World Female Ranger Week 2026

In the Great Plains Foundation’s Female Ranger Programme, for Katlego, conservation is not simply a profession. It is a responsibility to protect the place she calls home. It is a call to promote coexistence.

Born and raised in the eastern panhandle of the Okavango Delta, Katlego grew up surrounded by wildlife, waterways, and the realities of living alongside nature. Today, as a member of Great Plains Foundation’s Female Ranger Programme, she is helping protect one of Africa’s most important ecosystems while inspiring more women to see a future for themselves in conservation.

Katlego joined the programme with a background in Occupational Health and Safety and a desire to make a meaningful contribution to both her community and the environment.

“I became a Ranger to protect my community and wildlife,” she explains. “I joined Great Plains Foundation to use my skills for conservation and coexistence on the ground.”

The Female Ranger Programme was established to create opportunities for women living alongside wildlife while strengthening conservation efforts in Botswana and Zimbabwe. In 2025, the programme expanded to 19 women working across protected landscapes, supporting wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.

For Katlego, the work is deeply personal. “It means protecting home,” she says. “The Delta and its wildlife are part of who I am, and keeping them safe is my responsibility.”

Working in the field has reinforced the importance of every patrol, observation, and community interaction. One of the moments that continues to motivate her is seeing endangered species moving safely through areas monitored by ranger teams.

“Seeing endangered species safe and calm in an area we patrol reminded me that our work gives them space to live and thrive.”

While many people see only the beauty of the Okavango Delta, Katlego understands the challenges involved in protecting it. Rangers regularly work through difficult weather conditions, navigate human-wildlife conflict, and support efforts to combat illegal activities that threaten wildlife and natural resources. Yet despite these challenges, she remains focused on the future.

“I hope my grandchildren hear lions, see elephants and wild dogs instead of hearing only stories about them.”

Katlego’s background in Occupational Health and Safety has also influenced the way she approaches conservation. She helps keep field operations safe while supporting wildlife monitoring and community engagement efforts designed to reduce conflict between people and wildlife.

Her role increasingly combines traditional fieldwork with technology. Across our conservation landscapes, digital tools such as EarthRanger and Starlink connectivity are transforming how Rangers operate, helping teams collect and analyse data, monitor wildlife movements, coordinate patrols, and respond more effectively to incidents in remote areas.

“EarthRanger helps us track wildlife and log incidents in real time, while Starlink keeps us connected in remote areas so we can respond faster and coordinate better.”

These technological advances are critical to modern conservation. Effective wildlife protection today depends not only on dedicated people on the ground, but also on the systems, equipment, connectivity, and training that enable them to make informed decisions in real time. Investments in digital conservation tools strengthen our ability to protect wildlife, support communities, and monitor vast landscapes such as the Okavango Delta.

For Katlego, however, she notes that technology alone is not enough. She believes successful conservation depends on local communities having the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to become active participants in protecting the landscapes they depend on.

“When locals are empowered with tools and knowledge, protection becomes lasting.”

As a woman working in a traditionally male-dominated field, Katlego hopes her journey helps create new opportunities for others.

“It means showing that women belong on the frontlines, protecting home with strength and care.”

She credits the women in her community, particularly her mother and the women of her home village who live alongside wildlife every day, with inspiring her resilience and commitment to the land.

Through her work, she hopes young girls can see conservation not as something distant, but as a pathway they can choose for themselves.

“Your voice matters. Protecting the Delta starts with you. Be bold, be proud, be part of it.”

She believes in pursuing human-wildlife coexistence. It is a belief reflected in her work every day, protecting wildlife while supporting communities, preserving landscapes while creating opportunities, and ensuring future generations inherit a healthy and thriving Okavango Delta.

Beyond patrols and field operations, opportunities that strengthen teamwork and resilience play an important role in supporting ranger wellbeing.

Recently, Katlego joined fellow rangers at the Diacore Gaborone Marathon, where more than 11,000 participants came together in a shared celebration of movement, endurance, and community. For Ranger teams working across some of Botswana’s most remote and ecologically important landscapes, the event offered a rare opportunity to connect outside of their daily responsibilities.

“In the field we rely on each other for survival, but we’re usually focused, spread out, under pressure,” she says. “At the marathon, we struggle differently, cramping, laughing, pushing each other to finish. You see your teammate’s grit when there’s no elephant or poacher, just 10km. It builds trust. We leave knowing that if they won’t quit on the road, they won’t quit on patrol.”

For Katlego, the experience highlighted that conservation depends not only on technical skills and field knowledge but also on strong relationships, mutual support, and a shared purpose.

“It’s the one time we’re not carrying radios, just water bottles. We remember we’re human together, not just colleagues.”

The lessons she has learned through conservation extend beyond wildlife protection. 

“The land taught me patience. Nothing in the bush is rushed. Animals don’t show up on your schedule. Tracks fade if you panic. You learn to watch, listen, and move when the moment is right. That applies to life too, force nothing, observe everything. That’s Ranger life.”

The future of conservation depends on people who are willing to protect it. To learn more about the Female Ranger Programme, visit our Female Ranger Programme page. If you would like to support this work or get involved, please contact info@greatplainsfoundation.org.

Thank you to our donors, supporters, and Earth Partners for making this programme possible through their continued investment in biodiversity conservation and women’s empowerment. We are especially grateful to the National Geographic Society for supporting our Female Biodiversity Rangers and helping create lasting benefits for both people and the planet.