com
Executive Officer/Secretary’s Report
Over the past three months, I have been busy on a range of actions to ensure the IRF is functioning efficiently. Established organizations usually have guidelines on how things are done, but we do not have these yet. I therefore have been focusing on developing these core building blocks. In the coming months
I will be addressing the needs for a new website and for finding funding revenue.
Together with the rest of the IEC, I have also commented on a new proposal from the IUCN WCPA -
the Natural Heritage Fund, had input in to the draft Strategic Plan, and participated in revising the
Standing Rules.
To support the first electronic meeting (e-meeting) of the IEC, I developed a template for the discussion papers, coordinated the e-mail messages, and prepared the final minutes from all the summaries of discussions. The minutes are being reviewed now by the IEC and will be voted on during our next e-meeting. They will be shared with the membership after that approval.
Meeting with Parks Victoria (Funding Model)
Deanne Adams and I met with Parks Victoria’s Ian Christie to update him on how the executive officer role was working and to fill him in on IRF actions since Bolivia. We also discussed his ideas on a funding
model for the IRF. The aim of this model is to outline the guiding principles and arrangements that the
IRF needs to put in place to ensure sustainable funding. This model will be developed together with the executive committee.
World Ranger Day
July 31st marked the 4th annual World Ranger Day. A variety of events were held around the world to celebrate the day. (See related story later in this newsletter).
We are slowly raising the profile of World Ranger Day within the ranger community and the wider conservation community. This year a one-page information sheet was developed, based on information posted on our website, and widely distributed. This was used by several ranger associations as the basis for their own information. It was also used by the IUCN WCPA to promote the day on their web page.
A number of ideas have been suggested for future World Ranger Days, including having the day sanctioned by the United Nations, running a competition to design a special logo for the day, and preparation of a badge and a commemorative ribbon, so stay tuned. If you have any other ideas on how we could raise the profile of the day or other ways to commemorate and celebrate, please let me know.
More New Members
Membership of the IRF continues to grow. As the last edition of this newsletter was being put together, the IEC was voting on the application for regular membership from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Association. I am pleased to announce that their application was successful. Other successful applications came from the Park Rangers Association of California (also for regular membership) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (associate membership). We welcome all to the world family of rangers.
Since then, the IRF has received an application for provisional membership from a French ranger; the IEC will be voting on this application soon. Provisional membership is open to an individual ranger or group of rangers where no established ranger association exists. The IRF looks forward to working with the French as they establish their association and ultimately become full members.
Rangers from Cambodia and Thailand have inquired about establishing ranger associations in the hope of eventually joining the IRF. We will be working with them on this and look forward to increasing our representation in the Asia region.
In order to most efficiently support these membership inquiries and applications, we have developed a protocol for IRF members and potential members to apply, along with examples of organizing documents to share with those who want to establish a ranger association.
Regards,
Elaine Thomas
irfsec@yahoo.com
Editor’s Report
I hope you enjoy this latest issue of The Thin Green Line. As I mentioned in the previous issue, please continue to send in articles with the following guidelines in mind:
Spell out any acronyms/jargon for anyone else who might be new to IRF, including me.
Keep submissions to no more than two pages per person.
Provide me with exactly what you want in your submission. If you send multiple documents in your submission to me, we will not be able to print all of them. I will have to select parts or pieces of what you provided to be in the newsletter.
Include 1-2 photographs with your submission, if possible.
As previously mentioned, I have two main goals for The Thin Green Line by the end of the year. I am challenging myself to update the newsletter format and to include more images within it. (If you have any suggestions about the new format, please send an e-mail with details to dmdierkes@verizon.net.) In addition, I plan to publish the next newsletter issue online and in a PDF format. So, bear with me meanwhile, as the use of photos is very limited in this issue.
Thank you, as always, for your support of IRF and The Thin Green Line. Please send me your articles and photos for the October/November/December issue by November 12.
Dana M. Dierkes
dmdierkes@verizon.net
North American Regional Representative Report
I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe summer. Although normally a quiet time in the desert parks, we remained busy.
I just returned from representing the National Park Service (NPS) at the 17th National Scout Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, in Virginia. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting plays a large part in teaching our youth about our protected areas and they provide thousands of hours in volunteer service to them.
This completes a circle for me. I was a youth at the 9th National Scout Jamboree and remember visiting the National Park Service exhibit. Now, I was back on the other side of the exhibit. We celebrated World Ranger Day by asking all who came to the exhibit that day to wish our fellow rangers with Virginia State Parks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a few exhibits away, a happy World Ranger Day.
I want to remind everyone about the Association of National Park Rangers’ 33rd annual Ranger Rendezvous. It is being held in Bend, Oregon, from October 31-November 4. I invite all non-ANPR rangers to come join your friends for a great conference in the shadows of the majestic Cascade Mountain Range. This year's theme is "Building Bridges to the Future." As a small part of the event, we plan to complete a service project at nearby Pilot Butte State Park. I hope to see you there.
I want to thank Luc Mathon for volunteering to translate the IRF application into French. Thanks Luc!
