Is a park ranger a cowboy?

In the old days, and for those who have seen a lot of cowboy movies, they must remember seeing some Texas rangers. And there are also quite a few people who hear that Aasivissuit – Nipisat who can associate Park ranger with it. We might even say that they are a little bit right, at least in the part where they both work `in the Wild’ (Danish: I det vilde, ed.) But what does a Park ranger actually do in a World Heritage area?

Christian Pihlblad Jerimiassen has been a Park ranger in Aasivissuit – Nipisat for 2 years and has experienced a bit of everything in an area that stretches from the Ice Sheet to the coast. In comparison, the area is the size of approx. 582,000 International soccer pitches.

Here in pictures he enjoys his view in his “office” as he himself likes to call it.

Park ranger on trip to Eqalugaarniarfik.

– On some days I have to pinch myself and remind myself that I am at work, and must remember to take pictures, says Park ranger Christian Pihlblad Jerimiassen.

As a Park ranger, Christian must look after the natural and cultural heritage values in Aasivissuit – Nipisat. He does this by being in the area, partly by hiking, but also by driving an ATV according to current driving regulations, as well as by advising and informing users and visitors and reacting to the development trends inside the site.

Park ranger on trip to Eqalugaarniarfik.

– On some days I have to pinch myself and remind myself that I am at work, and must remember to take pictures, says Park ranger Christian Pihlblad Jerimiassen.

As a Park ranger, Christian must look after the natural and cultural heritage values in Aasivissuit – Nipisat. He does this by being in the area, partly by hiking, but also by driving an ATV according to current driving regulations, as well as by advising and informing users and visitors and reacting to the development trends inside the site.

Christian is out monitoring nature several times a week. Especially at hunting times, he helps the hunting officers to ensure that the hunting regulations are observed.

– We observe e.g. that there are ATV tracks with illegal driving on the terrain, outside the driving regulations, these tracks must be followed up on foot and photo documented, but also (recreational) hunters who are apparently on a wild track where they have been hunting in a hunting-free area, which must also be reported, says Christian.

The park ranger’s task is, among other things, to do the work that needs to be done out in nature. Whether it’s helping researchers working in the field or simply mounting a sign in the “wild”, he’s on.

The children test a shooting blind. Next to it, “Anngannguujunnguaq’s” kayak can be seen.

Christian was in the process of establishing a children’s playground with a kayak, a tent house, meat depots and a fire pit with stones when these children came by. “Is that Anngannguujunnguaq’s place?” they asked immediately. (Anngannguaajuannguaq is a story about a boy playing at his playground with a kayak made of stone)

Aasivissuit – Nipisat consists of many cultural monuments from all cultural layers in Greenland. Christian’s job is to keep an eye on them. But this also means that he sometimes finds new cultural heritage sites on his many trips. Below you see Christian showing how shooting blinds have been used since the dawn of time.

Park ranger Christian p. Jerimiassen found, among other things, an unregistered shooting hide on the way to the ice cap.

Among other things, Christian is in the process of delving into rules, statutes and laws in order to create a hunting season’s year wheel.