Their work varies widely, from conserving and protecting natural and cultural values to enforcing laws, maintaining a safe environment for communities and wildlife, managing visitors, developing trusting relationships with key stakeholders, empowering and supporting indigenous peoples and local communities, providing education and awareness, and conducting monitoring and research.

A healthy future for nature and people depends on rangers. Responsible rangers protect nature and safeguard the rights of people whose lives and cultures are inseparable from nature.

Supporting Rangers

Despite their invaluable role, the ranger sector is relatively unrecognized and often neglected. A 2019 global survey  of more than 7,000 rangers revealed that many are underpaid, inadequately trained and equipped, with sub-standard working conditions. Many get sick, are injured or killed, and many simply cannot afford to continue as rangers.

Rangers know better than anyone what they need to do their jobs well. At the 2019 World Congress in Nepal, more than 550 Rangers from 70 countries agreed to the Chitwan Declaration , which sets out a detailed list of needs and priorities for rangers. In response, eight international conservation organisations formed the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA) to help implement the Declaration and address the issues and obstacles which rangers face.

URSA supports rangers, as represented by the International Ranger Federation and the myriad of regional and national ranger associations. URSA aims to strengthen ranger representation, advocate for the importance of the sector, and develop policies, resources, and standards that build an effective, accountable and equitable ranger workforce.