Press release
FUTURE RANGERS LEARN FOREST SURVIVAL SKILLS
21 July 2010
The Crown Estate’s Dunster estate is marking International Day of the Ranger by hosting a fun-filled day of bushcraft and nature walks through Dunster forest on Friday 30 July.
Young people aged from six to twelve from Clowns Summer Playscheme will be guided through the forest by rangers from The Crown Estate and Exmoor National Park. The young people will be taught practical lessons in basic survival skills used by rangers around the world, from shelter building to fire lighting.
Local storyteller Clare Viner will then bring the magic of the countryside alive with her tales as the children walk along the newly opened Tall Trees Trail at Nutcombe Bottom.
The event is one of many educational initiatives being organised by The Crown Estate as part of its support for International Year of Biodiversity 2010.
Andy Player, The Crown Estate’s countryside manager, said: “Here on the estate, we have a wonderful resource with which to engage young people with the natural world. With the help of Clare Viner, our colleagues from Exmoor National Park and of course, the forest itself, we can teach new skills and give a new perspective on the local countryside. It is also very rewarding to be able to highlight the difficult and important work of rangers here and across the globe.”
The first International Day of the Ranger was held in 2007, to celebrate the work of rangers as key protectors of the planet’s parks and wild places. It also serves to commemorate the many rangers who work in dangerous situations across the globe, such as combating elephant poaching.
The English word “ranger” reflects the guardians of the Royal Forests in fourteenth century England, protecting the King’s lands from poachers. Today, rangers in protected areas throughout the world continue this role for the public and the wildlife they are protecting. Rangers are the key force protecting these resources from impairment, through law enforcement, environmental education, community relations, fighting fires and conducting search and rescue operations.
The ranger and forestry staff on the Dunster estate are tasked with sensitively managing a variety of natural habitats, undertaking educational initiatives such as this one as well as ensuring a visit to the Dunster Forest is a safe and enjoyable one.
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