02/03/2018
Did you know Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was established more than 100 years ago?
Itâs , Monday, July 31 which recognizes park rangers worldwide as the protectors of the worldâs most valued and protected areas.
At the World Ranger Congress 2006 in Scotland, International Ranger Foundation delegates decided that July 31 of each year, beginning in 2007, would be a day dedicated to world rangers. The first World Ranger Day fell on the 15th anniversary of the founding of IRF on July 31, 1992.
In 1872, Yellowstone National Park became the worldâs first federally designated national park. Since then, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, over 100,000 protected areas, representing more than 10% of the earthâs landmass, have been established around the world.
Tomorrow, August 1, marks the 101st anniversary of Hawaiâi Volcanoes National Park and we officially step into the next century of stewarding and protecting this amazing 333,086-acre landscape which protects two of the worldâs most active volcanoes: Mauna Loa and KÄ«lauea, the Hawaiian culture so closely connected to the âÄina (land), and the plants and animals that live here. In 1987, the park was recognized for its outstanding universal values and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The English word ârangerâ reflects the guardians of the Royal Forests in 14th century England, protecting the Kingâs lands from poachers. Today, rangers in protected areas throughout the world continue this role for the public. Rangers are the key force protecting these resources from impairment. They do this through law enforcement, environmental education, community relations, fighting fires, conducting search and rescues, and in many other ways.
(Kudos to Rocky Mountain National Park for the !)
NPS Photo/Janice Wei