Black Rhino

The Black Rhino team successfully delivered five communication outputs as part of a global advocacy toolkit for wildlife rangers, centered around our crafted slogan “Rangers Deserve More”. The toolkit, which includes a series of five animated videos, an infographic depicting ranger roles and successes, a children’s comic strip, as well as branded shirts and stickers to support this campaign, will be used to encourage decision makers to provide long-term, sustainable support to rangers and to improve community perceptions of rangers.

Over the course of the project, the “Rangers Deserve More” campaign grew in scope and impact beyond original project vision.  The campaign and its slogan were adopted by the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA), a collaborative initiative of eight conservation organizations that joined together in 2020 to deliver a “new deal” for wildlife rangers, including the development of global welfare standards and a code of conduct.

Rangers will be able to utilize this EWCL team’s resources to advocate on their own behalf to government agencies, while URSA is continuing the promotion of the #RangersDeserveMore campaign through their adoption of these resources. The professionalization and support of rangers, which our campaign advocates for, will help in making positive, long-term changes in the protection and conservation of rhinos and other endangered species. 

#RangersDeserveMore at the World Ranger Congress:

| The team worked alongside Viget, a full-service interactive design agency, to create an infographic supporting ranger welfare and the ranger profession, which was utilized at the World Ranger Congress 2019 (WRC) in Nepal. Two members of the team attended the WRC to message the need for global long-term support, honor, and empowerment of rangers. The infographic data and the  #RangersDeserveMore slogan were well received by rangers at the Congress. Highlights and metrics around the infographic engagement listed below:

• 70+ countries represented at the 9th World Ranger Congress, Nepal, the largest World Ranger Congress to date. 
• 550 delegates exposed to infographic messaging, with content being available in the communication toolkit in both PDF and standard print form.
• Black Rhino team engaged in 283 booth discussions with rangers, with additional verbal engagements through workshops, discussions, field excursions, etc.
• 18 filmed interviews conducted by the Black Rhino team. These interviews are being worked into additional project outputs with Running Wild Media.
• Post-Congress, the Infographic continues to be utilized via printed 12’x4’ banners at the Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center and during behind-the-scenes rhino experiences at Busch Gardens Tampa.  
• Post-Congress, the #RangersDeserveMore campaign was utilized to provide social media engagement opportunities on World Rhino Day 07.31.20.

URSA Involvement:

Universal Ranger Support Alliance | At the International Ranger Federation’s 2019 World Congress in Chitwan, Nepal, more than 550 Rangers from 70 countries agreed to the Chitwan Declaration, which set out a detailed list of needs and priorities for rangers. Much of the evidence for these needs comes directly from rangers, 7,110 of whom contributed detailed responses to a major global survey, the results of which were published in 2019. 

In response to the Chitwan Declaration, a group of international conservation organizations formed the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA) to help implement the Declaration and address the issues and obstacles faced by rangers. Resulting from the strong positive response to the #RangersDeserveMore initiative launched at the WRC, the EWCL Black Rhino project team was asked to participate in the creation of URSA goals and objectives to further develop the Chitwan Declaration initiatives.  

URSA has developed a global action plan that can help all those working with rangers support them to do their jobs effectively and responsibly. By ensuring that the urgently needed investment, tools, reforms and policy changes are put in place, the Alliance’s purpose is to improve the well-being of rangers, and the local communities with whom their work is intrinsically linked. In developing media and awareness, URSA is adopting the #RangersDeserveMore campaign and Black Rhino team toolkit developed through this project for long-term impact in Ranger recognition and professionalization.

International Ranger Roundtable Discussions:

In evaluating impact and planning further development of the URSA Action Plan, Ranger Roundtable (RR) discussions were planned with an international panel of rangers and conservation organizations, including participation by the EWCL Black Rhino team. Each of three consecutive Roundtable discussions focused on strategy development for further support, honor, and empowerment of Rangers.  Ongoing roundtables are planned, with goals of further development of the URSA Action Plan for best practices and greatest impact. 

• 07.23.20 | RR#1 - Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rangers. The Inaugural Ranger Roundtable was attended by representatives from across the global Ranger sector; including government bodies, as well as conservation, intergovernmental, and philanthropic organizations - with a focus on the current pandemic and effects on Rangers.
• 10.22.20 | RR#2 - Repositioning Rangers. Brainstorming efforts focused on how to professionalize Rangers and raise their profile - to find a strategy for changing the narrative in order for governments to reform their approach to Rangers.
• 02.23.21 | RR#3 - The Imperative of Rangers within the Regenerative Economy.  Discussion focused on the direct and indirect contributions of Rangers to the ecosystem services provided by protected areas.