SMART Training for Rangers
2024-09-29 - 2024-10-05 | Congress Centre of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Ohrid, North Macedonia
We are pleased to invite you as rangers and conservation managers of our member organisations to our training on the Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool (SMART) in cooperation with the SMART Partnership in North Macedonia. The five days of training will train you in using this technology for wildlife monitoring and reporting according to your experience.

Goals of the training:

Building up ranger & conservation capacity through lectures, case studies and practical field exercises
Growing the global network of SMART conservation experts for exchange of knowledge and experience

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

LEARN MORE ABOUT SMART HERE

Arrival Day: 29 September 2024
Training Days: 30 September to 4 October 2024
Departure Day: 5 October 2024
Venue & Accommodation: Congress Centre of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Ohrid, North Macedonia
Arrival/Departure: To get to the accommodation on 29 September and back on 4 October, a shuttle will be provided from/to Skopje
Course Fee: 100,- Euro (incl. accommodation, meals, transfer from/to Skopje and training fee)
Language: English
Further Requirements: basic computer literacy & completion of an online pre-training course (40 h)

IRF World Ranger Congress 2024 in France
2024-10-07 - 2024-10-11 | Belambra Business Club on Giens Peninsula, Hyères, Presqu'Ile de Giens 406 avenue de l'Esterel 83400 Hyères-les-Palmiers, Hyères, 83400, Frankreich
IRF and Gardes Nature de France will be hosting the 10th World Ranger Congress on the topic “Empowering Rangers Globally to meet the 30 x 30 Challenge”.
The WRC will take place in Hyères, France, hosted by Gardes Nature de France (GNF).

PLEASE NOTE: Maximum Capacity has been reached, registration is closed. Read IRF note on this.

INTERNATIONAL RANGER FEDERATION ELECTIONS 2024
Elections of the IRF Board will take place on the last day of the congress. Details are to be found here.

WORLD RANGER CONGRESS DECLARATION
Informations of the process for the declaration of the 10th World Ranger Congress can be found here.

THIS WAY TO THE CONGRESS WEBSITE

Read Interview with Carole D’Antuoni, president of Gardes Nature de France

2025 International Ranger Awards
2024-10-11 - 2025-02-10
📢 Nominations extended by popular demand!
IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award deadline now is Monday, 10 February 2025 at 23:59 GMT-5 – More time to honour conservation champions, so get your nominations in!

Hosted by IUCN and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, in collaboration with the International Ranger Federation, Conservation Allies, Universal Ranger Support Alliance, and IUCN-US, the International Ranger Awards officially recognize rangers and ranger teams who overcome challenges to protect wildlife each year.

The Awards’ objectives are to:

Recognise the courageous and selfless activities of rangers across the planet (all countries) who face challenges and risks to help preserve our planet
Motivate rangers to showcase their effort to protect wildlife and natural resources
Raise awareness about the critical role and dedication of rangers in conservation
Share real-life stories
Provide award recipients with tangible benefits that will aid and support their work

The upcoming 2025 International Ranger Awards are open for nominations from 11th October 2024 through 10th February 2025 (extended deadline).
Awardees will be announced during the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi (October 9 – 15, 2025).
Winners will receive awards ranging from $25,000 to $10,000 to support the protected and conserved areas where they work, and a custom uniform patch to signify their achievement.
Award funds can be used towards purchasing essential supplies or equipment, providing training, supporting the family of a deceased ranger, or other ranger welfare activities.
The International Ranger Award aims to recognize all types of rangers including Indigenous, community, and volunteer rangers as well as those employed in protected and conserved areas. Nominations are encouraged regardless of duties, gender, ethnicity, or geographic location.

To nominate a ranger or a ranger team:

review Eligibility and Selection Criteria
Register at ranger.awardsplatform.com
Fill in and submit the form.

