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Rangers
Rangers supervise, maintain and protect conservation areas such as forests, coasts, wetlands, national parks, maritime parks, regional parks and reserves. They also work in sites of historical or cultural importance.
Tasks may include:
• informing visitors
• protecting and restoring historic sites
• controlling and monitoring pests and weeds
• making or maintaining tracks, toilets, huts, signs, fences and other park and reserve facilities
• rescuing whales, dolphins and seals
• building and maintaining links with the local community and iwi
• developing and running volunteer and education programmes
• helping with search and rescue, and rural fire-fighting operations
• maintaining and running native plant nurseries.
Skills and knowledge
Rangers need a variety of skills depending on the position they hold. Practical skills may include fire-fighting, animal and bird handling, track and facility management, horticulture and pest control, and farming skills.
Rangers also need to have:
• knowledge of outdoor recreation
• an understanding of legislation relevant to conservation work
• bush craft, survival and first aid skills
• knowledge of New Zealand natural history, plants, animals and cultural issues
• good organisational skills
• communication skills for dealing with the public and managing volunteer workers
• project management skills if working in a management position.
Personal qualities
To be a ranger you need to be friendly, patient and helpful when dealing with the public. You should be adaptable, practical, safety conscious, and able to remain calm in emergencies. You also need to be motivated and able to work independently or as part of a team.
Career progression
There are opportunities for rangers to work as technical specialists, in areas such as threats, (possums and goats, marine mammals, mainland islands), biodiversity assets (protected species) and visitor assets (huts and campgrounds).
