Year-on-year, this amounts to a 26% growth in its contribution to SANParks.
“The dedication of our members is born out of a deep love for nature and our natural heritage. They work with a commitment that is inspiring, and it is humbling to see what our members can achieve in the spirit of volunteering,” says Paul Colditz, national chairperson of the Honorary Rangers.
The mission of the SANParks Honorary Rangers is to support SANParks to develop, expand, manage and promote a system of sustainable national parks that represents biodiversity and heritage assets.
Jimmy Telle, CEO of the Honorary Rangers
According to its 2024 Integrated Report, the organisation’s 2 125 members contributed a total of 390 139 hours of volunteer duties, an average of 184 hours per member, in 2023/2024. It also describes the wide variety of activities and projects that members contributed to. These included support for K9 units and rangers, anti-poaching initiatives, snare removals, wildlife monitoring (such as lion collaring and camera traps), plant conservation, walkway repairs, trail maintenance and environmental education.
The report further describes fundraising events hosted by its members, such as bush camps, birding weekends, sporting events and music concerts. Funds raised from these events are allocated to projects in South Africa’s national parks according to a SANParks wish list. This ensures that priority conservation needs are met.
“The mission of the SANParks Honorary Rangers is to support SANParks to develop, expand, manage and promote a system of sustainable national parks that represents biodiversity and heritage assets. This is achieved by the strong working relationship between SANParks and the Honorary Rangers, enhanced further by the passion of the volunteer members,” says Jimmy Telle, CEO of the Honorary Rangers.
“A collaboration agreement between SANParks and the Honorary Rangers has recently been signed, extending our working relationship and emphasising the trust that SANParks places in the Honorary Rangers to provide the necessary support and services,” he said.
The full report is available here.
