World Ranger Day is celebrated on 31 July each year to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the world's natural and cultural heritage.

To mark the day, we caught up with Lew Bedford, founder of The SockStar Project to chat about the amazing work that his organisation does to support wildlife rangers.

Wildlife Rangers are critical to the success of conservation efforts. Whilst they receive weapons and technologies, often the basic welfare personal items that they need are missed.

The SockStar Project was founded to support wildlife rangers and on-the-ground conservationists by supplying them with the boots, socks or pants they need to work in comfort.

The SockStar project are striving to make a change, one sock, one boot and one ranger at a time.

How did The SockStar Project get started? 

SockStar began in such a simple, unambitious context. I discovered that through a relative, wildlife rangers were simply not fully looked after with the right equipment and basic needs. The story began where a ranger hid his feet from sight when engaging in a discussion, and subsequently explained he was embarrassed to have holes in his socks. It transformed my thinking and I knew there was something to be done.

How does the The SockStar Project work?

We raise funds through a variety of initiatives, at no cost to the organisation, meaning that 100% of funds head to the front-line of conservation, where rangers live and operate. We use these funds to channel purchasing of basic items and personal equipment to help them thrive in challenging conditions.

We supply rangers with socks, boots, feminine and dental hygiene products, and even have supplied a team with a pool table to help them relax after hard days in the field.

How is the The Sock Star Project funded and what projects are you specifically seeking funding for?

We are funded by a variety of individuals, teams and friends of the project who have been there since day one. We are also fortunate to have the support of artists such as Emily Lamb, Charlotte Williams, Alicia Van den Abeele and more who channel their creativity to support our work.

We use the funding to support our four global projects; Ulinzi (Kenya), National Park Rescue (Zim), Aaranyak (India) and Game Rangers International (Zambia).

Do you know how many rangers you have you supported?

We know that we have positively impacted the lives of 1000 rangers.

What has been your proudest moment?

I think the proudest moment has to be when we had a ranger join a strategy call from Kenya and, after realising that SockStar was helping supply him with the kit he has been using, he gave such a heartfelt thank you to us. It meant a lot.

What has been the greatest challenge?

It is incredibly hard raising funds without investing in fundraising. We do believe, however, that we shouldn’t touch funds on our end, to make sure our rangers experience our full support, and to ignite our donors’ trust in us.

What are your future plans for The Sock Star Project?

We want to grow our fundraising capabilities to scale our impacts. One of the ways we aim to do this is through telling more powerful stories of our rangers. Another is collaborating with major brands to be an end point for their products, supporting rangers can be an incredible opportunity for brands too.

Why is giving back such an important part of your life?

I and we as a community are so privileged to live lives where we can give back. I greatly appreciate the efforts rangers take to support natural infrastructure. As an environmentalist, I see no more pure way of protecting our planet than reinforcing those in the front of its enemies.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?

Patience… impacting the world does take time. We have got a bit of time to go before we will be proud of what we have accomplished.

I heard a whisper that you are planning a trip to Africa this summer to visit some of the projects that you support… what are you most looking forward to?

Unfortunately we are having to delay the trip due to COVID. ☹️

Last question… you’re stranded on a desert island and you can take just three items, what’s coming with you?

Good question - my music speaker, Birkenstocks and a case of cold beer…

You can learn more about the fantastic work of The SockStar Project here.