As I continue to contact various rangers' organizations in North America, I want to extend a hearty welcome to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Association and the Park Law Enforcement Association for joining the IRF family. I have been in contact with rangers from Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, as well as the New England Park Ranger Association.
In addition, I continue to seek out and introduce tribal rangers to the IRF. Like our friends in Brazil and Australia, the United States has tribal rangers like those with the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians and Navajo Nation. I initiated communications with the regional IUCN representative who is helping me make contacts with our colleagues in Mexico besides my outreach to rangers in the Bahamas and Bermuda.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a belated Happy National S'mores Day (August 10th) in honor of a favorite American camping dessert of melted marshmallows sandwiched between graham crackers and chocolate.
Jeff Ohlfs
North American Representative
deserttraveler2@roadrunner.com
**********************************************************
Espero que todo el mundo está teniendo un verano maravilloso y seguro. Aunque normalmente un tiempo de tranquilidad en los parques del desierto, nos mantenemos ocupados. Acabo de regresar de representación del `Servicio Nacional de Parques (NPS) en el 17 º Jamboree Nacional Scout en el Fuerte AP Hill, en Virginia. Este año es el 100 º aniversario de los Boy Scouts de América. Movimiento Scout Mundial juega un papel importante en la enseñanza a nuestros jóvenes sobre nuestras áreas protegidas y que proporcionan miles de horas en servicios voluntarios para ellos. Esto completa un círculo para mí. Yo era un joven en el 9 º Jamboree Nacional Scout y Recuerdo haber visitado la exposición de fuentes de energía nuclear. Ahora, yo estaba de vuelta en el otro lado de la exhibición. Celebramos el Día Mundial de Guardaparques diciéndole a todos que vino por la exhibición de ese día y le solicite que deseamos a nuestros compañeros con los guardaparques de Parques del Estado de Virginia y los EE.UU. Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército, una muestra de distancia, un feliz Día Mundial de la Ranger.
Quiero recordar a todos la Asociación de Guardabosques del Parque Nacional 33a anual Rendezvous Ranger se celebra en Bend, Oregon, octubre 31-noviembre 4. Invito a todos los guardaparques no ANPR a unirse a sus amigos para una gran conferencia a la sombra de la cascada de la majestuosa Cordillera. El tema de este año es "Construyendo puentes hacia el futuro." Planeamos hacer un proyecto de servicio en el cercano Parque Estatal piloto Butte. Espero contar con tu presencia.
Quiero dar las gracias a Luc Mathon para ofrecerse como voluntario para traducir la aplicación IRF al francés. Gracias Luc!
A medida que continúo en contacto con organizaciones guardaparques varios »en América del Norte, quiero extender una cordial bienvenida a la Oficina de Administración de Tierras EE.UU. Aplicación de la ley sindical y el Parque de Aplicación de la Ley de Asociación para unirse a la familia IRF. He estado en contacto con los guardabosques de Arizona, Oregon y Washington, así como la de Nueva Inglaterra Asociación de Guardaparques. Sigo buscar e introducir los guardabosques tribales a la IRF. Al igual que nuestros amigos en Brasil y Australia, los Estados Unidos haguardaparques tribales como los de la Banda Agua Caliente de los indios de la misión y la Nación Navajo. He iniciado la comunicación con el representante regional de
la UICN que me está ayudando a establecer contactos con nuestros colegas en México, además de mi alcance a los guardaparques en las Bahamas y las Bermudas.
Por último, quiero desearles a todos un Feliz tardía Nacional S'mores Día (10 de agosto) una de las favoritas del desierto camping americano.
Jeff Ohlfs
Representante de America del Norte
deserttraveler2@roadrunner.com
Oceania Regional Representative Report
The last few months have certainly been exhausting but also satisfying. I’ve played my part in the IEC busily working away on a suite of things ranging from improving internal communications by testing out e-meetings to getting some serious projects off the ground.
I would like to congratulate all our colleagues, both IRF and non-IRF, involved in having an IRF presence at the recent World Heritage Committee (WHC) session in Brasilia, Brazil. We initially went to the WHC meeting with the hope of creating change in the situation facing our colleagues in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Not only did our presence raise the profile of that situation, we have also walked away with a fantastic opportunity to partner with the IUCN in the development and implementation of a proposed Natural Heritage Fund. This fund will: target the evaluation of management effectiveness; source and deliver funds to fill gaps in management and build capacity; recognize conservation successes; and support rangers and their families who have sacrificed their health or their lives for conservation. I am really excited about the opportunities this will bring for the whole of the IRF, being the IEC and all our member associations, and look forward to working with our IRF representative Wayne Lotter on this significant project.
I am also excited by progress on the draft IRF Strategic Plan, which aims to clearly outline our overall direction and goals for 2011 - 2016, and how we’re going to get there. Member associations should expect to see the draft coming out in late September. I strongly encourage everyone at this time to review and comment on the draft Plan. Once endorsed, successful implementation of this plan will depend on not only the leadership of the IEC but on the active involvement of all IRF member associations. Now is the time to make sure it reflects the goals of your association and to become familiar with current and potential actions you can become involved in.
