Since 2022, the Caucasus Nature Fund has marked World Ranger Day by honouring outstanding rangers and local community representatives whose dedication and professional achievements make an exceptional contribution to protecting Georgia’s biodiversity and natural heritage.
Through these annual awards, CNF aims to recognize their achievements, strengthen motivation and support the continued professional development of rangers.
The CNF Awards are presented in four categories, each recognizing an important area of work that supports nature conservation across Georgia’s protected areas:
The Vano Kupradze Award honors outstanding dedication in responding to forest fires and other natural disasters.
The Nugzar Zazanashvili Award recognizes significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and monitoring.
The Merab Arevadze Award honors exceptional dedication to combating poaching and other illegal activities.
The Giorgi Arabuli Award recognizes local community representatives for their outstanding contribution to protected areas and biodiversity conservation.
Candidates are nominated by the administrations of protected areas and protected landscapes. Each year, an independent evaluation committee, composed of representatives of partner organizations and experts with in-depth knowledge of Georgia’s protected areas, assesses the nominees individually. The winners are selected based on the combined results of these individual evaluations.
Beyond recognizing individual achievements, the awards reflect CNF’s appreciation for all rangers and local community representatives whose daily work, commitment and dedication are essential to safeguarding Georgia’s unique nature and biodiversity.
CNF congratulates the 2026 award recipients and expresses its appreciation to all those who contribute to preserving Georgia’s natural heritage for future generations.