Further information
Please check this link of the Ranger Award co-operation partner International Ranger Federation for more information: https://www.internationalrangers.org/international-ranger-awards/

COP16 Livestream: Resourcing rangers and the site-based workforce for 30×30
2024-10-28 18:30 - 19:30 (Europe/Paris)
Please note this event of the COP16 conference in Cali, Colombia, promoting rangers’ role for the protection of 30 percent of the planet by 2030.
LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE, starting at 6.30 pm CET (12.30 GMT -6):
https://iucn.org/cbdcop16live

29th Memorial Danilo Re 2025 – for Alpine Protected Area Professionals
2025-01-16 - 2025-01-19 | Swiss National Park, Switzerland
To all rangers working in Alpine Protected Areas, please note this announcement of The Alpine Network of Protected Areas:

The 29th edition of the Memorial Danilo Re will be hosted by the Swiss National Park and takes place from January 16th to January 19th 2025.
For many years now, the annual Memorial Danilo Re provides a major opportunity for all those working in Alpine Protected Areas to get acquainted with one another, in particular those in the field, carrying out surveillance, facilitation and fact-finding missions.
The event comprises a

sports competition (known as “The Danilo Re Trophy”),
a theme-based seminar
and a range of other activities for all participants to enjoy together.

Find the detailled programme here.
For registration click here.

About Danilo Re
The “Danilo Re Memorial” is dedicated to a ranger of the province of Cuneo (Piemont, Italy) who died during his service in 1995. For many years, this is the occasion for the agents of the protected areas to meet.

EUROPARC Webinar: Rewilding Principles in Protected Areas
2025-01-29 11:00 - 12:15
EUROPARC Federation and Rewilding Europe offer a joint webinar showcasing Rewilding principles in Ķemeri National Park, Latvia.
During this webinar, participants will be able to hear from Julia Mata, coordinator of the European Rewilding Network. Discover how Rewilding Principles can enhance nature restoration and conservation in Protected Areas, and explore Rewilding Europe’s role in driving these initiatives.
Additionally, the webinar will feature a case study from Ķemeri National Park in Latvia. Agnese Balandina, Manager of the Kemeri National Park Nature Centre of the Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia and Andis Liepa, Chairman of the Board of Ķemeri National Park Foundation, will showcase over 20 years of wetland restoration and natural grazing practices, supported by Rewilding Principles. Learn how herds of Heck Cattle and Konik Polski horses have shaped the landscape, fostering vibrant, self-regulating habitats.
After the presentations, there will be time for discussion and questions.
This free webinar is open to everyone – just register here:

REGISTRATION

Rewilding Europe Webinar: Rewilding Score – a tool for measuring ecological integrity
2025-01-29 12:30 - 13:30
How does one measure rewilding progress? Rewilding Europe is organizing a webinar on the rewilding score, an innovative way to monitor the change of an area towards rewilding goals.
The score looks at human inputs and ecological integrity through a variety of indicators, helping practitioners pinpoint what aspects of their area are becoming wilder and which need more attention. It is therefore a valuable tool to develop a long-term rewilding vision and short-term goals for a specific area.
The webinar is aimed at present and future rewilding practitioners that want to get more clarity on this process, including students that want to get familiar with the topic to get more active in rewilding.
The speakers will be Theresa Stratmann, Monitoring & Research Manager at Rewilding Europe, who will present the foundations of the rewilding score and Georg Messerer, rewilder and European Young Rewilder (EYR) member who will share his experience with doing rewilding scores in German national parks during his studies.
As a participant, you will get an overview about the concept, the basics of how it is done, and hear about some practical applications. There will be plenty of time to answer questions or discuss points of interest.

REGISTER HERE

XXIV Portuguese Park Ranger Meeting
2025-01-30 - 2025-02-02 | Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marshland Nature Reserve, Castro Marim, 8950, Portugal
The Portuguese rangers are inviting the international ranger community to their XXIV Portuguese Park Ranger Meeting:

The “APGVN Meeting” will include the XVIII Technical Conference under the theme “Biodiversity Without Borders” with the aim of seeking solutions for the balance and functioning of natural environments.

Please find the programme, registration and all further details here:
apgvn.pt/en-home/

Please note:
There will be a simultaneous translation into Portuguese, English and Spanish throughout the meeting.
Participants must have a mobile phone and respective headphones to make use of it.

