Help Rally for Rangers Protect Peru

Around the world, critically important natural and cultural resources are under constant threat. Wildlife and rare plants are routinely poached. Illegal mining, development, and illicit drug trade devastates landscapes. Cultural antiquities are stolen or damaged. Often the only thing standing between the permanent loss of this natural and cultural heritage is a sole park ranger. And all too often that ranger is ill-equipped to protect against those threats. Your support can change that.

 

My name is Mike and I'm raising money for an organization called Rally for Rangers (RFR). Rally for Rangers is a non-profit whose mission is to protect the world’s special places like national parks, sanctuaries, and wildlife refuges one ranger at a time. Since its founding in 2014, Rally for Rangers has delivered more than 100 brand new off-road motorcycles to over a dozen parks in developing countries. Rally for Rangers provides park rangers with reliable off-road transportation so they can safely and effectively do their job of protecting precious public lands. This year, I’ll be joining RFR as they visit Peru for the first time.

 

How Does It Work?

In May of this year, 15 international volunteers will be delivering Honda XR190L motorcycles to park rangers in Peru. We will fly into Lima and ride 1,000 miles through the mountains and jungles of Peru to Puerto Maldonado. Along the way we’ll visit several national parks and protected areas to help raise awareness for conservation efforts. Once we reach our final destination, each rider will donate the motorcycle they rode to a park ranger. This international showing of support for what these rangers do day-in and day-out elevates and validates their incredibly important work.

 

 

Why Motorcycles?

Peru, a country about twice the size of Texas, is rugged and mountainous in the west and dominated by the Amazon basin in the east. Many of Peru’s roads and highways are unpaved and can be difficult to navigate in larger vehicles, but motorcycles provide an effective means of navigating these tough conditions. The use of motorcycles allows rangers to patrol much more area than they can today and access hard to reach locations. Peru is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, and approximately 15% of the country’s land is dedicated to natural protected areas, including 12 national parks, 9 national sanctuaries, 3 wildlife refuges, and many others.

 

How Will the Donation Be Used?

My goal is to raise $5,500 and I will match all donations made dollar for dollar. The total cost of the rally for each participant is $10,750, all of which goes directly to Rally for Rangers to cover the purchase of the motorcycle ($5,500 – your contributions) and for in-country logistics and support staff costs for the rally ($5,250 – my contribution). Your donations will not be used to cover the costs of my personal travel (flights to/from Peru, travel insurance, miscellaneous expenses, etc.).

 

All donations to Rally for Rangers are tax-deductible through its financial partner, the Mongol Ecology Center (EIN: 45-5176897), a 501(c)3 non-governmental organization.

 

Read more on how motorcycles help environmental preservation at: www.rallyforrangers.org