How Many Elephants - International NGO

Loving this article in The Ethicalist Magazine by Holly Budge ❤️🐘

Less than two weeks to go until World Female Ranger Week on June 23-30th 2024!⁠ ⁠ This year we are encouraging everybody to take part and take inspiration from:⁠ ⁠ ❤️ Supporting Women⁠ 🌿 Protecting Wildlife & Wild Spaces⁠ 👉 Promoting Gender Equality⁠ ⁠ We'd love your support, whether you’re a ranger, a guide, a teacher, a climate activist, an NGO, or a global citizen.⁠ ⁠ Visit our website for free resources to get involved: https://lnkd.in/eKPhPupV and share your World Female Ranger Week plans with us in the comments!⁠ ⁠ Watch this space for exciting updates on new partnerships, upcoming events & much more… 👏⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #worldfemalerangerweek⁠ Holly Budge

Female rangers are proving that gender should never be a barrier to success. Celebrate their achievements and advocate for gender equality this World Female Ranger Week ❤️ (June 23-30) ⁠ 👉 Get involved! Access our Supporter Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/emhAsFd4 ⁠ #WorldFemaleRangerWeek

🌍 Calling all female rangers! 🌿⁠ ⁠ World Female Ranger Week is just around the corner, and we want to hear from YOU! Your stories of courage, dedication, and impact are inspiring change and paving the way for future generations of women in conservation. Let's amplify the incredible work you do and show the world the power of female rangers.⁠ ⁠ 📢 Share Your Story Today - https://lnkd.in/efDiKazM ⁠ Your stories will be featured across our platforms, helping to raise awareness and support for female rangers globally. Let's make World Female Ranger Week 2024 the most impactful one yet!⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #WorldFemaleRangerWeek

Our World Female Ranger Award Winners have been announced. 👏 Real women, real stories and real impact; The World Female Ranger Awards give international recognition to female wildlife rangers who have shown exemplary service and commitment to conservation. The World Female Ranger Award winner is Grace Kotee Zansi from Liberia. She is a biologist, elephant tracker and ranger actively involved with Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary rescuing victims of the illegal bushmeat and pet trades in Liberia. With more than 7000 chimpanzees living in its dense forests, Liberia is home to the second largest population of West African chimpanzees. But like many places, Liberia falls victim to the challenges of climate change and human/wildlife conflict. Grace grew up in a remote village and, from a young age, was deeply troubled by the sight of people hunting and consuming wildlife. She made a solemn vow to safeguard Liberia’s precious forest resources. Today, the rapid development encroaching upon the East Nimba Nature Reserve is posing a grave threat to its fragile ecosystem. In Grace’s words: “If the forest could speak, the first thing she would say is, I’m under threat.” Driven by her childhood pledge, Grace has overcome stereotypical gender norms through her work as a ranger, joining forces with her team to protect Liberia’s chimpanzees from poachers, as well as visiting and educating local communities who have had past conflict with chimpanzees. “I dedicate this award to all female Rangers in Africa. This is a win for us all. I'm greatly honoured to represent female rangers in Liberia and across the globe who work in extreme conditions to conserve nature. Receiving this award is very exciting for me,” says Grace. Founder Holly Budge, launched the World Female Ranger Award in 2021 in conjunction with her pioneering initiative, World Female Ranger Week (June 23-30th). Holly and her team have identified over 5500 female rangers around the world. Holly says, “This year we have multiple award categories and are delighted to give recognition to female rangers, plus providing grants sponsored by How Many Elephants. I have seen the tangible impact female rangers are making around the world, protecting wildlife, uplifting communities and empowering women. I salute all our award winners. Thank you for the vital work you are doing to protect wildlife.”