If you have any questions, please contact vigilantesnatureza@gmail.com

Submit your Ranger Video 📢
2025-02-14 - 2025-04-11
Rangers matter! This applies to so many areas in species and habitat conservation, in environmental education, in contact and involvement of local communities, for example through volunteer and junior ranger programmes, in disaster relief, against poaching …

It is extremely important to keep the role of rangers in the public eye and to emphasise the fantastic work they do. Informed and aware in this way, conservation decision makers will have the best opportunity to support rangers.

That is why rangers urgently need to become more visible.
Giving Europe’s rangers a face and a voice: that’s what we, together with the Thin Green Line Foundation UK and our member, the Countryside Management Association, want to push with this call for ranger videos!
***

And for this we need you:

Send us a video recorded with mobile phone that we can share on our channels. In it you should answer these questions:

What is your name, country and the protected or natural area you work in?
What is most special feature / natural heritage / species / habitat of the landscape you are protecting?
Which is your biggest challenge as a ranger?

Requirements
Please stand in front of your mobile camera and read the questions out loud before answering them. The video should not be longer than 2 minutes in total and should be recorded in landscape format.

Make sure that no background noises such as wind or water noise interfere with the sound.

Deadline & Transfer
We kindly ask you to submit your videos by using this upload link, adding it to our Drive-Folder or sending a download link to press@europeanrangers.org. Deadline is extended until 11 April!

Please note: By sending the video, you agree that we may use it on our channels and those of our current and future partners for an unlimited period of time. We also cannot guarantee publication; in particular regarding audio and image quality.

Please share this call widely with your fellow rangers – thank you!

Looking forward to your videos and providing a strong platform for the European rangers

Your ERF team

Bundesverband Naturwacht – National Conference 2025
2025-03-12 - 2025-03-14 | Biosphere Reserve Rhön, Hessen Hotelpark Hohenroda, Schwarzengrunder Str. 9a, Hohenroda, Hessen, 36284, Germany
The German ranger association “Bundesverband Naturwacht” invites to its 30th national conference in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve.

From 12 to 14 March 2025 on the topic
Rangers – Networked in the region
Best practice examples from the Rhön
Registration under this link

All information can be found here (in German):
www.bundesverband-naturwacht.de/bundestagung-2025/

Please note: hotel reservation deadline is 15. January!

Header photo: Red Moor in the Hessian Rhön, Germany: one of the excursion destinations at the conference of Bundesverband Naturwacht

Join Webinar & Add Your Event for Rewilding Day
2025-03-20
Please see this call from Rewilding Europe that we are happy to share:
___

On March 20, we’ll be celebrating World Rewilding Day! This year’s theme, #RewildingTogether, is a perfect opportunity to showcase how rewilding connects people and nature, creating thriving landscapes and communities.

+++

You could join World Rewilding Day Webinar:
Date: March 20
Time: 15:00 CET
Where: Online (Zoom)
More information & registration: https://rewildingeurope.com/world-rewilding-day/webinar-thriving-together/

+++
Or get involved with your own activities: https://rewildingeurope.com/world-rewilding-day/

On this website, you can:
* Learn more about rewilding and World Rewilding Day
* Access resources like social media cards, posters, and a rewilding playlist
* Discover ways to get involved
* Submit an event you’re organising
* See how others across Europe are celebrating!

We encourage you to organise an event, big or small! Whether it’s a video screening, local gathering, field trip, or something unique to your work, every action helps spread the message of rewilding.

A map on our website will soon showcase all your events, highlighting how World Rewilding Day is being celebrated across the continent. To put your event on the map, simply click on Submit your event on our webpage and we make sure it gets added! This will help boost visibility for both your event and your organisation.

