BY JOY OFASIA
The Solomon Islands Rangers Association today celebrated the World Rangers Day 2025 at the Holy Cross Hall in Honiara.
With this year’s global theme, “Rangers Powering Transformative Conservation,” the event paid tribute to the crucial role rangers’ play in protecting the environment, culture, and biodiversity of the Solomon Islands and beyond. The 2025 World Rangers Day celebration highlighted that while rangers face real challenges, they remain powerful agents for change in a world that needs them more than ever.
Speaking during the ceremony, Chief Conservation Officer of the Ministry of the Environment, and Head of the CTI-CFF National Coordinating Committee of the Solomon Islands Mrs. Agnetha Vave Karamui described rangers as the unsung heroes of conservation.
“They are not just frontline protectors. Rangers are dedicated and committed individuals who make sacrifices every day to protect our forests, reefs, wildlife, and cultural heritage,” she said.
She explained that rangers also preserve traditional knowledge, stories, and customs rooted in the land and sea, calling them “guardians of both nature and culture.”
World Rangers Day is observed every 31st of July, and in the Solomon Islands, it serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers rangers face and the vital work they do.
The event honors the bravery and dedication of rangers in the Solomon Islands, while also highlighting the need for enhanced support, training, and resources.
A key moment of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Solomon Islands Rangers Association (SIRA), Mai-Maasina Green Belt, and local business partner, Bulk Shop. The agreement will see stickers of native species placed on products sold at the store — a creative effort to promote environmental awareness through everyday shopping.
The small, symbolic partnership demonstrates that conservation is a collective responsibility, involving rangers in the bush and local businesses.