Trainee ranger's role demanding and diverse

The takahe serve as Jeremy Thomas' alarm clock. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Passionate about conservation? Keen and enthusiastic and hard working? Conservation may be the job for you.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) works with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) to provide a trainee ranger programme to help prepare people for DoC roles. The course is run out of NMIT's Nelson campus with DoC supplying projects, speakers, work placements and a national liaison co-ordinator. The course attracts between 65 and 95 people and 50 are interviewed for the 20 places.

The 34-week course includes a two to four-month paid summer work placement as a temporary DoC worker within a DoC conservancy. There are several field trips throughout the course and about one day a fortnight is spent off campus putting skills into practice.

The course equips students with practical skills for working in the outdoors including fire fighting, radio use, basic fencing skills, first aid and chemical safety, basic chainsaw skills and appropriate use of vehicles such as quad bikes. They also learn about ecological diversity, conservancy administration and public relations.

At the end of the course, graduates can apply for field work employment within DoC or similar organisations or apply to enter the two-year DoC trainee ranger development programme, which leads to the level four national certificate in conservation (ranger). There are eight positions available each year.

Employment rates with DoC are high for graduates although there are no guaranteed positions at the end of the course.

GRADUATE

Jeremy Thomas
Ranger trainee and relief manager at Tiritiri Matangi Island SP
Department of Conservation (DoC)
22

Finished course mid 2008.

After the course I was lucky to get a cadetship with DoC. I wanted further training to learn more about options at DoC. During the cadetship I've been based at DoC Warkworth, which includes islands like Motuihe, Kawau and Tiritiri Matangi, where I've been a relief ranger on and off for about a year.

I did five months at Papakanui Spit with the fairy terns, which involved lots of pest control and trapping of predators, such as stoats, ferrets and cats. It also involved talking to people about the birds and asking them not to drive on shells, or camp. We also monitored the birds, recording their nesting and things like that.

Tiritiri has been great. Every week is different. At the moment I'm helping with extensions to the aviary. A lot of maintenance work is needed to keep the island ticking over and we sometimes help researchers on the island with the takahe. It also involves lots of public relations.

I've spent three months on the visitor assets team in Warkworth doing track work around places like Goat Island and Mt Auckland.

I really like the variety and physical activity. My favourite section of DoC is visitor assets, which involves maintenance such as chopping down trees, cutting tracks and tidying areas. The conservation work just tops it all off. I mean, it is pretty special being woken on Tiri at 6.30am by takahe banging on the window.

I heard about the course while doing an Auckland Regional Council summer job. I really enjoyed the work and realised it was something I'd like to do. People there suggested I look at the NMIT-DoC course.

The course was cool. The people were great and tutors were choice. It is very hands on, which I need. I don't like sitting in a classroom. Instead we were often practising how to do things. I did my placement at Nelson Lakes, which involved lots of control of weeds like gorse by spraying using quad bikes and tractors.

I start a permanent job with visitor assets in May for Auckland DoC conversancy. My cadetship finishes in July but I'm allowed to start the job early although I still have a couple of assignments to do for my level four ranger certificate.

MANAGER

Thelma Wilson
Mainland biodiversity programme manager
Department of Conservation (DoC) Warkworth

Jeremy got a cadetship which guaranteed him two years' work with us and keeps him training and completing assignments for his level four certificate.

We take on trainees of all ages and backgrounds; Jeremy is one of the younger ones.

We know if we give Jeremy a chainsaw, he'll be smiling for the next week. But we believe it's important to expose trainees to a wide variety of tasks so Jeremy has done biodiversity work, community relations work and even answered office phones.

Jeremy has great enthusiasm for his work, and gets on with everyone both in our work place and with the public. DoC rangers are often based in small communities so it is important they can get on with people and are good communicators. In many areas, like Papakanui (South Kaipara Heads), you are a DoC ranger 24/7. You need to be resilient, happy with your own company and wanting a certain lifestyle, not big money.

A good ranger has lots of common sense and is a good planner. Our work is seasonal, but we do quite a lot of reactive work - emergency responses, whale strandings, rural fires, compliancy in fishing marine reserves, dogs chasing wildlife. You also have to work in all weather.

TRAINING PLACE

Qualification: NMIT Trainee Ranger Certificate/National Certificate in Conservation (Trainee Ranger) (Level 3)

Organisation: Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology in partnership with Department of Conservation (DOC)

Phone: 0800 422 733 or 03546 9335

Email: info@nmit.ac.nz or nelson-marlboroughco@doc.govt.nz www.nmit.ac.nz or http://www.doc.govt.nz

Course costs: $5102

Entry requirement: Under 20 years NCEA Level 2 credits in maths, science or English or equivalent. Full driver's licence or working towards it. Must be eligible to work in New Zealand. CV required. Over 20 years same requirements or strong practical background. NB: Not available to international students.

Application and start dates: Applications close 31 March. Course starts late June each year. All shortlisted are interviewed late April/early May.

Ranger trainee hourly rate: $13.50 upward, depending on experience and role. Sometimes accommodation included.