A NOTE FOR WORLD RANGER DAY
Annually, the world celebrates the World Ranger Day on July 31. Tough figures of the guardian of natural richness, or so called rangers, are often injured or even killed while they carry out their duties. The presence of rangers is often ignored, while natural resources and cultural heritage of our planet lie on their hands.
Centre for Orangutan Protection through its first rapid-response team, the APE Crusader, has repeatedly had to be at the forefront against the orangutan habitat destructor. Bulldozers and excavators are forced to stop the forest clearing process for oil palm plantation. APE Crusader, along with its Captain, Paulinus Kristianto, the son of Dayak Siberuang tribe of Sentarum lakeside who is also an alumni of COP School Batch 1, fighting the companies that are considered to colonize and exploit the land of Borneo.
When Linus, as he’s called, was busy extinguishing the fire at Tanjung Puting National Park (TNTP) Central Kalimantan, while his house in the village was burned by the forest fire. His grandfather was killed. Instead of shutting it down, his enthusiasm was burning even brighter.
Let’s just stop thinking other things and try reflecting on the ranger’s sacrifice for our mother earth for awhile. We need more rangers to guard our planet. Thank you International Ranger Federation for initiating World Ranger Day. (SAR)
CATATAN WORLD RANGER DAY
Setiap tahun, dunia memperingati Hari Ranger Dunia atau World Ranger Day pada 31 Juli. Sosok tangguh penjaga kekayaan alam atau disebut juga ranger dalam menjalankan tugas banyak yang terluka bahkan terbunuh. Keberadaan para ranger sering terabaikan, padahal di tangan merekalah kekayaan alam dan warisan budaya planet bumi ini berada.
Centre for Orangutan Protection melalui tim gerak cepat pertamanya yaitu tim APE Crusader telah berulang kali harus berada di garis depan para perusak habitat orangutan. Buldoser maupun ekskavator pun dipaksa untuk menghentikan pembukaan hutan untuk perkebunan kelapa sawit. APE Crusader dengan kapten Paulinus Kristanto, si putra daerah dari suku Dayak Siberuang di tepian danau Sentarum yang merupakan alumni COP School Batch 1 bergerilya melawan perusahaan-perusahaan yang menurutnya menjajah dan menghisap bumi Kalimantan.
Saat Linus, begitu panggilan akrabnya, sibuk memadamkan api di Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting (TNTP) Kalimantan Tengah, rumahnya di kampung justru dilalap kebakaran hutan. Kakeknya tewas. Bukannya surut, semangatnya semakin membara.
Sesaat saja kita berhenti memikirkan yang lain, mari merenungkan pengorbanan para ranger untuk bumi ini. Kita membutuhkan para ranger untuk menjaga planet kita. Terimakasih Federasi Ranger Internasional yang menginisiasi Hari Ranger Dunia.
