ERF Newsletter October 24
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Dear European rangers,
Looking back on this October means, above all, looking back on a month full of conferences aimed at tackling the biodiversity and climate crises at all levels. Be it COP16, where the world's rangers and their important contribution to combating these crises were represented even more strongly than at COP15 by the International Ranger Federation and its supporters. Or the 10th World Ranger Congress, that we tried to summarise for all who could not join. And also this month, in a year's time, we will hopefully meet lots of you at the 6th European Ranger Congress (ERC) in Romania!
We are already hard at work planning a congress to address the challenges facing rangers and enable them to become an even stronger link between political conservation goals and the locals on the ground without whom it won't work. Details of the ERC will be announced shortly. But we already need your help with planning: please fill out the expression of interest form linked in the event below!
For us as the ERF Board, it was also a month of internal restructuring to support the European rangers even better. This letter to our ERF members, shows what this entails. Nevertheless, I cannot thank our secretary Birgit Gruber enough for her contribution, e.g. by inspiring us with the idea of the Ranger Leaf Program to raise money for rangers in need! At the same time, I am delighted to welcome Maria Gurscaia on board as her successor. Find out more about her here and on our channels, where we portrayed her dedication to advancing our profession – in Moldova and internationally!
Advancing rangers in their skills and networks was also at the heart of our training for the spatial monitoring and reporting tool SMART, which we conducted in collaboration with the SMART partnership in North Macedonia with rangers from a dozen countries in Europe and beyond. And beyond the world of rangers, I found the example of a Serbian conservation NGO's citizen science initiative truly inspiring by showing how locals can become the biggest advocates for protecting the species and habitats on their doorstep.
Finally, I would like to highlight the IUCN WCPA Ranger Awards. I'm sure you all deserve it – so get applying! And if you belong to the young rangers: By applying to be the next Europarc Youth Representative, you have the unique opportunity to help shape protected area management from the perspective of the next generation.
And I keep thinking of ERF Ranger Ohad Yahalomi, who has been held captive for a year and 24 days now and is terribly missed by his family and colleagues.
On that note, let's all keep our spirit of standing together!
Urs Reif, President of the ERF
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More than 450 participants, mainly rangers from all over the world, but also representatives of partly influential international NGOs that promote the work of rangers, discussed the role of rangers in curbing the biodiversity crisis and other important ranger issues at the 10th World Ranger Congress. In more than 20 workshops and numerous plenary lectures with top-class speakers from international nature conservation and ranger organizations, including us, the participants at the conference venue in Hyères, France, received a lot of input in addition to great opportunities for networking and talking shop. A special highlight for us: the regional meeting with a good 50 representatives of the European ranger organisations!
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Active roles in nature conservation can make local people the biggest fighters for the protection of “their” species and habitats. In a Serbian river conservation area, this has worked: The nature conservation NGO “Frame of Life” was able to use a citizen science project to create a comprehensive database of the biodiversity worth protecting in the river area. On this basis, chance are high to reach the goal of expanding the existing protected area fivefold and to prevent the construction of a dam - while at the same time winning the hearts of the local population for the cause of nature.
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Five days packed with practical knowledge on how to use the SMART spatial monitoring and reporting tool to make the participants' wildlife and habitat conservation work more effective and safer - that was our SMART training in North Macedonia, which ended in early October. The training, conducted in collaboration with SMART Partnership, focused on the configuration, adaptation and implementation of this technological tool for measuring trends in wildlife populations and improving the management of species and natural areas. And, as the reactions of around 20 participants from 12 countries show: It will take their work at home to a new level.
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The 2025 International Ranger Awards are open for nominations till 31st January 2025. Awardees will be announced during the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress from 9 to 15 October 2025 in Abu Dhabi. Prizes ranging from US$25,000 to US$10,000 will be awarded to the winners to support the protected areas in which they work, as well as a personalised uniform badge. The prize money can be used to purchase supplies or equipment, for training, to support the family of a deceased ranger or for other ranger welfare activities.The International Ranger Award by IUCN and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas aims to recognise all types of rangers including Indigenous, community, and volunteer rangers, regardless of duties, gender, ethnicity, or geographic location.
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You are a young ranger or conservationist and would love to contribute to a future of nature conservation and protected areas that meets current needs as well as those of the next generation? Then get ready to hand in your application as the next Youth Representative in the Europarc Council!You should be between 23 and 28 years of age on the 1st January 2025, involved in a Protected Area which is a member of the Europarc Federation, committed to join the Europarc Youth Council and support the needs of young professionals and stakeholders in the network. And, finally, interested to represent youth interests as a coopted member of the Europarc Council for at least 2 years. Application deadline has been extended to 1st of November, but will also be accepted over the weekend!
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Save the Date: We are excited to share our provisional date and venue for the next European Ranger Congress with you!
- 6 to 10 October 2025
- in Brașov County, Romania, in immediate vicinity of Piatra Craiului National Park (see photo)
Expressions of Interest are open now: For our planning, we ask all interested parties to fill in this form and spread it largely to your fellow rangers! Deadline for all EOIs is 15 November 24.
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This newsletter didn't reach you directly by mail? Register now to be informed conveniently in time about news, trainings, interviews and reports for and about Europe's rangers – and share the registration link with your fellow rangers.
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