Real skills. Real confidence. Real impact.
The Parks Connect Cadet Ranger program provides teens aged 13–17 with hands-on conservation experiences, ecological skills training, and citizen science activities that will deepen their connection with Queensland’s protected areas.
Challenge yourself, make friends and learn valuable skills in these cumulative 1.5-hr sessions that will help set you on a pathway for a rewarding career in biodiversity management!
Working collaboratively from QPWS Gateway Visitor Centres, or from within select SEQ national parks as part of Park of the Month, you’ll have fun outdoors while also picking up handy know-how, such as:
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how to set wildlife camera traps
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how to conduct acoustic monitoring or environmental surveys
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how to detect and report threatened species
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and other useful skills, like navigation, bushcraft and first aid in the wild.
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
“ROAMING” CADET RANGERS
Enhance your skills with this ongoing program of discovery in some of SEQ’s most stunning places. Spend time in Qld’s national parks while you learn all about the crucial role Rangers play in conserving threatened species. See below to book. Image: NPAQ/Parks Connect
Check out what’s on for our Cadet Rangers. Click on the images below to book.
CADET RANGERS 13–17 YEARS AT WALKABOUT CREEK DISCOVERY CENTRE (ENOGGERA RESERVOIR)
Learn all about botany at this FREE Cadet Ranger (ages 13–17) BIODIVERSITY INSIGHTS event at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre..
Biodiversity is everywhere if you know where to look!
This FREE Cadet Ranger (ages 13 to 17) BOTANY INSIGHTS session at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre is your chance to get outside and investigate the plant life around you. Led by David Jinks from Gold Coast Botany, you’ll explore what biodiversity really means, why it matters and how to identify the species living right there at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre.
It’s not every day that you can learn from an acclaimed botanist who discovered an ancient rainforest species that’s now named in his honour – Eucryphia jinksii! Whether you’re into conservation, horticulture, or just love being outdoors, there’s something in this session for you! You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the living world and the skills to keep exploring long after the session wraps up.
CADET RANGERS 13–17 YEARS AT DAVID FLEAY WILDLIFE PARK (BURLEIGH HEADS)
Sign your teen up for a FREE botany session at this Cadet Ranger (ages 13–17) BOTANY INSIGHTS event at David Fleay Wildlife Park.
Teens, how well do you really know the plants around you?
This FREE Cadet Ranger (ages 13 to 17) BOTANY INSIGHTS session at David Fleay Wildlife Park (Burleigh Heads) challenges you to look at the natural world through the eyes of someone who has spent a lifetime studying it. Guided by David Jinks from Gold Coast Botany, a professional field botanist with decades of experience, you will investigate what biodiversity means and why it is critical to the health of our ecosystems, and then explore the remarkable diversity of plant types and species found throughout the park.
David’s passion for plants and the landscapes they shape is contagious, so whether you’re looking to get more into botany, or simply love being outdoors, we’d love to see you at this Parks Connect BOTANY INSIGHTS session.
Looking for family fun where you can attend events with your Cadet Ranger teen?
Save the date for our PARK OF THE MONTH events! Each month, we run a series of fun outdoor activities in a SEQ National Park or Conservation Park. Tickets for these FREE events are available from the start of each new month and sell out fast, so don’t miss out.
Parks Connect is proudly supported through funding from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