Another World Ranger Day has come and gone…and sadly it has again passed with further colleagues falling in the line-of-duty. Let’s all work together to support their families and colleagues and to celebrate the ongoing work of rangers around the world and their invaluable role in preserving our protected areas.
Tegan Burton
Regional Representative – Oceania
pawa_nsw@hotmail.com
NEWS FROM NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Republic of South Africa
Game Rangers Association of Africa
This report is a review of activities and issues through July 2010 since the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) Annual General Meeting that was held in early March 2010.
Membership
1. Uganda Wildlife Authority was approved as an associate member of the IRF. This is a direct result from a meeting between several officials from Ugandan Wildlife Authority, Tim Snow, and myself in February 2010 to discuss the establishment of a representative organization in Uganda for the more than 1,000 rangers working in that country.
2. Tanzania – the PAMS Foundation has successfully applied to be registered as an associate member of the IRF and will be working towards establishing a functional representative structure for rangers in Tanzania and further afield in East Africa.
3. Namibia & Zambia have made good progress with regard to registering representative organizations for rangers in these countries. Both have decided to affiliate as in-country chapters of the GRAA until further notice. GRAA is happy to provide administrative and other support in the interim.
4. Kenya – The establishment of a formal representative body for rangers in Kenya is still in process.
Loss/Injuries Suffered by Rangers
5. Three rangers from South African National Parks died in a vehicle accident in the Eastern Cape on their way to conduct anti-poaching operations against abalone smugglers in March 2010. The families of two of these rangers have been provided with documentation to apply for support from the Thin Green Line Foundation and one application is almost finalized.
6. The two rangers arrested in the DRC after a shooting incident involving militia has been reported, and IRF and GRAA have sent off letters in support. Working conditions in this area remain very challenging as the war by various factions continues.
7. Two rangers have been seriously injured and another escaped injury in separate incidents involving buffalo in the Kruger National Park over the last five months. All have fully recovered from injuries.
Conservation Issues
8. The planned highway across the Serengeti in Tanzania has recently grabbed conservation headlines in East Africa, and there are serious concerns about the impact of such a development on the Mara/Serengeti system. IRF, GRAA and other member organizations must support the groundswell of opposition to this.
9. Various reports from southern Sudan indicate a marked decline in wildlife populations from an area teeming with good numbers of a range of species only 15 years ago. Civil war, drought and unchecked poaching has apparently decimated elephant and other wildlife populations over the last decade. However, intervention in this strife-torn part of the continent is a huge challenge and once again underlines the need for an internationally- sanctioned conservation force that can intervene in areas such as this.
10. The poaching of rhino in South Africa is reaching epidemic proportions with the number of animals killed this year (132) already exceeding the total for 2009. Poaching is taking place on both formal protected areas, with the Kruger National Park bearing the brunt of the onslaught, as well as on private property where rhino are especially vulnerable due to the lack of appropriate security measures on many properties. The government has now established a national taskforce involving several GRAA members to attempt to address this threat in a proactive manner. The GRAA will also train more than 60 new field rangers for deployment at various sites throughout the country to assist in combating this threat. GRAA is also working closely with a number of other organizations in improving security of rhino on private property. Several successes have been achieved with more than 20 separate arrests and several convictions of perpetrators at various levels.
11. A warrant of arrest has been issued for a South African professional hunter that has been orchestrating the poaching of rhino and other wildlife in Zimbabwe for several years. He has been supplying silenced large calibre firearms to Zimbabwean locals to illegally hunt a range of species in protected areas in that country and then exported rhino horn and other products from his base in South Africa.
12. The killing of lion and other predators in Kenya using Carbofuran and other chemicals have been well-publicized by organizations such as Wildlife Direct. GRAA, through Tim Snow from the Endangered Wildlife Trust, has been talking with this and other NGOs in East Africa in trying to assist in the collection and analysis of samples from poisoned animals to support their campaign.
13. A mining license for the extraction of coking coal by an Australian-based company within 7km of the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site and National Park in South Africa has been granted despite tremendous opposition from a wide range of organizations and even some government departments. The impact of such a development will be tremendous on the natural environment as well as the livelihoods of several communities living in the area. Several environmental NGOs have submitted an urgent application to the high court to have this development halted. The case is still pending.
14. Information has been received about the large-scale massacre of wildlife in southern Somalia using helicopters spraying chemicals over large areas. Wildlife killed in this manner is believed to provide food to militia forces also linked to piracy operations off the Somali Coast. No additional information
is available.
15. Several cross-border incidents over the last few months have again underlined the need to establish a functional system through which effective law-enforcement can be conducted across international boundaries without diplomatic repercussions. Good progress was made in this regard in 2008 but little constructive developments to implement such a system has subsequently taken place.
Media & Publications
16. A new environmental magazine focused on southern African conservation issues was launched late in 2009 and will soon see the 4th edition being published. The GRAA is a founding partner in this publication and promotes the association, its chapters and regions, as well as the IRF through this medium, which has a readership in excess of 30,000.
