The Parks Connect Cadet Ranger program provides teens aged 13–18 with hands-on conservation experiences, ecological skills training, and citizen science activities that will deepen their connection with Queensland’s protected areas.
Develop real-world skill in these cumulative 1.5–2-hr sessions to set yourself on a pathway for a rewarding career in biodiversity management!
Working collaboratively from within national parks or QPWS Gateway Visitor Centres, you’ll discover how to use camera traps, mapping, acoustic monitoring and environmental surveys to detect and report threatened species. Through fun, hands-on activities and interactions with Park Rangers, Traditional Owners and committed conservationists, Parks Connect Cadet Rangers gain valuable insights into how to manage and preserve protected areas for future generations.
Choose from a range of Cadet Ranger events at QPWS Gateway Visitor Centres or within national parks and protected areas in South East Queensland.
WALKABOUT CREEK DISCOVERY CENTRE
You’ll be learning all about Park Rangering in a bushland oasis that includes a wildlife centre, short walking and mountain biking trails, a shady deck cafe, and picturesque Enoggera Reservoir for swimming and paddling. Image: NPAQ/Parks Connect
DAVID FLEAY WILDLIFE PARK
Stroll the shady boardwalks of this 7.5-acre enclosed fauna reserve on the Gold Coast where Cadet Rangers will be able to learn the tips of the trade working alongside Park Rangers. Image: Ian Wilkinson © Queensland Govt
ON-PARK CADET RANGERS
From May to October 2025, enhance your skills with this ongoing program of discovery. Spend time in Qld’s stunning national parks while you learn all about the crucial role Rangers play in conserving threatened species. See below to book. Image: NPAQ/Parks Connect
Please note that there will be no Parks Connect Cadet Ranger event at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre for October, as Bellbird Grove, D’Aguilar NP, is just 4 km from WCDC. We urge parents/guardians to book in for the Roaming Cadet Ranger “Weather Watchers” event HERE for October instead.
ROAMING CADET RANGERS 13–18 YEARS AT BELLBIRD GROVE, D’AGUILAR NP (Park of the Month)
Click on the image to book.
Our Roaming Cadet Rangers (ages 13–18) will learn why keeping an eye on the sky is so crucial for Rangers, how microclimates affect the day-to-day temperature and conditions in some of Queensland’s favourite parks, and how weather can determine a Ranger’s daily tasks.
They’ll examine fire danger ratings and how hot, dry weather will change certain ecosystems and species that operate within a narrow preferred temperature range. Cadets, let’s get weather watching!
BOOK ONLINE TODAY at Eventbrite.
CADET RANGERS 13–18 YEARS AT DAVID FLEAY WILDLIFE PARK (BURLEIGH HEADS)
Cadet Rangers, become Meteorology Masters!
As the days get warmer and stormier, we ask: Do you know how to identify clouds and interpret what they might mean for the weather? How about telling which way the wind is blowing or how long it might be until sunset? What might Rangers have to do to protect species and visitors on-park in times of trying weather?
Cadet Ranger Weather Watchers will learn why keeping an eye on the sky is so crucial for Rangers, how microclimates affect the day-to-day temperature and conditions in some of Queensland’s favourite parks, and how weather can determine a Ranger’s daily tasks. They’ll examine fire danger ratings and how hot, dry weather will change certain ecosystems and species that operate within a narrow preferred temperature range. Cadets, let’s get weather watching!
Booking online HERE.
Parks Connect is proudly supported through funding from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
