World Ranger Day reminds us of our environment
THE Garden Route National Park (GRNP) is a picture-perfect open-access park with about 160 000 hectares of unique fynbos, lush indigenous forests, tranquil lakes, cool rivers, wetlands, pristine beaches and protected seas.
The GRNP spans from Wilderness to Knysna to Tsitsikamma.
As part of marking World Ranger Day yesterday, some of its rangers were asked the same five questions.
All answers from marine rangers from Wilderness to Knysna to Tsitsikamma indicate the need to conserve for current and future generations and the pressing need to escalate educational Initiatives.
Meet Quinton Solomons, Wilderness section of the GRNP, marine ranger
Q: What inspired you to become a ranger?
A: When I was still in primary school and we had regular walks with rangers from SANParks, the way they taught us how ecosystems work and why they protect and conserve.
From there on, I started becoming really interested and started building a relationship with some of the rangers.
There was one ranger in particular who taught us a lot and he had come from the “Bosbou” from the Department of Forestry and transferred to SANParks. His name was Joekies. We struck up a good relationship which gave me a foot in the door.
Q: What route did you follow to your current posting?
A: I threw in my CV for an EPWP Programme and at the time, I was told the programme was full but two days before the closing date, I got a call from Owen Govender who was a senior ranger in Tsitsikamma at the time.
I left my job at the Bloukrans Bungee as a video editor. A week before Valentine’s Day, February 2012, I went on a five-week field ranger course in Welgevonden.
The programme was challenging but good, we were the first lot to do such a programme.
This equipped me to start in Bloukrans as an environmental monitor and a year later in Harkerville where I worked as a terrestrial and marine ranger (worked with people and conservation), programmes with NGOs on school programmes, working with the community, law enforcement and the like.
Q: What is the number-one thing you wish visitors understood about your job?
A: We are not just here to enforce the law, but to educate people as well. Ours is to protect and conserve. Fines issued must be seen in that light.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
A: I check attendance, update the roster, organise patrols (foot, boat and vehicles) according to resource availability and needs for the day.
We prioritise the lakes areas in wilderness because of their (Langvlei, Eilandvlei, Island Lake), watch out for bird and fish kills if any and/or any for example.
Scientists do also call on us for work they are doing on mud prawns, eelgrass, etc.
We are big on law enforcement, trail maintenance (Green Flag status standards) and Blue Flag for beach areas, visitor safety and others.
We also have to be prepared to accommodate any changes during the day.
Q: What is your most treasured sighting?
A: Definitely on the Otter Trail just 2km past the Andre Hut, there’s this little cliff where you can stand on top of the ocean.
On that specific day, the weather was clear, the colours of the blue ocean, colours of fynbos, birds flying (cormorants and Cape gulps) and the haziness caused by the ocean… for me, that’s what made me want to conserve more and more… the sounds were amazing.
Meet Jonathan Lottering, Wilderness section of the GRNP, marine ranger.
Q: What inspired you to become a ranger?
A: Sounds like a joke, but the ranger corps from Wilderness in the 1990s really inspired me.
That team had such passion for what they were doing, just watching them go out and putting their equipment together for night patrols.
I knew then I wanted to be just like them one day although I did not have enough information at the time.
I started reading up about conservation and the rest is history…
Q: What route did you follow to your current posting?
A: Although I didn’t have a lot of information, I read up on conservation, I didn’t have enough money to pursue my studies in conservation but I did a lot of reading.
I decided to open up my own business in 2004 but had to close it a year later the minute I was approached about a learnership opportunity (tourism field guiding) with SANParks.
Once the learnership was completed, my contract was extended by a few months contract to work in the park.
In 2006, I was appointed as a field ranger, this made me realise I needed a formal qualification, so I went to study environmental education with Unisa because being a field ranger isn’t just about writing out fines, it’s also about educating members of the public. In 2009, I was appointed as a ranger corporal.
Q: What is the number-one thing you wish visitors understood about your job?
A: Local communities and visitors must understand this world is not ours, it is borrowed from our children.
We must all look after the environment for our children. We are not the bad guys.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
A: We have a quick cup of coffee because we’re not a large group.
This might be the only time to catch up during the day as we split up and head in different directions of the park.
We task daily based on yesterday’s information.
We do foot patrols, beaches, lakes, boat patrols etc… In the afternoon, we regroup to report to seniors.
Q: What is your most treasured sighting?
A: There is this little cave in the North Camp of the Ebband-Flow Rest Camp where a Khoi family used to live.
It is now a heritage site… I love sitting at that spot and reminiscing at least for five minutes when I can.
Even if I could relocate from Wilderness, I would certainly still come back to that spot during holidays, it’s such a special place.
Issued by SANParks
‘This world is not ours, it is borrowed from our children’