Uganda Conservation Foundation - Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2022

Uganda Conservation Foundation is taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge to raise awareness of the role of 500 rangers working to protect Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park ecosystem, and support an estimated 1000000 livelihoods.

Murchison Falls National Park - Uganda

Raised:

$15,846
158%
Completed
Goal: $10,000
44 Donations

My story

Rangers are Africa’s unsung heroes. They don’t just fight poaching - they are conservationists, teachers, community support workers, leaders and much more.

The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, organised by Tusk and culminating on 17th September, celebrates their many roles, and is raising much-needed funds to support their work.

UCF is a UK registered charity with an operating arm in Uganda. During COVID, the Uganda Wildlife Authority lost 95% of its revenue base. Combined with flooding of the River Nile, general election and locusts, there’s been a crippling impact on operational capacity. Without food for rangers or funding for vehicle maintenance, medical support or communications, the parks struggled to operate.

Unfortunately prior to COVID, UWA hadn’t carried out ranger recruitment for three years, leaving UWA drastically understaffed throughout COVID and afterwards. Many existing rangers were ready for retirement, had children to look after or were pregnant, leaving numbers far lower than viable. The WRC provided the means to generate support and focus to keep UWA going.

Official recruitment started on 4th July, 2022. It will take 9 months before the 500 new recruits (far lower than needed) enter the estate. WRC 2022 funding will support UCF as we continue to plug gaps by providing scouts to remove snares, reducing the demand on rangers to do 'non dangerous' activities. UCF provides the salary, clothing, food and medical support for the scouts.

Give today, and the Scheinberg Relief Fund will match every dollar donated, amplifying your impact. Follow campaign updates on social media with #ForWildlifeRangers

Support a unique conservation initiative empowering and uniting wildlife rangers across Africa.

May 2, 2023, 9:52:25 AM

Wildlife rangers operate on the very frontline of conservation across Africa, routinely making personal sacrifices to put their lives on the line to protect the continent’s magnificent wildlife and habitats. Yet they are so much more than just law enforcement officers: rangers are teachers, community support workers, mediators, researchers and so much more. Unfortunately, resources are not keeping pace with the scale of the challenges they are trying to tackle. For the fourth year running, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge sets out to redress this, by raising critical funding to cover operating costs, including salaries and equipment, for over 10,000 rangers. This will help them protect threatened wildlife and some of the continent's most vulnerable areas, while also protecting communities and securing coexistence with wildlife, as well as providing for their own families.

Support a unique conservation initiative empowering and uniting wildlife rangers across Africa.

We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!

Sep 28, 2022, 7:13:20 AM

The three Murchison Falls National Park teams participated in the 21 Km race. The ranger team finished in 3rd place while the scouts' teams came in 4th and 6th. Thank you for your donations!

We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!
We run 21km with a 22kg backpack!

Meet the UWA UCF Community Scouts

Sep 9, 2022, 11:47:41 AM

Meet the UWA UCF Community Scouts. They have participated in the mini-challenges, they are ready for the main event! Thank you for your donations!

Meet the UWA UCF Community Scouts

Murchison Falls National Park - Uganda Conservation Foundation

Jul 15, 2022, 3:25:40 PM

UCF is a UK registered charity with an operating arm in Uganda. UCF employs 16 people in Uganda and none in the UK. Projects include the Recovery of QE, MFs and the Kidepo / Kenya transboundary programme. UCF also runs the Uganda Carnivore & Scavenger programme, and the Technology in Conservation project. UCF looks to ensure Uganda Wildlife Authority is able to be more successful.

Murchison Falls National Park - Uganda Conservation Foundation

Rob Edmundson

$33.30

This donation is contingent on Peter Ellis winning the race. Despite appearances he is actually quite athletic.

10/3/22, 7:15 PM

Hilary

$111.19

An excellent cause. Well done!

9/30/22, 6:51 AM

Emma & Adrian Wilcox

$21.60

Well done, great cause

9/29/22, 4:35 PM

MW

$32.40

Great work

9/29/22, 1:25 PM

James

$31.93

What an achievement Claire and team

9/28/22, 9:51 PM

Rogers Muluwe

Emmanuel Asiku

Patrich Owachgiu

Amos Amaseku

Leaderboard

Tessa Hempson
Campaign: Running for Marine RangersTotal amount raised: $2,238
S.W.A.T.T. Team
Campaign: S.W.A.T.T. Team - 2022 Wildlife Ranger Challenge Total amount raised: $1,077
Igor Knoester
Campaign: Run for the RangersTotal amount raised: $836
Sean Baker
Campaign: Wildlife Action Group MalawiTotal amount raised: $492
Renee Wentz
Campaign: Wildlife Ranger support via Wentz Total amount raised: $345