Young Professionals Scholarship – Call for Applications
2025-05-05 - 2025-06-15
EUROPARC Scholarship for Young Professionals
This year the EUROPARC Federation, with support from the EU LIFE Programme, will award two Young Professional Scholarship Awards to promising young conservationists, who are committed to working for the benefit of Protected Areas. The aim of the scholarships is to enhance international cooperation and to advance the quality, innovation and European dimension of Protected Area management.
What is it?
The EUROPARC Scholarship for Young Professionals offers early-career conservationists the opportunity to undertake a self-organised study visit to two or more Protected Areas in 2026 in at least one country outside of their country of residence. Funded by the programme, the visit will focus on exploring a specific management theme, enabling recipients to gain practical insights and share knowledge across Protected Area networks.
Applicants must:

be 18 – 34 years of age by the 1st of October 2025
reside in a European country (see the list of countries from the Council of Europe)
be employed by a Protected Area or nature conservation organisation or be employed by an organisation that delivers its work in Protected Areas

Applications for study visits to prepare, or be any part of the delivery of master or doctoral thesis will not be considered.
Study visit topics
The themes for the current call are:

Nature restoration
Visitor management
Health and wellbeing

Applicants are encouraged to look at the interlinkages of nature and society.
All the details
… can be found here: https://www.europarc.org/yp-scholarship/

World Female Ranger Week – Share your statement!
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-30
World Female Ranger Week, initiated by the NGO & ERF member How Many Elephants, was launched to support female rangers globally.
Also this year’s World Female Ranger Week from 23 to 30 June 2025 celebrates and supports female rangers around the world as gamechangers and pioneers for women to stand alongside men at the forefront of conservation.
But they need allies: Join us to make a difference and share your thoughts on women in the ranger profession!

How to contribute
We, the European Ranger Federation, as supporters of the World Female Ranger Week ask all rangers – be it female or male rangers – to share their thoughts on women in the ranger profession.
Send us your statement and photo/video to share it on our channels via this form:
https://forms.gle/a7Kw4pCFv3wMhxv29

How it works

We will publish them according to the topics for each day of this year’s female ranger week:

Day 1: (June 23) Why Women? Why Now?
Day 2: Skills & Innovation
Day 3: The Impact of Female Rangers
Day 4: Leadership
Day 5: Success Stories
Day 6: Challenges & Solutions
Day 7: Female Empowerment

Please note: Publication is not guaranteed, especially regarding the quality of photo/video material. Statements and photo/video material might also be shared on the channels of IRF and howmanyelephants.org.

Deadline
Please make sure your statements, photos/videos are with us until 18 June 2025.

Rewilding Webinar: Implementing Nature Restoration Law
2025-06-24 13:00 - 14:00
Rewilding Europe is inviting to a special webinar, hosted by Rewilding Europe on behalf of the European Rewilding Coalition:
Implementing the Nature Restoration Law through Rewilding.
The EU Nature Restoration Law marks a turning point for large-scale nature recovery in Europe. But what does this mean for rewilding in practice, across landscapes, within national policy plans, and at local level?
Join us to explore how this legal framework opens up space for rewilding, and what it could mean for you.
Whether you are working on the ground, building rewilding capacity, or advocating for change, this webinar will give you a deeper understanding of how the Nature Restoration Law can support your efforts.
The webinar is free and open to all – you are welcome to share this invitation with others who might be interested!
Webinar details:
Title: Implementing the Nature Restoration Law through Rewilding
Date: Tuesday 24 June 2025
Time: 13:00 – 14:00 CEST
Registration: Click here to register.
What to expect:

Legal context

Arie Trouwborst, Professor of Nature Conservation Law at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, explains how the law creates new legal opportunities for rewilding.

Practical tools and guidance

Giulia Testa, Upscaling Manager at Rewilding Europe, presents the Practical Guide on integrating rewilding into the National Restoration Plans.

Local case study: Velebit Mountains in Croatia

Marija Krnjajić, team leader at Rewilding Velebit, and Matko Bišćan, Senior Project Manager for Nature & Environmental Protection (Ecology) at Institute of Environmental Protection & Energy, share real life experiences from Croatia.
The webinar will be hosted and moderated by Amy Duthie, Head of Upscaling at Rewilding Europe.

Rangers: Powering Transformative Conservation – IRF Webinar
2025-07-31 10:00 - 11:30
Please see this webinar offer from the International Ranger Federation (IRF): “This World Ranger Day, we celebrate the brave men and women who protect our wildlife and wild places. From managing protected areas to responding to disasters and building community trust, rangers power transformative conservation efforts across Asia and beyond.
This webinar aims to amplify rangers’ voices, recognise their diverse and evolving roles, and reaffirm the urgent call for greater protection, recognition, and investment in their wellbeing and professional growth.
🗓️ Date: 31 July 2025 (Thursday)
🕓 Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (Indian Standard Time); 10:00 AM – 11:30 PM (Central European Summer Time)
💻 Platform: Zoom
Hear inspiring stories directly from rangers, reflect on their challenges, and honour the heroes.”

