A GATHERING of countryside rangers took place at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus.

The National Trust gathered its countryside staff alongside colleagues and peers from organisations such as Natural England, Cumbria Rivers Trust and United Utilities to celebrate International Ranger Day.

International Ranger Day is an initiative of the International Union for Conservation and International Ranger Federation which acknowledges the work done by rangers in protecting the world's natural and cultural heritage.

Keynote speaker at the event was Gordon Miller, from the International Ranger Federation, who described the challenges faced by rangers around the world working in protected areas.

He described the ever- increasing threats including poaching, encroachment on protected areas and said that rangers in the field often pay the ultimate price for their devotion to the task.

“This past 12 months has seen over 50 rangers from 20 countries lose their lives to poachers, from others threatening their parks and accidents," said Mr Miller. "Most losses are from homicide and others from accidents that illustrate the often hazardous environment that they face, particularly in developing countries.

Event organiser Sam Stalker, Lead Ranger for the National Trust in the Western Lake District, said: “Opportunities for rangers to get together and share their professional knowledge are few and far between – we’re almost always out in the landscape we love. Days like this give us a rare chance to share our conservation knowledge. “