Training & Skills Development
17. African Field Ranger Training Services, sub-contracted by GRAA, conducted a training course for 21 Field Rangers at the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in northern Zululand during May 2010.
18. The GRAA has obtained sufficient funding for the training of a further 60+ plus field rangers through the Southern African Wildlife College in 2010.
General Matters
19. PAMS Foundation has submitted an application to host the next World Ranger Congress in Tanzania, East Africa in 2012.
20. The GRAA has appointed its first full-time administrator, Ms. Natalee Crozier, who will be based in Johannesburg and will be responsible for most of the general administration, membership, marketing, and fundraising of the associations
André Botha
Chairman, Game Rangers Association of Africa
andreb@ewt.org.za
England
Countryside Management Association
EUROPARC International Junior Ranger Camp Held in England
EUROPARC, the umbrella organization for protected areas across Europe, launched its Junior Ranger Programmed in 2002. Each summer, one of the members of the Junior Ranger network hosts an International Junior Ranger Camp. This year, the camp was held in the west of England in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) from July 24-31. As 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, the theme for this 9th Junior Ranger camp was (naturally enough) - Biodiversity.
Forty Junior Rangers and mentors from 12 protected areas in 8 European countries came together to participate in an exciting program of outdoor activities in the Mendip Hills AONB. This protected area is situated south of Bristol with a diverse range of habitats. The camp program included active “hands-on" involvement in sheep shearing, wool and charcoal-making, caving, climbing, a bat walk, foraging, and an owl prowl. Field visits included a dairy farm, the Cheddar Caves, and National Trust and Somerset Wildlife Trust managed sites. Cultural activities were a day-trip to the city of Wells to visit the cathedral, the Wells and Mendip Museum, and the farmers market.
On two evenings, the Junior Rangers cooked dishes from their local areas. Potatoes seemed to feature in most of the recipes - although the Mendip Hills AONB Junior Rangers provided apple crumble and custard that proved very popular!
Young people are at the heart of all the local communities living in and around protected areas. They are also the future advocates, guardians, and potential employees of these areas. By providing young people with opportunities to participate in their work, protected areas fulfill their educational role while enhancing
individuals’ understanding of their aims and appreciation of protected natural and cultural resources. Plus, the camps are also great FUN!
Parks taking part in the camp included:
- Ŝumava National Park (Czech Republic)
- Jizerské hory Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic)
- Krokonoŝ National Park (Czech Republic)
- Dahme Heideseen and Markische Schweiz Naturpark (Germany)
- Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany)
- National Park Harz (Germany)
- National Park Lahemaa (Estonia)
- Nuuksio National Park (Finland)
- Gauja National Park (Latvia)
- Weerribben-Weiden National Park (Netherlands)
- Triglav National Park (Slovenia)
- Mendip Hills AONB (UK)
Prior to their departure on 31 July - World Ranger Day - the Junior Rangers were asked to remember rangers around the world, especially those who had lost their lives in the line-of-duty.
Roger Cole
Countryside Management Association
International Advisor
rangerroger@hotmail.co.uk
New South Wales - Australia
Protected Area Workers Association
Ranger Profile Series Launched
In recognition of World Ranger Day 2010, the Protected Area Workers Association (PAWA) of New South Wales (NSW) developed a series of ranger profiles - Rangers: holding the thin green line. As listed on the website, it includes “Profiles of Rangers from around the world...the face of the Thin Green Line; the people who protect the most special places of this planet against the forces of development, encroachment, poaching, climate change and more; that threatens these places very existence.” Visit http://www.pawansw.org/rangerprofiles.html and learn about the stories of rangers from Australia, Tanzania, Argentina, and Brazil.
Stay tuned for additions to the series, including profiles presented in the featured ranger’s first language when not English. Please feel free to use these profiles to spread the word about rangers, the diverse places they work, and the diverse activities they’re involved in. Please note: We ask that you acknowledge the copyright of PAWA when doing so.
Thank you to all our enthusiastic contributors for volunteering your time, your pictures, and your souls for this series; to Michele Cooper for your editorial and graphic design; to David Burns for making this project available to all via the PAWA website; and to the International Ranger Federation for supporting this initiative.
World Ranger Day 2010
PAWA’s other World Ranger Day activities tended to be low-key and local in nature. These messages from some of our members express the sentiments well:
Holly North, Ranger, NSW NPWS – “As well as hosting Argentine Ranger Olalla and going snorkeling in the local Marine Park and bushwalking at Broken Head Nature Reserve that day, we will be lighting a candle for our mates Bryce and Aaron and thinking of them and all the rangers around the world who have been killed while performi
ng their work.”
Chris Pavich, Ranger, NSW NPWS – “While ski touring that day in the backcountry of Kosciuszko National Park I will be reflecting on the opportunities and freedom I and many others enjoy in the high (and lower) country within the National Parks and related reserves of Australia, effectively managed by a dedicated team of park staff.”
Cathy Mardell, Range, NSW NPWS – “I will champion the cause of rangers wherever I am in the world (probably somewhere in Alaska) on that day!”
