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Ranger

Rangers supervise, maintain, enhance and protect conservation areas such as forests, coasts, wetlands, national parks, maritime parks, regional parks, reserves, and sites of historical or cultural importance.

Tasks & duties

Rangers may do some or all of the following:

monitor, manage and protect native wildlife and plants
control and monitor pests and weeds
carry out wildlife/plant surveys
patrol marine reserves and rescue marine animals such as whales, dolphins and seals
make or maintain tracks, toilets, huts, signs, fences and other park and reserve facilities
construct islands in rivers, lakes and lagoons
maintain and run native plant nurseries
protect and restore historic sites
work to prevent vandalism and theft
assist with search and rescue, and rural fire-fighting operations
liaise with technical experts
advise, assist and give information to visitors of parks or reserves
develop and facilitate volunteer and education programmes
build and maintain links with the local community and iwi

Specialisations

Rangers can specialise in several areas, including:

building, carpentry, or plumbing (needed for building huts and other visitor facilities at national parks)
community relations and education
biodiversity, which involves looking after plants and animals
fire-fighting in parks and reserves

Skills & knowledge

Rangers need to have a variety of skills depending on their specialisation. Practical skills they may need include:

animal and bird-handling skills
track and facility management skills
fire-fighting skills
horticulture and pest control skills
farming and animal husbandry skills

Rangers also need to have:

knowledge of park or reserve rules
an understanding of legislation relevant to conservation work
knowledge of New Zealand natural history, plants, animals and cultural issues
knowledge of outdoor recreation
bush craft, survival and first aid skills
good organisational skills
communication skills for dealing with the public and managing volunteer workers
project management skills if working in a management position

Entry requirements

To become a ranger, you usually need a National Certificate in Conservation (Trainee Ranger). The is a one-year course.

A Bachelor of Science, or a conservation or management course, may be preferred by some employers.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology website - trainee ranger certificate information

Southern Institute of Technology website - trainee ranger certificate information

Secondary education

A tertiary entrance qualification is recommended to enter tertiary training.

Useful subjects include Māori, English, biology, agricultural and horticultural science, and geography.

Training on the job

Rangers gain many of their skills on the job and/or by completing work-based training courses.

Rangers pick up new skills when changing employment locations, which gives them a chance to work in different habitats and with different types of wildlife.