The Journey
A Ranger’s Mission Across Oceania
In 2022, Amanda Dudgeon — a passionate Australian park ranger — embarked on a year-long, self-funded expedition across Oceania to honour, connect, and amplify the voices of rangers. Her goal was simple but ambitious: to walk the Thin Green Line for every fallen ranger and capture the untold stories of those still standing on the frontlines of conservation, culture, and community.
Over 12 months and 95,000 kilometres, Amanda travelled through Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and New Caledonia, meeting with rangers, communities, and conservation leaders. Along the way, she filmed interviews, gave school talks, and documented some of the most remote and ecologically rich places on Earth.
Why Walk the Thin Green Line?
The “Thin Green Line” represents more than a global movement — it is a powerful symbol of the rangers who stand between nature and destruction. It is also the name of the global ranger charity which supports the welfare and safety of rangers worldwide, and provides critical aid to the families of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Over the past decade, over 1800 rangers have died while protecting the planet’s most precious places. Many have been killed by poachers or militia. Others have died in floods, fires, and remote accidents — often working without backup, adequate gear, or insurance. Their sacrifice is real and ongoing.
Each year on World Ranger Day — 31 July, we honour these fallen rangers and reflect on the risks and responsibilities carried by those who remain. It’s a day to acknowledge, remember, and recommit to supporting those on the frontline of conservation.
Amanda’s journey — Walking the Thin Green Line — began and ended on World Ranger Day, symbolically spanning one full year of remembrance and action. Along the way, she hiked 1,610 km — one kilometre for every ranger on the International Ranger Federation Roll of Honour since 2009. Every step was walked in tribute. Every kilometre a quiet act of recognition.
Through this journey, Amanda raised funds for the Thin Green Line Foundation’s Oceania Fund, which supports Indigenous and community rangers across the Pacific and contributes to the Fallen Ranger Fund — offering emergency support to families and teams affected by these losses.
Goals of the Expedition
Walking the Thin Green Line set out to:
Connection, Collaboration & Culture
The expedition highlighted the strength, diversity, and challenges of the ranger profession across the Pacific — from community rangers protecting customary land and culture in the Solomons, to Indigenous ranger teams caring for Country in remote central Australia, to youth rangers restoring coastal habitats in Tonga.
What Amanda discovered was a shared sense of purpose: a fierce commitment to protecting not just nature, but stories, heritage, and community. Yet, many rangers work in isolation, with limited training, resources, or opportunities to connect beyond their park boundaries.
Walking the Thin Green Line became a platform for building bridges between ranger teams, organisations, cultures, and nations — and for championing the need for greater recognition, support, and collaboration across the region.
From Expedition to Film
The hundreds of hours of interviews and footage gathered on the road became the foundation of Guardians of Hope — a feature documentary celebrating the spirit, strength, and stories of Oceania’s rangers. The film is a natural extension of the journey: a tribute to those who dedicate their lives to protecting nature and culture, and a call to action for all of us to stand alongside them.
Legacy & the Oceania Fund
Funds raised through the journey support a dedicated Oceania Fund within the Thin Green Line. This fund backs ranger-led initiatives across the region, including:
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Ranger-to-ranger training and exchange
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Support for First Nations and Indigenous ranger associations
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Access to equipment and remote area training
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Participation in global events like the World Ranger Congress
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Youth education, community outreach, and more
Explore the Journey
Want to retrace Amanda’s route? See where the expedition travelled, explore field notes, and view behind-the-scenes moments on the PolarSteps journey log.
You can also explore media coverage, interviews and podcasts featuring Amanda and the expedition here.
Includes message highlighting Walk the Thin Green Line Expedition.