TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To demonstrate the skills needed to put out fires and conduct rescues, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency held a special skills competition on Wednesday (July 31) on World Ranger Day.

The activity was held in Shilin’s Meilun Park, bringing together elite teams from eight regional forestry branches. The competition featured four areas: physical fitness, fire extinguishing, wood sawing, and forestry knowledge. The competition was fun and lighthearted and served as a way to demonstrate the abilities of professional forest rangers across Taiwan, per CNA.

Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Director-General Lin Hua-ching (林華慶) said forest rangers encounter challenges on patrols, such as bee stings, bad weather, and living away from their families. Furthermore, they often encounter timber poachers and face life-threatening challenges when forest fires, typhoons, and landslides occur. For this reason, they must be familiar with relevant government regulations and know the mountains. 

Each of the elite forest ranger teams demonstrated first-class professional abilities. They could inspire future generations of young people to become forest rangers.

Another benefit of the event was the opportunity for forest rangers who typically work in remote locations to come together as a community and share their professional skills. Such activities also helped with team building and the sharing of knowledge to better protect Taiwan’s precious mountains and forests.