Regular readers of our Global Connections newsletter will be familiar with work we’ve done with the global ranger community. Last week, I again had the opportunity to present with Pete Cleary of the ARCV, this time at the Oceania Ranger Forum in Rotorua, New Zealand. The forum was inspiring and a very significant cultural experience. There is something about rangers and the passion they have for their work and our planet that draws you in.
At this gathering there were 180 rangers from Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific island nations. Many of the rangers from smaller countries do their work voluntarily, with little in the way of government-led conservation work in place.
Pete and I ran a session entitled ‘Emotionally Healthy Rangers’, during which we introduced a special edition of our ‘Emotional Health and Leadership’ booklet that includes quotes from a number of emotionally healthy rangers and former rangers in Australia and around the world. A copy of this booklet is available for download via this link.
While in New Zealand, I met an amazing person in ranger Amanda Dudgeon. Amanda is currently undertaking a huge journey in support of the Thin Green Line Foundation called, appropriately, ‘Walking the Thin Green Line Oceania‘. Between World Ranger Day 2022 (which was on July 31) and World Ranger Day 2023 in July next year, Amanda will walk, drive and fly over 30,000 kilometres across Australia, New Zealand and several other Oceanic countries. All the while she’ll be meeting other rangers, promoting the important roles rangers play, honouring fallen rangers and raising funds for the Thin Green Line Foundation in their mission to ‘protect nature’s protectors’.
Learn more about Amanda’s journey on the website here where there is also a live tracking map. She can also be followed on Instagram @walkingthethingreenline.
Gayle
Main image by Amanda Dudgeon
