At dawn on the 10th of April six gyrocopters took to the African sky in a historic journey in support of an ancient animal. These small insignificant looking crafts will attempt a huge feat of courage and endurance. Success in this effort will not only inspire South Africans, but also remind us that intimidating and seemingly insurmountable challenges can be overcome with the necessary courage and commitment.

The Shingwedzi Camp in the Kruger National Park has been severely hit by floods resulting in extensive damage. The camp staff were airlifted to safety but sadly lost all their possessions in the floods.

At a recent event SANParks CEO Dr David Mabunda called the SANParks Honorary Rangers a “pillar in the building of SANParks”. This is an indication of the important role the Honorary Rangers are playing in support of our national parks. This involvement is growing in strength, as was seen at the recent Honorary Rangers Indaba. 
 

This September the Honorary Rangers will host a birding weekend at Karoo National Park. Space is limited, so book now to secure your place.

Keen birders should make a note in their calendar... the Sasol Addo Birding Weekend will be held in Addo Elephant National Park from 19 to 21 October 2012.

How well do you know Addo Elephant National Park? Try this word puzzle created by the SANParks Honorary Rangers.

The SANParks Honorary Rangers Indaba will take place at Addo from 22 to 26 May 2012. As part of the festivities, Honorary Rangers, their friends and families are invited to enter this word puzzle competition.

Conservationist Braam Malherbe looks at life through a child’s eyes yet he uses the wisdom of his years to communicate just how fragile our planet is and what we can do to protect it. By Anton Crone

Have you ever dreamed of working in nature among spectacular wildlife, doing your bit to save our precious environment? Then perhaps you should join the Honorary Rangers of South African National Parks.

The north of Kruger is rich in birdlife and joining the Honorary Rangers for a birding weekend is a great way to add ticks to your life list. Chris Patton reports back on two birding weekends held at Punda Maria.

The Kruger National Park holds many special memories for many people. The SANParks Honorary Rangers of the Midrand Region have once again produced a beautiful high-quality calendar filled with historic photos taken in Kruger.

Your photograph of Addo Elephant National Park could win you a fabulous prize.

The Kruger National Park's counter-poaching teams got a boost with equipment to the value of R1.75 million. The donation is the result of an innovative collaboration between the SANParks Honorary Rangers and Unitrans.

The Honorary Rangers have been hard at work raising funds to support counter poaching efforts in SANParks. A new sponsorship agreement they have arranged with Unitrans Volkswagen and Audi Division will benefit the Anti-Rhino Poaching Trust.

This year volunteers gathered from far and wide at Kruger's Mopani Camp for the Honorary Rangers annual general meeting.

South Africa’s rhinos are under threat from poaching syndicates. That’s why the Honorary Rangers: Eastern Cape Region have launched an SMS campaign for the month of April to raise funds.

The Johannesburg Region of Honorary Rangers is running a photo competition and there are two digital SLR cameras up for grabs. Send in your best pictures of the national parks to stand a chance.

Shilowa you say? Yes, if you trace the Old Main Road between Letaba and Shingwedzi on a map of the Kruger National Park, you should find the name. A little known fact is that it is also the name of the third stopover on the Lebombo Eco-Trail, which is a guided 4x4 trail that runs between Crocodile Bridge in the south and Crooks Corner in the north over five days.

The fire that swept through the park at the end of 2009 devastated more than half of it. The Honorary Rangers have compiled a list of equipment for rebuilding the park; it  represents examples of pressing need, from the large to the small.

Honorary Rangers Koos Swart and Eileen & Paul van Helden report on the course of the fire at Agulhas National Park, the damage caused and what this means for the future

Every year the Honorary Rangers raise valuable funds for SANParks’ conservation efforts. But when money’s tight you can’t just hold out the collection box – a challenge the Honorary Rangers have turned into an opportunity

Every year the Honorary Rangers organise classical music concerts in the bush. This year sees the 10th anniversary.