Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action marks World Ranger Day - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

On World Ranger Day, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, saluted all the Nature Rangers in the Azores by acknowledging, praising and thanking them for their work, which is of paramount importance for the protection and conservation of our natural heritage.

Alonso Miguel stressed the fundamental role of Nature Rangers "in the monitoring and surveillance of protected areas, nature conservation, biodiversity protection and preservation of the environmental quality of the nine islands, which is one of the Region's greatest assets." 

"The Nature Watchers are the first line of defence and protection of the unique natural heritage of the Azores, as our biodiversity, our forests and our peatlands provide several ecosystem services that are fundamental to the health, well-being and safety of the population. They are decisive for air quality, the health of our soils, the quality of our food, the recharging of aquifers, the supply and purification of our water resources, as well as the mitigation of several natural hazards, such as floods, slope movements, droughts, fires, pests and the pollution of natural resources," he said.

"The management and protection of all this exceptional natural heritage is a key part of the Azores' sustainability brand image, which is increasingly sought after and valuable. As such, it represents an extraordinary tourist asset and a catalyst for the Region's economic and social development, and Nature Rangers are its guardians," he added.

Alonso Miguel also stated that Nature Watchers provide an extremely important service in terms of environmental education and awareness among the community, which is essential for changing attitudes and adopting environmentally sustainable habits and behaviours.

According to the Regional Secretary, with the significant growth in the powers assigned to environmental protection in recent years, "Nature Rangers have also become key assets in carrying out a wide range of operational missions, specifically within the scope of the Report on the State of Azorean Streams (RERA), the monitoring of termites in the Region, the monitoring of Radon on all islands, the rescue of birds and other animals and support in cetacean stranding situations. They are also responsible for responding to thousands of situations reported annually in the Region via the SOS Environment line and the “My Island” platform, or in person at the offices of the Environment and Climate Action Services on each island."

"They are, in fact, fundamental elements for the operation of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action and, above all, for environmental protection and nature conservation," he emphasised.

World Ranger Day was established by the International Ranger Federation (IRF) in 2007 as a way of honouring and recognising all the work carried out by Nature Rangers in defence of natural heritage, nature conservation and the preservation of environmental quality.

Alonso Miguel revealed that "the Regional Government has been making a very significant financial effort to equip and empower, from an operational standpoint, the work of Nature Rangers in the Environmental Services of each island. The goal is to provide Nature Rangers with adequate resources by acquiring essential equipment for their work, such as pick-up vehicles, pneumatic boats, technological and operational equipment, uniforms and drones, an investment that already amounts to around one million Euros."

"The purchase of nine drones for each Island Environmental and Climate Action Services and the respective training for Nature Rangers for their use, corresponding to an investment of about 60 thousand Euros, is an important example of the training carried out. This has made the work of these professionals more effective and safer," he continued.

More recently, the Pico Island Nature Rangers were also supplied with new mountaineering equipment and clothing to help them regularly walk the mountain trail, namely walkers, thermal blankets, waterproof covers, coats, boots, snow goggles, gloves, hats, neckwear, summer and winter trousers, and thermal shirts.

The Regional Secretary also stressed “the reinforcement of the Nature Watch corps, in terms of human resources, which took place in 2024, with the launch of a procedure to recruit a further 12 staff members for the Environmental and Climate Action Services on various islands. This has increased the number of Nature Rangers in the Azores to 53." 

He continued: "In addition to all these investments and efforts made, there remains, as far as we are concerned, a significant gap, which does not depend on the Regional Government but on the National Government. It regards the revamping of Nature Ranger careers to enhance their activity and professional status, which should, above all, include the senior technician category, given that, at the moment, about half of the Nature Rangers in the Azores are university graduates or even have a higher level of education."

"This is a priority issue to be addressed with the respective authority of the National Government. I intend to do so in the next few meetings, drawing attention to the urgent need to review Nature Ranger careers, bearing in mind that, in 2023, the previous National Government announced, in Faial, that it would carry out this review by the end of the year, which ended up not happening. Otherwise, we risk losing highly trained, dedicated and competent professionals in a career that is fundamental to the Azores, in their legitimate search for better professional and personal conditions," he concluded.