World Commission on Protected Areas

IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award

Developed through a collaboration between the IUCN WCPA, the International Ranger Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation, and Conservation Allies, these awards, created in 2020, aim to highlight and felicitate the extraordinary work that rangers do in protected and conserved areas worldwide.
IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award 2021 Winners

IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award 2021 Winners

Photo: IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas

The 2021 International Ranger Awards have been announced here!

Read the full citations of all the winners here.

Winners of the IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award will receive a unique uniform patch along with a US$10,000 for their associated organisation to support their work. This can include purchasing essential supplies or equipment, providing training, providing insurance, supporting the family of a deceased ranger, or other ranger welfare activities.

These new awards, instituted in 2020, complement the existing and ongoing range of awards offered to rangers around the world, including the The IRF/IUCN Young Conservationist Award, The IRF Lifetime Achievement Award, The Dr Jane Goodall Hope and Inspiration Ranger Award and The IRF President’s Award.

Catch up on the 2021 award ceremony here!

Eligibility

1. Nominees must be protected or conserved area rangers (individuals/teams) and residents of the country where they are working.

2. The awards are designed to recognise the wide diversity of rangers around the world. Our working definition of a ranger is:

  • Any mandated person working at the site-level as a custodian of species, habitats, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Rangers conserve terrestrial and marine protected and conserved areas, whether state, regional, communal, indigenous, or privately managed, in line with legal and institutional frameworks. Their work may combine various roles, including:

    • conserving and restoring protected and conserved areas
    • maintaining area integrity and rule of law
    • developing and maintaining trusting and respectful relationships with communities and stakeholders
    • engaging and supporting local communities
    • addressing human-wildlife interactions
    • monitoring wildlife and habitats
    • assisting and supporting visitor activities
    • providing education and awareness

3. Eligible rangers/teams must be working in a recognised protected or conserved area either as employees or as part of a recognised ranger team (including formally established voluntary, community, and indigenous teams).

4. Team nominations should preferably be for distinct, identifiable teams or units whose members have together made specific achievements. Generic nominations for the entire ranger force of a large protected area will not typically be considered.

5. Rangers are also eligible who have been killed, seriously injured, or disabled during the course of their work within 12 months of the nomination.

6. Awards are open to all rangers based on the definition above. We encourage nominations that reflect the full diversity of rangers and of ranger work around the world. We welcome nominations for female-identifying rangers, for rangers from Indigenous and local communities, and for rangers from minority and disadvantaged groups.

7. All nominations must include details of a recognised organisation able to transparently receive, distribute, administer, and account for the award funds on behalf of the winners. Examples include IUCN member organisations, recognised ranger associations, and registered NGOs.

Award Criteria

The criteria for the awards include, but are not limited to:

  • Exceptional personal commitment and dedication to a recognised protected or conserved area;
  • Outstanding service to or by local communities when resolving threats affecting protected or conserved areas;
  • Valour in the face of overwhelming challenges or grave threats;
  • Demonstrated exceptional impact of the nominees’ contribution;
  • Outstanding leadership to resolve extraordinary situations or crises.

How to nominate:

Nominations must come from IUCN Member organisations, WCPA members, or International Ranger Federation member associations. No self-nominations will be accepted.

To nominate a ranger or team, please fill out the nomination form in English, French, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Please note that all nominations must include details of a recognised organisation able to transparently receive, distribute, administer, and account for the award funds. This could, for example, be an NGO, a ranger association, or an IUCN office.

Selection Process and Committee:

  • All nominations will first be considered based on eligibility and the award criteria. A shortlist will be identified and nominators of those on the shortlist may be contacted for further details. The shortlist will then be reviewed and narrowed down to 10 winners by a judging panel comprising representatives of the supporting organisations
  • The judging panel will seek to ensure, to the extent possible, that the awardees reflect a wide diversity of rangers.

Timeline

Nominations are open from 17 November 2020 to 31 December 2020, after which no more applications will be accepted. Awards will be announced in early 2021.

If you have any questions regarding the awards, please contact tcunningham@globalwildlife.org.

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