RMRA joins the IRF

The Rocky Mountain Ranger Association was granted provisional membership in the International Ranger Association (IRF) in December. This means that all members of RMRA are also members of the IRF!

The IRF was founded in 1992 in United Kingdom. The founding members included rangers from Scotland, Wales, England, and the United States. Today, the IRF is composed of 65 ranger associations from around the world working to provide a global forum for rangers to share successes and challenges in protecting the world’s natural heritage and to provide support to rangers in countries where resource protection is less supported.

The IRF provides international ranger awards recognizing the remarkable work rangers are doing in protected and conserved areas around the world. Supported by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, these awards are intended to improve rangers’ capabilities globally and raise awareness about the critical role rangers play in protecting the world’s natural and cultural resources. The IRF also honors and celebrates the lives of rangers annually as part of World Ranger Day (celebrated July 31). Just a few weeks ago, 6 park rangers were killed in an attack at the famous Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Theses rangers and, unfortunately, many others will be celebrated and remembered by the IRF and its members on World Ranger Day in July.

Members of the IRF receive a quarterly newsletter published in English, French, and Spanish and are invited to the World Ranger Congress.