Moldova´s general public is increasingly informed about the values of natural protected areas in their country, as well as about the work and challenges faced by Moldovan volunteer rangers. International partners, including the Czech Republic, help improve their situation through long-term support.
Moldovan volunteer rangers dedicate their time and efforts to the protection of various protected areas throughout the country - despite the absence of substantial support from the state, or even any specific legal protection from verbal and physical attacks from poachers, illegal loggers or even threats from some state officials abusing their powers (see also: here).
In order to enhance their chances for better protection and recognition as well as in search for support from abroad, the rangers established their own association in 2023, joined international federations (European Ranger Federation - ERF, International Ranger Federation - IRF), participated in training sessions in Romania, the IRF congress in France, Junior Ranger Summer Camp in the Czech Republic and plan to attend more events in the future.
In their quest for better protection, they joined forces with our local partner NGO Biotica and jointly we prepared a series of 4 short videos (here, here, here and here) that were published on Facebook and Youtube in order to raise awareness of the rangers’ public role, work and needs. They also received good publicity through the Moldovan office of the UN’s Development Programme, which published an article and a short film about their work and support.
The rangers´ main activities in 2024 included, for instance, 19 organised raids (together with local authorities, the Police and the Environmental Protection Inspectorate) that resulted in the drawing up of 24 reports and the issuing of fines totalling to around 790 EUR. They identified 14 cases of illegal fishing and 3 cases of unauthorized deforestation.
In the Lower Dniester National Park (NP), the rangers held 6 open lessons on ecological education, environmental protection and volunteering in primary and secondary schools and organised 2 cleaning campaigns that involved over 50 volunteers and contributed to reducing pollution and creating green spaces. Additionally, the rangers ran 8 awareness campaigns in the NP, where approximately 100 people (including local authorities, civil servants and ordinary citizens) were informed about the environmental values of the NP, about the needs and ways of its protection and about the role and work of the volunteer rangers.
Only a few days before the end of the year, in the rain and wind, they also helped our colleagues to install 5 information panels at the nature viewing points in Talmaza, Răscăieți and Purcari, as well as in the Turkish Garden Landscape Reserve on the territory of the NP.
Examples of the information panels that introduces visitors to the biodiversity of the selected natural areas.
All the activities would not be possible without continuous support of multiple partners. Namely within the framework of the projects “Contribution to the Conservation of Ecosystems and Mammal Species in the Lower Nistru National Park”, implemented by our local partner Biotica with the support of GEF SGP UNDP Moldova, and through our joint project "Natura 2000 in Moldova: Promoting the European Approach to Nature Conservation in Moldova" financed by the Transition Promotion Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
The Czech Ministry also financed the aforementioned 4 short videos, a series of 6 leaflets on the values of the NP (all of which can be downloaded below), and provided financial support for various activities and institutional strengthening of the Rangers Association.