RANGERS IN PARKS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29932, 20 September 1962, Page 6

RANGERS IN PARKS

New Badges Issued

New badge® are now being distributed to the 245 honorary rangers of New Zealand’s nine national parks. Designed on functional lines, for wearing with outdoor clothing, the badges will indicate the honorap’ ranger’s status to the public. Like the permanent nat-

RANGER’S BADGE ional park ranger’s badge, the honorary ranger's badge was designed by Mr R. W. Cleland, Supervisor of National Parks. The aim had been to design badges which were not too “departmental” in appearance, said Mr Cleland yesterday. They had been greatly admired during his recent visit to the United States, and he had made honorary presentations of many of them. The design of the permanent ranger’s badge symbolises the mountains, the hills, the lakes, and the bush. People who have a keen interest in national parks, and know one of them thor-

HONORARY RANGER'S BADGE oughly, may be appointed honorary park rangers, on the recommendation of their local park board to the National Parks Authority. They are appointed for an initial term of two years, with subsequent five-yearly renewals of appointment. At present, there are 32 honorary rangers appointed for the Arthur’s Pass and Mount Cook National Parks. 16 to each park. “An honorary park ranger is not so much a bush policeman as a park education officer and public relations officer,” said Mr Cleland. His job was as much to educate and inform the public as to supervise them. However, where an honorary ranger detected clear breaches of the park bylaws, he was authorised by warrant to take people’s names, and report such offences to the park board