🔗 Registration link
🎥 Livestream on the IRF Facebook page

Celebrating Women Rangers: Contributions, Challenges, and the Way Forward – IRF Webinar
2025-07-31 12:30 - 13:30
We are happy to present another IRF webinar offer:
“On World Ranger Day 2025, join us in honoring and celebrating women rangers — their contributions, the challenges they overcome, and the way forward for building more inclusive and resilient conservation leadership.
Women rangers play a vital role as biodiversity defenders, community builders, and agents of change on the frontlines. Despite facing unique barriers, they continue to inspire and lead efforts to protect our shared natural heritage.”
🗓️ Date: 31 July 2025 (Thursday)
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Indian Standard Time); 12:30 – 13:30 PM (Central European Summer Time)
💻 Platform: Zoom
🔗 Registration link

Re-Elections for the ERF Executive Committee
2025-08-09 - 2025-09-09
The candidate application process is open for members* to apply for any one of the six positions which make up the ERF Elected Executive Committee (EEC).

Role descriptions for each position:

Positions Open for Election and their job descriptions (linked):
 ERF President
 ERF Vice President
 ERF Financial Officer
 ERF Secretary
 ERF Training Officer
 ERF Project Officer

Please note that for total transparency during the election process, the following EEC
Members will either be standing again for their existing position, applying for another role
within the EEC, or standing down:
Ilan Yeger – currently Vice President will be standing for President
Lars Scharfe – IRF Regional Representative will be standing for Vice President
Michael Grossman – currently Financial Officer will be standing down
Maria Gurscaia – currently Secretary will be standing for Secretary
Borja Diaz – currently Training Officer will be standing for Training Officer
Adam J Norton Turner – currently Project Officer will be standing down

Candidate Nomination Process:
To apply for any of the positions please use the online candidate application form.

Election Timeline:
Note to Voting Associations – please contact the Election Committee directly by email (erc25elections@europeanrangers.org) as soon as possible and before the opening deadline, if your nominated Association contact (the person who receives the general ERF mailings), is not available to receive the Electronic Voting Link. This person must be available to vote online on behalf of your Association during the voting period (see below). Voting links cannot be transferred to someone else once they have been sent out!

Voting Opens: 2nd October 2025
Voting Closes: 9th October 2025
Voting Method: Electronic voting (details will be shared with Regular ERF Member Ranger Associations in due course)

The results of the elections will be announced at the European Ranger Congress on Thursday 9th October 2025 and the newly Elected Executive Committee will be formally introduced during the Congress. However, in the case of a tie for any position, a second ballot will be run as soon as possible afterwards, which may delay the formal introduction of those specific EEC positions.

If you are passionate about the ranger movement and committed to contributing to its growth and unity across Europe, we encourage you to consider standing.

*ERF Candidate Eligibility Criteria: (as set out in the ERF Guideline Election Regulations)

The candidate must be a current or former ranger and must be a member of an association in good standing and listed on the Final Electoral Register. See Executive Committee & Election Process – European Ranger Federation.
Candidates may be nominated by representatives of Regular Member Associations included in the Final Electoral Register.
Those interested in standing must submit their candidate application to the Electoral Committee within the nomination period below, including a letter of motivation, a photograph and the official endorsement from their Association.

6th European Ranger Congress
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-10 | Resort Cheile Grădiștei, Brașov county, România, Brasov County, Romania
We are excited to welcome more than 260 rangers and conservationists with close relations to ranger work to our 6th European Ranger Congress (ERC) from 6 to 10 October 2025 in Romania, hosted in cooperation with the Romanian Ranger Association (ARR) and Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) in the immediate vicinity of Piatra Craiului National Park. Its theme will be

“Rangers – the Voice of Nature
Building a Bridge between Local Communities and Nature Conservation”

To be informed about all details of the 6th European Ranger Congress, please visit the congress website, set up by FCC: europeanrangercongress.europeanrangers.org/

HELP US HELPING RANGERS WITH THE 6TH ERC RANGER COIN
Buy a memory of the 6th ERC and support other rangers with the 6th ERC Ranger Coin at the same time!

