World Ranger Day
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The Thin Green Line protecting our wild places.
Today (July 31st) is World Ranger Day.
For most of us, Park Rangers and Conservation officers are the people who tell us what we can't do, check our fishing licenses, close parks at night, and talk to us about wildlife and ecosystems while on school field trips.
However, those who man the "Thin Green Line", as filmmaker and conservationist Sean Willmore describes them, are so much more than that. These men and women are law enforcement officers, environmentalists, historians, and guides to worlds most of us know little about.
While violent deaths of Rangers in the U.S. are thankfully rare, they’re not unheard of. For example, In 2012, U.S. Park Ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was in her 11th year of service when she was gunned down in Mount Rainier National Park while attempting to stop a fleeing suspect (who, though unknown to Rangers at the time, was also a suspect in a mass shooting incident at a New Years Eve party in Seattle the night before).
Worldwide this is a much larger issue. Over the last 10 years over 1000 Rangers lost their lives protecting wildlife and national resources across the globe, many murdered by poachers.
Today we honor the Rangers lost in the line of duty all over the world as well as the families they left behind.
For a better understanding of the risks these professionals face worldwide, consider watching former Australian Ranger Sean Willmore’s documentary "The Thin Green Line".
Also, please consider supporting The Thin Green Line Foundation and the International Ranger Federation (IRF) in their efforts to better protect Rangers, as well as support the families of the fallen.
#WorldRangerDay #ParkRangers #ConservationOfficers #Conservation #Parks #Wildlife #TheThinGreenLine