Intercultural exchange project receives award from the International Ranger Federation
The exchange programme between German and Israeli rangers has been running since 2017 and is increasingly developing into a successful project that brings people together. The 9th World Ranger Congress took place from November 11-16 in the Nepalese Chitwan National Park. Under the title “Twinningproject- Winning project” the ranger exchange between Israel and Germany was presented by Ilan Yeger (Israel) and Urs Reif (Germany).
To the surprise and great pleasure of the project partners, the president of the International Ranger Federation IRF, Sean Willmore, underlined and confirmed the chosen title of the lecture by presenting the “President Award”. Two projects to be highlighted from the perspective of the International Ranger Federation were awarded on this occasion.
In the first project, indigenous volunteer rangers are successfully integrated into the management of the protected areas in remote Amazon regions. The second project was awarded mainly because of its exemplary far-reaching effect in bringing people together between Germany and Israel.Thus the circle of the joint exchange project closes: On the World Ranger Congress 2016 in Colorado, USA the idea of a contins ranger exchange was born and at the following World Ranger Congress 2019 in Chitwan, Nepal, the award was presented to the now successfully established project.
“We are even more thankful for the support”
For the ranger associations involved, as well as for the project partners from the Brandenburg Ranger Service and the Bavarian Forest and Black Forest National Parks, the award is a confirmation and important support of the project, which has been carried forward with great dedication. “In a structured and hierarchical working environment, it is often difficult in Israel and Germany to enable the employees in the area – i.e. the normal rangers – to engage in international exchange. We are even more thankful for the support we received from the award ceremony, but also from the managements of our protected areas, who have supported the project from the very beginning and made the exchange possible despite all the formalities”, Urs Reif is pleased to say. “For us, mutual support and further education is the main focus. Nature knows no boundaries, similar to the everyday work of rangers”, adds Michael Großmann, head ranger in the Bavarian Forest National Park. “Our international professional exchange provides new perspectives and shows the important role of rangers in the joint efforts to protect and conserve global biodiversity”, adds Ilan Yeger from the National Park Authority of Israel.