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To raise funds to support the conservation work of the Forest Guards of Timor-Leste's only National Park, Tasmanian rangers will be venturing over 500km down the length of lutruwita/Tasmania.
What is the Tasmanian Ranger Relay?
Members of the Tasmanian Rangers Association will be trekking, cycling and kayaking over 500km from the north to the south of Tasmania, starting at Penguin on October 9th and ending a month later at Cockle Creek. This relay will involve members swapping in and out of the journey, through whatever weather spring on the island throws at us, and documenting it all through a live GPS tracker, social media and a writer from Australian Geographic.
All of this will be to raise much-needed funds for our fellow protected area managers in Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste is one of our closest neighbours (barely more than the length of the Ranger Relay from Darwin!), and Australia has led international support for the country up to and since their independence in 2002. Nino Konis Santana National Park is their first National Park, and protected by a mere seven Forest Guards, and seven Marine Guards! The Forest Guards have ancient motorcycles that are proving inadequate for patrolling and working in the Park.
Through Conservation International and the Thin Green Line, NGOs which advocate for and assist protected area management around the world, the Tasmanian Rangers Association will be raising funds for vital gear. Equipment such as bikes and backpacks will enable the Forest Guard to continue to protect the most significant biodiversity in the young country.
Why
To raise funds to purchase equipment for Rangers at Nino Konis Santana National Park in Timor-Leste. We are aiming to raise $25 000 which will allow them to purchase six motorcycles and basic equipment such as backpacks and first aid kits. Their current motor cycles are beyond repair, and the staff are unable to perform their duties to protect the nation’s only National Park.
Who
The Tasmanian Rangers Association is the professional organisation for employees who are engaged in the protection, preservation, interpretation or administration of a natural or cultural assets and values; with particular emphasis on the Tasmanian reserve system.
When
The Relay will start in Penguin on the 9th of October 2021 and will take around a month to complete, finishing at Cockle Creek on the 10th of November. It will have live tracking and regular posts over that time.
Nino Konis Santana National Park, Timor-Leste
Nino Konis Santana National Park (NKSNP) lies on the Eastern tip of Timor-Leste, and is the country’s only national park. Declared in 2007, it is comprised of 168,000 hectares of land and 55,600 hectares of sea, the park is home to 15,000 people in six villages and remains the largest intact and most significant area for biodiversity on the Timor Island. The park is remote and rugged, at its highest point approximately 1000m above sea-level. The ‘thin green line’ protecting it are three volunteer-based Community Conservation Groups (CCG) and a government ranger team of 12.
The coastal and ocean-side of the park falls under the official jurisdiction of five Coastal Guards, who live in three of the villages of the park. Inland, the seven Forest Guards are dealing with forest encroachment for saleable timber, fuelwood or for slash and burn agriculture; forest fires; overgrazing; invasive species; wildlife poaching and growing illegal trade; and a proliferation of airguns. They need both training and basic equipment - such as motorbikes, uniforms, boots, backpacks, torches, water purification kits and tents – of which they have none.
The NKSNP is formally managed by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Directorate General of Forestry and Industrial Plants. The government’s budget allocation to the Department for Protected Areas and National Parks for FY20 was US$53,177, including salaries. The TRA is working with Conservation International to identify and prioritise equipment and training needs that we can fundraise for.
Photo copyright World Wildlife Fund Inc./Tony Read. Video courtesy of Conservation International.
"When you go out there you don't get away from it all, you get back to it all. You come home to what's important. You come home to yourself"