From the Quantock Hills AONB Service
July 2007
Look out for the Quantock AONB Service Rangers and Volunteers patrolling the hills on 31st July, as this day marks the first World Ranger Day. The Rangers continue to work tirelessly to conserve and enhance our natural heritage, forming a vital role in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, working with others to help keep natural habitats healthy for wildlife and visitor enjoyment.
The Quantock Hills AONB Service employs three Rangers who have distinct roles. Senior Ranger Tim Russell is responsible for Access and Heritage issues, Ranger Andy Harris’s responsibilities are the wildlife and habitats, and Recreation Ranger Andrew Davis who works in partnership with the Forestry Commission works to ensure the balance between conservation and recreational enjoyment of the hills is maintained. The AONB Service also works with the National Trust to co-ordinate the valuable work of our team of Conservation Volunteers.
Rangers in the UK generally work in a safe environment, however World Ranger Day also acknowledges and celebrates the many rangers around the world who face danger on a daily basis through dealing with such things as forest fires and armed poachers.
Quantock Ranger Andy Harris (centre) with Rangers
from Australia, Cambodia & the U.K. in 2006
Andy Harris, Quantock Hills AONB Service Rangers says:
“Since I started working for the Quantock Hills in 1996, 120 Rangers have been killed by poachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone.”
To celebrate World Ranger Day the Quantock Hills AONB Rangers and Volunteers will be attending the world premier of ‘The Thin Green Line’ a documentary about the invaluable work Rangers do around the world as the key protectors of our protected areas.
Rangers are uniquely positioned and qualified to monitor the health of our natural resources, assess problems, and provide future solutions based on current knowledge. They are the critical connection between the landscape and the public, with a duty to safeguard the landscape and educate visitors and local residents.
If you see a Ranger out on the hills, we encourage you to talk to them to find out more about the landscape you are in, and the work they do to help ensure that the Quantock Hills remain an outstanding place in which to live, work and visit.