Steve Woodhall, Ranger, NSW NPWS – “…work dinner included listening to The Thin Green Line song by Tim Stout and formal acknowledgement of World Ranger Day.”
Chase Alive volunteer program, NSW NPWS – “…plant identification training at Muogamarra Nature Reserve included formal acknowledgement of World Ranger Day.”
Argentinean Ranger Visits for Two Months
Ranger exchanges can come in many forms. PAWA demonstrated this recently when we facilitated a two-month visit by Argentinean Ranger Olalla Martinez. Oli was signed on as a volunteer with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and PAWA arranged the program which included her spending between four days and a week at 10 different locations around the state and visiting a range of landscapes from the mountains to the western plains and our stunning coastline. While at each location, she spent her days in the field with the local staff, spent her nights hosted by one of the local rangers and their family, and was frequently asked to give presentations on her experience as a ranger in Argentina.
One host nicely expressed the sentiments I am sure many felt when he wrote:
“Oli was a delight to have visit, and was eager to share ideas on a number of park management issues, some similar and others quite a different perspective. I’m sure we benefited as managers almost as much as she did. This observation prompted me to write to comment that the exchange opportunities PAWA was creating would not only benefit our PAWA international visitors, but also potentially hold great value to us as National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and would be nice if NPWS continues to support these opportunities for the fertile exchange of novel ideas…I certainly picked up some ideas from Oli which I hope to work into one of my programs, which would not have happened otherwise.”
Thank you to Andy Nixon of the Victorian Rangers Association who brokered the initial contact between Oli and PAWA, to all our PAWA members and their colleagues who were such willing hosts, and to the NSW NPWS for embracing Oli’s visit to Australia. I hope we will see many similar exchange opportunities in
the future.
Equip Tanzania Partnership with PAMS
The partnership between the PAMS Foundation & PAWA has developed further with the signing of a formal agreement of cooperation and delivery of the first batch of field equipment to village game scouts in southern Tanzania in April. The PAMS Foundation & PAWA have recently extended the partnership to include Bikes for Humanity, a group working with us to provide bikes to assist the village game scouts in their anti-poaching patrols. More field equipment will be delivered in September when PAWA member David Brill will travel to Tanzania to work with the PAMS Foundation and the village game scouts on a number of specific conservation initiatives.
Young Leaders Forum
Parks Forum hosted a Young Leaders Forum as part of their Common Ground conference in Sydney this past August (http://www.parksforum2010.org/meetings.asp?YoungLeadersForum). PAWA used this opportunity to promote the work of PAWA; our national body, the Council of Australian Ranger Associations; and the IRF, by highlighting the importance of developing projects, which specifically target our young colleagues and also include the perspectives of youth in all our work.
Tegan Burton
pawa_nsw@hotmail.com
United States
Association of National Park Rangers
U.S. National Park Service (NPS) Represented at World Heritage Convention
Several representatives from the NPS Office of International Affairs attended the 34th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Brazilia, Brazil, from July 25 to August 3 (www.34whc.brasilia2010.org.br/). Because Marcelo Segalerba of Brazil also attended representing the IRF, I was able to arrange an email introduction between Marcelo and Stephen Morris, Chief, NPS Office of International Affairs and his team. One thing Marcelo discussed with them is the long-term interest of the IRF in its “Protecting the Protectors” program to help gain recognition and support of the work rangers do around the world, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances. He shared with the team some of the international work that ranger associations are doing around the world in cooperative “beyond borders” training and assistance projects and learned about the NPS international responsibilities.
Next Ranger Rendezvous
As mentioned in the last newsletter, ANPR will host its annual meeting this year in Bend, Oregon, on the west coast of the United States. The theme of the meeting is “Building Bridges to the Future.” The event will convene from October 31 - November 4, 2010. Anyone from IRF member ranger associations is very welcome and invited to attend. If interested, you will find further information on our website at www.anpr.org or feel free to send me an email with any questions.
Travel well!
Tony Sisto
ANPR International Affairs
Tsisto47@aol.com
NEWS ABOUT RANGERS
New Zealand
Rangers Need Support in New Zealand
Thirty-five rangers gathered in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, to celebrate World Ranger Day. They listened to Ian Maxwell, the new manager of parks, speak about the structure of the "super city" that is being planned for Auckland. This positive change brings together many park and conservation staff and creates one of Australasia's largest cities. Within the new city, there are conservation and parklands of world-class standards facing many challenges to care for our unique natural and cultural heritage. However, the emphasis in forming the new city appears to be on hierarchical management with remote policies resulting in short- term contracting services. More focus needs to go on front-line services working closely with volunteers and communities caring for the conservation of parklands.
