There are very few dates in a year where there isn’t one thing or another being celebrated. This year, in July alone we had World UFO day on Sunday July 2, Bastille Day on July 14 and World Emoji Day on Monday July 17.

Each of these events are important in their own right but one date is very important for a group of people who spend every day risking everything in the line of duty to protect our fragile natural treasures.

And July 31 was World Ranger Day and is observed across the globe to celebrate the work that is carried out by rangers and to remember all those who have given their lives trying to conserve the world’s wonders.

World Ranger Day has been celebrated on the same date since 2007 and is used to highlight the work that rangers do in protecting both wildlife and wild places.

They carry out a huge and very varied range of duties, from taking on gangs of poachers to environmental campaigning and WRD is designed to allow everyone the chance to help support the vital work that is taking place all day every day, often in very harsh and dangerous situations by these people for little or even no financial reward.

Very sadly, more than one hundred rangers have been killed this year alone, nearly 50% by poachers and World Ranger Day tries to redress this by encouraging private and/ or public events to highlight the commitment and passion shown by this dedicated group

As the official charity of the International Ranger Federation, The Thin Green Line Foundation brings together training, resources and funding to rangers in these situations and helps to support the families of rangers killed whilst in the line of duty.

Glasgow City Council has its own team of dedicated Countryside Rangers who actively support their comrades around the world and you too can help support them.

If you are lucky enough to visit a wild place anywhere around the world, seek out a ranger and get yourself a selfie and post onto their webpage or like the International Ranger Foundation facebook page.

It all helps in helping to spread the message.

Although Glasgow’s rangers aren’t faced with the level of threat as our counterparts in other countries local wildlife can still be threatened and wildlife crime is on the increase but our role in educating the next generation is going a long way in bringing awareness of this to those whose job it may be in years to come to help protect Glasgow’s rich natural heritage.

Find out more about World Ranger Day at our next event which is a free family funfest on Saturday August 12 at Hogganfield Park. Come along and meet Glasgow’s Countryside Rangers and join us for a day of games, crafts and fun from 11am until 3pm. If you would like more info please call us on 0141 2760927.