Our World Female Ranger Award Winners have been announced.⁠ ⁠ Real women, real stories and real impact; The World Female Ranger Awards give international recognition to female wildlife rangers who have shown exemplary service and commitment to conservation.⁠ ⁠ The inaugural World Female Ranger ‘Leadership’ Award winner is Caroline Olory, the first female Conservator of Park for the National Park Service in Nigeria. Through Caroline’s efforts, alongside her team, she has improved park protection and conservation in Cross River National Park and Old Oyo National Park. Caroline has increased the involvement of women in decision-making in communities surrounding the parks and has strengthened park/community relationships with state governments and NGOs. She is a role model to girls in the surrounding communities and schools, piquing their interest in education and conservation. Often referred to as the “Iron Lady”, Caroline has delivered talks on the role of women in wildlife conservation to many university students in Nigeria. “Thank you for recognizing the work we do as female rangers, protecting our biodiversity in Nigeria alongside our male counterparts. It is not easy in the midst of men, many of whom still think the place of women should remain in the kitchen.” ⁠ Founder Holly Budge, says, “This year we have multiple award categories and are delighted to give recognition to female rangers, plus providing grants sponsored by How Many Elephants. I have seen the tangible impact female rangers are making around the world, protecting wildlife, uplifting communities and empowering women. I salute all our award winners.”⁠

Our World Female Ranger Award Winners have been announced. 👏 Real women, real stories and real impact; The World Female Ranger Awards give international recognition to female wildlife rangers who have shown exemplary service and commitment to conservation. The inaugural World Female Ranger ‘Trailblazer’ Award winner is Pera Pinem from the Sumatran Ranger Project (SRP) in Indonesia. Pera was the only female ranger in North Sumatra (and possibly Indonesia) for three years. Through her work, she protects Sumatran elephants, orangutans and tigers and is actively working with local communities to reduce human/wildlife conflict. To become a ranger, Pera had to go against her family and culture. It was not deemed acceptable for women to be working in the jungle, let alone sleeping besides a man they’re not married to or related to. Pera has experienced much prejudice due to her decision to become a ranger but in doing so, has paved the way for other women to become rangers. " Winning this award is something I’d never have imagined before. I am very happy and still can't believe this! I feel very blessed for the trust given to me. I am very proud to be a ranger" says Pera. Founder Holly Budge, says, “This year we have multiple award categories and are delighted to give recognition to female rangers, plus providing grants sponsored by How Many Elephants. I have seen the tangible impact female rangers are making around the world, protecting wildlife, uplifting communities and empowering women. I salute all our award winners.”

Our World Female Ranger Award Winners have been announced.⁠ ⁠ Real women, real stories and real impact; The World Female Ranger Awards give international recognition to female wildlife rangers who have shown exemplary service and commitment to conservation.⁠ ⁠ The inaugural World Female Ranger ‘Resilience’ Award winner is Mariani ‘Bam’ Ramli, Founder and President of the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS) in Malaysia. Bam single-handedly founded GCS in 2013 after meeting ‘Ellek’, a confiscated infant gibbon. Despite her lack of knowledge, she volunteered to care for him and learnt everything she could about gibbons. Eventually, Bam encountered other distressed gibbons in need and in response, she sold her possessions and moved to a secluded estate to provide a natural home for them. As Bam spoke out against gibbon ownership, she faced backlash, and some villagers labelled her as a ‘witch’. Over the last decade, Bam has faced great adversity in her fight for the gibbons but despite the hardship she has built a strong organization. Today, she and GCS operate two rehabilitation projects. From struggling to afford meals, Bam now provides livelihood opportunities, especially for women and indigenous people. Recently, Bam has successfully managed to get a pair of gibbons to relearn their wild behaviours and reproduce. "To actualize change in wildlife conservation, tangible actions and sustainable partnerships between organisations, women and indigenous communities need to be applied," says Bam. ⁠ Founder Holly Budge, says, “This year we have multiple award categories and are delighted to give recognition to female rangers, plus providing grants sponsored by How Many Elephants. I have seen the tangible impact female rangers are making around the world, protecting wildlife, uplifting communities and empowering women. I salute all our award winners.”⁠

Five years after joining Fiona Jeffery OBE on the stage at World Travel Market (WTM) London, I’m excited to be heading back to this epic event! Tomorrow is jam-packed with exciting meetings, talks, panels and networking opportunities, followed by…. A quick dash to a very special evening event at The Royal Institution hosted by the Whitley Fund for Nature, entitled ‘Big Wins and Breakthroughs: stories from the people protecting our planet’. ❤️ Followed by another dash to ATTA®’s legendary networking event. Looking forward to catching up with familiar faces in the brilliant travel industry I’ve come to know over the past 5 years and to meeting new faces. Hopefully, see you tomorrow! 😀 How Many Elephants - International NGO World Female Ranger Week