As rangers were celebrating the day, non-government organizations (NGOs) and the Iwi (-Maori - the indigenous people) were trying to get more attention focused on the natural and cultural heritage sites within the new city. The inefficiency of the present structure, which has few rangers and remote contract systems, was illustrated by the recent bulldozing of archaeological sites through potential World Heritage Sites on volcanic cones. Two months later, there is still no meaningful reply to our questions about action and restoration. However, as reported in the NZ Herald on August 6 by Brian Rudman:
"…Friends of Maungawhau chairman Kit Howden highlights the benefits of the professional ranger service, used by the ARC and Manukau City, and wants it adopted by the new council to babysit the protected cones as well. He says a ranger would have stopped the recent trail of destruction across Mt Roskill, Mt Albert, Mt Hobson, Mt Taylor and Mt Wellington in its tracks. In such a situation, an on-site ranger would have been instantly aware of something untoward, or be quickly alerted by his network of volunteers and neighbors. The ranger would be like the custodian/security chief at a commercial building - the eyes, ears and guardian of the place…” Reference: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10663929
Over the years front-line conservation staff and rangers have been marginalized within the "managerial asset-based - contract out everything system." Hierarchical management based on remote planners and policy advisers with rules and processes can increase costs and prevent conservation work from happening.
There is a sad joke in our NGO on how bad it is getting - How to cut a 20mm root of a dying shrub blocking the repair of a track? One policy adviser, two consultants, and one contractor cannot make the decision, but they are happy to leave it to a volunteer so that the work can continue. The volunteer could do it because there was no disciplinary comeback. On the other hand, paid staff, who are trying to follow the multitude of rules and regulations, have their jobs under threat. The reality of the frontline is being lost. There is a need to bring back more authority and responsibility to those working the front line.
At a national level, the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Recreation Association, and Skills NZ have a working party that have developed a ranger training profile to recognize the role of rangers, however it is delayed through lack of funding. It also does not recognize the increasing importance of Iwi in management and ranger services.
New Zealand does not have a ranger association. However, a few rangers are becoming interested, and it is hoped such a professional group can be developed in association with others to represent front-line conservation staff not only here in New Zealand but internationally.
Kit Howden
New Zealand Recreation Association
World Ranger Day: Commemorated & Celebrated
The fourth annual World Ranger Day was held on July 31, 2010, to commemorate our fallen colleagues, as well as celebrate our work in protecting the world’s natural and cultural treasures.
On this day, we remembered 11 colleagues who died in the line-of- duty in the past 12 months: Australian Aaron Harber; Puerto Ricans Felix Rodriguez and Kenneth Betancourt; Mauricio Guillen of Peru; South Africans John Mapheu, Bongo Skotsho, and Marvin Williams; and, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Safari Kakule, Kambale Katambiriki, Kanyangara Muhima, and Achille Vilavu.A number of specials events, both large and small, were held across the world to mark the day.
In England, Patrick Watts Abbott said that rangers at Exmoor National Park showed how Iron Age people used to live at what is now Timberscombe Hill Fort.
At the Mere, in Ellesmere, Shropshire, England, Gareth Egarr said that 100 people watched the Thin Green Line documentary; viewed displays presented by rangers, the Wildlife Trust, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and took part in activities including dip-netting for invertebrates, bird box-making, and guided boat trips.
In Europe, EUROPARC – the umbrella organization for protected areas across Europe – held its annual International Junior Ranger Camp where participants held a special commemoration for rangers who lost their lives in the line-of-duty.
In New Zealand, Kit Howden gave a talk about the need for a ranger association in the country to highlight the work of the IRF and the recent IRF Congress in Bolivia to 35 rangers in Auckland at “The Super City Needs Super Rangers” event.
In the United States, Richard Lahey and Gloria Updyke of the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Virginia had 333 visitors experience many facets of a ranger’s life from wildlife conservation, fire-fighting, and law enforcement, to giving guided tours and even 18th Century blacksmithing. The day was capped off with a ceremony for rangers who died in the line-of-duty when miniature flags representing our fallen comrades were placed at the park’s entrance. The flags remained in place until August 25 when the U.S. National Park Service celebrates its 94th anniversary. This was the birthplace’s second celebration of
World Ranger Day, and it promises to be an annual event.
Rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado in the U.S.A. presented the premiere of the Slovakian film Ticha: The Valley of the Bear in celebration of their relationship with Tatra National Parks in Slovakia and Poland. From the comfort of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, visitors explored the hidden wonders of the Ticha Valley in northern Slovakia as a show of support for the rangers of the world.
Airton Ferreira in Brazil reported that World Ranger Day was remembered in Piratuba Lake Biological Reserve (Rebio - Reserva Biologica), Amapá, with an informal commemoration. Airton also posted a video on YouTube honoring the day. (See related link below.)
In Victoria, Australia, IRF Patron Mark Stone joined Thin Green Line Foundation Director Sean Willmore, Victorian Ranger Association members, and foundation supporters at a fundraising dinner. Dinner guests were provided a small native shrub bearing the name of a deceased ranger to be planted in their honor.
Others marked World Ranger Day in smaller, but no less significant, ways.
In Australia, New South Wales Ranger Holly North hosted Argentine Ranger Olalla at Broken Head Nature Reserve, while down in Tasmania, Barry Batchelor burned candles and promoted World Ranger Day in the Visitor Center.
The World Ranger Day message was also spread online through Facebook, with many of our colleagues sharing the significance of the day with family and friends.
We can do nothing to bring the fallen rangers back, but we can honor their memory and ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten.