REVISION OF ERF STATUTES
See the proposed update of the ERF Statutes to be discussed at the General Assembly here.

SOLIDARITY RAFFLE
During the congress, we will be holding a solidarity raffle in aid of the Thin Green Line Foundation (TGLF). The raffle will feature donated items and experiences. All proceeds will go directly to TGLF projects supporting rangers worldwide. There will also be special prizes funded by the congress budget and partners (not from raffle proceeds). This time, the solidarity raffle also offers a special Mystery Prize, which is the result of collaboration between the European Ranger Federation and the Latin American Ranger Federation. So, stay tuned and find out more on our channels soon!

IUCN World Conservation Congress
2025-10-09 - 2025-10-15 | Abu Dhabi
The IUCN World Conservation Congress will tackle five critical themes, each driving the bold, transformative change needed to secure a sustainable future for both nature and humanity:

Scaling Up Resilient Conservation Action
Reducing Climate Overshoot Risks
Delivering on Equity
Transitioning to Nature-Positive Economies and Societies
Disruptive Innovation and Leadership for Conservation

IUCN is committed to making the Congress as accessible as possible by offering a two-tiered fee structure. Lower registration fees are available for participants from Low- and Middle-Income countries (as per the World Bank Classification) and for young professionals and youth.
To participate in the IUCN Congress 2025, participants can choose between two registration formats:
In-person registration and Virtual-only registration.
More details and registration here.

LAUNCH OF IUCN REWILDING GUIDELINES
The congress will also stage the launch of the first-ever IUCN Rewilding Guidelines after this webinar (exclusively for participants):
Transforming Rewilding: Guidelines for Resilient Conservation and Nature-Positive Economies
According to Rewilding Europe, that has contributed to these guidelines, this launch will be an important step for rewilding at a global level.

Webinar: Assessing Social Outcomes of Nature Protection and Restoration Projects
2025-10-21 - 2026-10-21
The EUROPARC Federation and the University of Warwick launched the SOCIAT Training Course. It is aimed at conservation practitioners such as rangers to help them assess social outcomes of nature protection and restoration projects.
SOCIAT survey is a structured questionnaire providing evidence-based insights to:
✅ Black Forest National Park (Schwarzwald) in Germany
✅ Triglav National Park in Slovenia
✅ Sighișoara-Târnava Mare Natura 2000 protected area in Romania
The course provides a step-by-step guidance on the application process, explanations of the indicators, and standards for analysing the collected social data.
Designed for Protected Areas practitioners – guides, rangers, managers, technical staff and NGOs – this training helps ensure that community voices are part of conservation decisions.
All lessons and quizzes of this online self-paced course are in English, and the only requirement is that participants should be involved in conservation initiatives.
https://www.europeannatureacademy.com/course/sociat-training

Webinar: Rewilding & Tourism
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:15
Join Rewilding Europe’s webinar to explore how tourism can strengthen rewilding and discover inspiring examples from across Europe.
This webinar is free and open for everyone! Register here
Tourism can be an important tool to help rewilding initiatives become financially resilient, while also inspiring and engaging people with nature.
In this open webinar, you will hear from rewilding practitioners who are already integrating tourism into their rewilding work. They will share practical experiences, challenges, and lessons learned on how tourism can create added value for nature, local communities, and visitors alike.
Alongside their stories, Rewilding Europe will share perspectives on tourism as part of its wider work to support rewilding initiatives across Europe.

Programme highlights:

Insights from Rewilding Europe on tourism and financial resilience
Presentations from three members of the European Rewilding Network on their tourism work
Q&A session moderated by Andrea Gay, Enterprise Manager at Rewilding Europe

Why join?

Learn from concrete examples of rewilding and tourism in practice
Get inspired to think about tourism as a tool for scaling up rewilding
