A handful of rangers protect one of the most important reefs in the world. They hang out together for months far from their families. They must take care not to run out of gas for boating. Their drinking water gets low. Rising oceans nip away at the tiny island where their station sits. 

On the plus side? The fishing here is amazing. And they’re the only people allowed to do it. 

Helen Reef is a 40-square-mile atoll at the southern limit of Palau. Palau is an island country in the western Pacific Ocean. (An atoll is a ring-shaped island. It’s usually made of coral and often develops over an undersea volcanic opening.)

Precious animals and plants live in Helen Reef. Napoleon wrasse. Bumphead parrotfish. Hawksbill sea turtles. Sea cucumbers. And much more. Over 500 other fish species, giant clams, sharks, rays, and hundreds of hard and soft coral species thrive in these protected waters. Above, the sky hosts thousands of birds. Green sea turtles lay eggs on the beach.

Wouldn’t you love to see such a place? So would poachers! They don’t want only to see though. They also want to take from it.

That’s where the Hatohobei State Rangers come in. Four rangers scratch out a life on tiny Helen Island for three months at a time. They guard the living creatures from poachers.

Hercules Emilio has been a ranger for 17 years. “It’s a reef our ancestors used to go to and harvest food for the community,” he says.

The rangers take a two-day boat journey to get here. They bring gasoline, food, toilet paper, lumber, batteries, dog food, and more supplies.

When they aren’t patrolling the reef, the rangers make repairs on the station and surrounding buildings. They care for their chickens and wisely hunt shorebirds for eggs and meat. 

Why? Wisdom includes protecting natural resources that God provides for generations of people and animals.