World Ranger’s Day

They climbed through deep snow & reached high in the mountains,

Where airs are thin & grounds are freezing.

One was making the rounds for caterpillar fungus & the other was counting the big snow cat.

But the two heroes of the woods couldn’t make their way back home, for they were consumed by the mountains.

No more to be seen or heard, the most beautiful souls gave away their lives to guard riches of the nature.

They drove through the heavy rain & reached low in the foothills,

Where rivers are swelling & grounds are scorching.

One squad of ten men was returning to their base & other of six was making the regular rounds.

But ten heroes of the woods couldn’t make their way back home, for the Guerrillas took them by surprise with a booby trap & bullets.

No more to be seen or heard, the bravest hearts fought until their last breath to guard riches of the nature.

They hiked through the thick cloud & reached in the center of dense woods

Where cliffs stand thousand feet tall & the sky is darkening.

One was looking for the safest route & others were reading the signal

But one hero of the woods couldn’t make his way back home, for he went tumbling down the cliff.

No more to be seen or heard, the dedicated leader of the squad was buried when guarding the wild riches.

No matter in which cardinal directions they dwell, the stories of fallen & standing heroes of woods are of sad and subdued genre.

Being outnumbered sometimes they were pelted with stones & threatened with knives by poachers & loggers.

Being not equipped well sometime their lives are taken away by the wild animals they protect.

However, they have no time to look back into the lowliness of past.

For the glory of future they have to guard the garden of wilds

Footnote: In the year 2019, Department of Forest & Park Services detected 1911 numbers of offences of which illegal logging was the highest with 795 cases. In so doing, Rangers, the front-line conservation heroes faces life threatening challenges from harsh environments, wild animals and the poachers, smugglers & illegal loggers. In the past two decades, about 21 Rangers died and 11 were injured in line of duty. 

According to Ranger Federation of Asia, over the past nine years, 871 Rangers were killed around the globe when protecting the nature. So, I being a member of Ranger family pay a tribute to all the fallen and standing heroes of wildlife on  ‘World Rangers Day’ which is marked annually on 31st of July.

Fig: Patrolling across the country

Fig: Wildlife rescue & medication

Fig: Some of the forestry  related offences 

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A Come Back to Home after 23 Years; Farewell article to Dzongkhag Forestry

Dzongkhag Forestry Sector was born 23 years after the nationalization of forest in Bhutan and lived for another 23 years making ease to put decentralized forestry activities into practice most particularly in upholding the sustainable and participatory forest management. The sector made a giant step in 1997 by launching the country’s first community forest in Mongar under the guidance of Social Forestry & Extension Division (SFED), and thereafter about 600 communities received their right to manage the forest. 

Fig: Farewell Speech by Dasho Dzongdag to Dzongkhag Forestry

Had there not been Dzongkhag Forestry Sector then it would be easier said than done to shift from traditional tree orientated system to the current practice of balanced tree conservation and sustainable usage. The Sector supported not only the community forest but also gave equal weightage to improve the health of State Reserve Forest (SRF) by planting forest crops, bioengineering the critical landslide prone zones, protecting the water sources and many more. In so doing the private individuals also received helping hand from the Sector to own woods in their unproductive private lands and thereby adding more trees to the state.

Fig: Sharing of Gifts during farewell party 

Now the parent organization has made a homecoming call by merging the Dzongkhag Forestry Sector and Divisional Forest Office into one. It would be a shock to the communities to see forestry officials working under one umbrella but nothing to be worried for they shall continue to receive technical supports and forestry services as before. However the concern is not on about going back home to work but with regard to the working infrastructures. For time being the field staffs may function from the RNR-Extension Centre but one day or the other they deserve to be under a good shelter of their own. So, we are hopeful that the Department may have made arrangements to build the needed infrastructures. With this, I wish my workmates to serve with loyalty to protect our nation’s green property and also delivery the services to the people as before. Goodbye to Dzongkhag Forestry Sector.

Fig: First Day at Divisional office, Joint meeting at Mongar

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