On July 31, 1992, the International Ranger Federation was created with the aim of providing a space for dialogue to promote the exchange of experiences, challenges, and successes in protecting the planet’s natural heritage. Since then, we have commemorated World Ranger Day.

The Water Protection Fund, FONAG, whose mission is to protect, care for, and restore the water source ecosystems for Quito, has a team dedicated to the monitoring and surveillance of páramos and forests that supply water to the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ).

This team consists of 27 men and women who guard the water conservation areas of Antisana, Pichincha – Atacazo, Alto Pita, Noroccidente, Cerro Puntas, Chalpi, Rumipamba, Ponce – Paluguillo, and Oyacachi. Their job is to protect these sites, as the soil of the páramos retains water like a sponge and releases it during dry seasons. This is a natural process that must be preserved to ensure the residents of the DMQ have a sufficient quantity and quality of water.

In this way, the ongoing surveillance carried out by the páramo rangers greatly helps to stop the threats that harm fragile ecosystems, such as agricultural and livestock activities, and with them, fires. The profile of a FONAG páramo ranger is special. They possess extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna of water conservation areas; and of the climate behavior of the páramo, which is unique in the world, as these are ecosystems located in the tropical zone, many of them at altitudes above 3,800 meters above sea level.

They have great physical strength, skill, and agility to fight forest fires, and the ability to engage with communities living in water source ecosystems.

FONAG thanks each of its páramo rangers for watching over, guarding, protecting, and defending the páramos and forests—magical places where water is born.