World Ranger Day 2010 – Related links:
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Commission on Protected Areas information about World Ranger Day:
http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/wcpa/?5732/31st-July----Celebrate-the-rangers
• U.S. National Park Service story about World Ranger Day: http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=5559
• YouTube video in honor of World Ranger Day from Airton Ferreira, Brazil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ETjLpeQFo
• Peru’s Servicio Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado: http://www.sernanp.gob.pe/sernanp/noticia.jsp?ID=218
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
2010
September 29 – Oct. 2 EUROPARC Federation Congress, to be held 29 September – 2 October in Abruzzo, Lasio and Molese National Park, Italy (http://www.europarc.org/conference-2010)
October 30 - November 4 XXXIII Ranger Rendezvous, Association of National Park Rangers, Riverhouse Resort, Bend, Oregon, USA, sponsored by the Association of National Park Rangers
www.anpr.org/anprrr.htm
November 14 - November 16 Ranger Rendezvous, Scottish Countryside Rangers’ Association, Glenmore Lodge Centre, Cairngorms National Park
www.scra-online.co.uk/
November 16-20 2010 National Interpreters Workshop: An Interpretation Oasis!, Las Vegas Nevada, sponsored by the National Association for Interpretation
www.interpnet.com
2011
March 14–18,2011 The George Wright Society, biennial conference, New Orleans, Louisana USA Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World.
http://www.georgewright.org/gws2011
May 4-7, 2011 National Association for Interpretation, International Conference, Gamboa Rainforest Resort, at the Chagres River and Panama Canal, Soberania National Park Rainforest, Panama
www.interp.net.com/ic/
MEMBER DIRECTORY
The following is for quick reference only and does not include the names of individual ranger associations. Where more than one name is listed for a given nation, it is because there’s more than one ranger association in that country. For a complete list, please contact Elaine Thomas, IRF secretary, at the address below.
Officers
President Deanne Adams United States IRFdeanne@aol.com
Vice President Wayne Lotter Tanzania wayne@pamsfoundation.com
Treasurer João Manuel Dos
Santos Correia Portugal vigilantenatureza@gmail.com
Secretary/Executive
Officer Elaine Thomas Australia irfsec@yahoo.com
Past Presidents and Other Non-Voting Members of the International Executive Committee
Past President Gordon Miller England irfhq@hotmail.com
Past President Rick Smith United States rsmith0921@comcast.net
Past President David Zeller South Africa dazeller@soft.co.za
Thin Green Line
Foundation Sean Willmore Australia sean@thingreenline.info
Staff
T/Thin Green Line Dana M. Dierkes United States dmdierkes@verizon.net
Guardaparque Bill Halainen United States Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov
Website David Burns Australia babaji@aanet.com.au
Youth Development Michal Skalka Czech skalka.michal@seznam.cz
World Ranger Congress
Steering Committee Kristen Appel Australia kristenappel@octa4.net.au
Andy Nixon Australia anixon@parks.vic.gov.au
Regional Representatives
Asia Young-Deok Park Korea pyd1790@hanmail.net
knpsoia@gmail.com
Africa André Bothe South Africa andreb@ewt.org.za
Central America Cesar Augusto
Flores Lopez Guatemala titinoflores2000@yahoo.com
Europe Florin Halastauan Romania florin_hombre@yahoo.com
North America Jeff Ohlfs USA deserttraveler2@roadrunner.com
Oceania Tegan Burton Australia pawa_nsw@hotmail.com
South America Ana Carola Vaca Salazar Bolivia vacacarola@gmail.com
National Representatives
Africa Roland Goetz Angola --
Ompatile Galaletsang Botswana krst@botsnet.bw
Jobogo Mirindi DRC (Congo) jmirindi@yahoo.com
Joachim Kouame Ivory Coast ahounze@yahoo.fr
Gervaz Thamala Malawi g_thamala@yahoo.com
Andre Botha South Africa andreb@ewt.org.za
Wayne Lotter Tanzania wayne@pamsfoundation.com
Ghad Mugiri Uganda --
Asia Shri Dhakani Dhar Boro India ddboro@gmail.com
Asia Bhnushankar H. Dave India bhdave4@yahoo.com
Dinesh Dubey India --
Central America Leonel Delgado Pereira Costa Rica leonel.delgado@sinac.go.cr
Europe Barbara Mertin Austria barbara.mertin@chello.at
Michal Skalka Czech Republic skalka.michal@seznam.cz
Arne Bondo-Andersen Denmark arne1864@lic-mail.dk
Roger Cole England-Wales rangerroger@hotmail.co.uk
Trygve Lofroth Finland trygve.lofroth@metsa.fi
Beate Blahy Germany RobbyMeissner@t-online.de
Tünde Ludnai Hungary ludnait@knp.hu
Thorunn Sigihorsdottir Iceland thorunns@simnet.is
Brendan O’Shea Ireland brendan_o'shea@environ.ie
Augusto Atturo Italy ecopol@fastwebnet.it
Guido Baldi Italy guidobaldi@iol.it
Nicola Pillonetto Italy nicola.pillonetto@hotmail.it
Orla Maguire Northern Ireland --
Carl Norberg Norway carl.norberg@statskog.no
Adam Januszewicz Poland ptsop@ptsop.org.pl
Francisco Jose
Semedo Correia Portugal franciscosemedo@gmail.com
Mihai Gligan Romania mgligan@yahoo.com
Yuri Gorshkov Russia vkz@mail.ru
Tony Wilson Scotland nefrs@craigtoun.freeserve.co.uk
Zdeno Pochop Slovakia zpochop@gmail.com, aschus@nfo.sk
Francisco Tejedor Spain --
Thomas Hansson Sweden thomas.hansson@naturvardsverket.se
North America Mike Misskey Canada mike.misskey@pc.gc.ca
Scot McElveen United States + anprscotm@aol.com
Tony Sisto United States + tsisto47@aol.com
Steve Bier United States ++ sbier@parks.ca.gov
Ruben Conde United States + ruben_conde@blm.gov
Marie D. Fong United States ++ mfong@washoecounty.us
Oceania Andy Dutton Australia * andrew.dutton@derm.qld.gov.au
Carlie Bronk Australia ** cbronk@parks.vic.gov.au
Frank Mills Australia --
Luke Bouwman Australia # luke.bouwman@dec.wa.gov.au
Rob Buck Australia ## robert.buck@parks.tas.gov.au
Fluer Urquhart Australia @ dixiechicks@optusnet.com.au
Cameron Sharpe Australia @@ cameron.sharpe@nt.gov.au
Jude Rawcliffe New Zealand jude@nzrecreation.org.nz
South America Salvador Vellido Argentina svellido@apn.gov.ar
Ana Carola Vaca Salazar Bolivia carolavaca@hotmail.com
Juventino Kaxuyana Brazil joaodiakui@hotmail.com
Angel Lazo Alvarez Chile alazo@conaf.cl
Oscar Cortez Ecuador–Galapagos ocortez@spng.org.ec
Enrique Bragayrac Paraguay bragayrac@mmail.com.pv
Ignacio Sánchez Peru agp_peru@hotmail.com
Roy Ho Tsoi Suriname rhotsoi@sr.net
Juan Carlos Gambarotta Uruguay jgambaro@adinet.com.uy
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes: + = National, * = Queensland, # = Western Australia, ++ = California, ** = Victoria, ## = Tasmania, @ New South Wales, @@ = Northern Territory
ADDITIONAL MAILINGS DIRECTORY
Additional Park Contacts
Africa Bathusi Letlhare Botswana bml.darudec@dynabyte.bw
Robert Muir Congo robertmuir@fzs.org
Arrie Schreiber South Africa ArrieS@sanparks.org
Asia Zhao Jianrong China Zhaojr@mail.cin.gov.cn
Central America Miguel Angel Vasquez Guatemala selvamayapeten@yahoo.es
Víctor Carrión Ecuador - Galapagos vcarrion@spng.org.ec
Europe Ceri Daugherty England Ceri.Daugherty@de.mod.uk
Lynn Crowe England L.crowe@shu.ac.uk
Rob Ackrel England rob@ackrel.fsnet.co.uk
Roger Cole England rangerroger@hotmail.co.uk
Meryl Carr England meryl.carr@highland.gov.uk
Heike Fleming Germany heike.flemming@lua.brandenburg.de
Calin Georgescu Romania calin.georgescu@sdnp.ro
Bob Reid Scotland reidro@northlan.gov.uk
Vlado Vancura Slovak Republic vvancura@panparks.org
North America Susan Otuokon Jamaica jamaicaconservation@gmail.com
Oceania Andy Nixon Victoria anixon@parks.vic.gov.au
Kristen Appel --- kristenappel@octa4.net.au
South America Marcelo Segalerba Brazil msega71@gmail.com
Marcelo del Campo Uruguay custodios@adinet.com.uy
Ramiro Pereira Uruguay rpereira@internet.com.uy
International Parks Community
IUCN WCPA * Nik Lopoukhine Canada nik.lopoukhine@pc.gc.ca
IUCN HQ ** -- -- pmr@hq.iucn.org
World Heritage Natarajan Ishwaran Sri Lanka n.ishwaran@unesco.org
Guy Debonnet -- g.debonnet@unesco.org
Rob Milne (retired) United States rcmheritage3@yahoo.com
Europarc --- Europe office@europarc.org
Carol Ritchie Europe c.ritchie@europarc.org
Turner Foundation Mike Finley United States mikef@turnerfoundation.org
Jacobs Foundation --- England jf@jacobsfoundation.org
FFI # Paul Hotham England paul.hotham@fauna-flora.org
ICPL ## Liz Hughes Wales icpl@protected-landscapes.org
RSPB + Steve Rowland England steve.rowland@tesco.net
GRASP ++ --- Kenya grasp@unep.org
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes
* IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas ** The World Conservation Union
# Fauna and Flora International ## Int. Center for Protected Landscapes
+ Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds ++ Great Apes Survival Project (UNEP)
