Gain valuable, transferable skills as a Cadet Ranger …

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, you’ll have fun outdoors while also picking up handy know-how, such as:

  • how to set wildlife camera traps

  • how to conduct acoustic monitoring or environmental surveys

  • how to detect and report threatened species

  • 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

Learn all about Park Rangering in a bushland oasis that includes a wildlife centre, short walking and mountain biking trails, a shady 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
CADET RANGERS at POTM

Enhance your skills with an ongoing program of discovery in some of SEQ’s most stunning places. Spend time in Qld’s National Parks while you learn more about the crucial role Rangers play in conserving threatened species.  Image: NPAQ/Parks Connect

Check out what’s on for our Cadet Rangers in November. Bookings open soon.

CADET RANGERS 13–17 YEARS AT WALKABOUT CREEK DISCOVERY CENTRE (ENOGGERA RESERVOIR)

 

Learn active skills & be prepared

Develop the preparedness skills that Rangers and outdoor experts rely on when things get wild in the bush, in this WILD SKILLS Cadet Ranger session (ages 13–17). 

This November, Scott Poad from ReWild You is putting Cadet Rangers to the test.

Cadets will learn everything from:

  • stocking an emergency survival kit

  • sourcing safe water in the wild

  • getting proficient at rigging up shelter

  • nailing the right knots, and

  • applying a snakebite bandage correctly.

This active preparedness and survival skills session puts skills into practice, encouraging Cadets to work as a team to complete each challenge. Walk away with the confidence to make smart decisions in the field, using must-have skills for any Ranger or conservationist! 

Wear a hat and enclosed shoes for this fully supervised session that is part of the Parks Connect Cadet Ranger program.

BOOKINGS OPEN NOW ON EVENTBRITE

CADET RANGERS 13–17 YEARS AT DAVID FLEAY WILDLIFE PARK (BURLEIGH HEADS)

 

Do you have the bushcraft skills it takes to handle an unexpected event?

Learn some OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS from Scott Poad from ReWild You!

Cadet Rangers will get up to speed with the practical outdoor skills every explorer, bushwalker or future Ranger needs.

You’ll gain hands-on experience in:

  • building an emergency survival kit

  • safely sourcing food and water

  • creating overnight shelter

  • tying secure knots, and

  • applying a snakebite bandage yourself.

Far more than just a demo, you’ll be actively working as a team to complete these challenges and gain vital skills.  

Wear a hat and enclosed shoes for this fully supervised session that is part of the Parks Connect Cadet Ranger program.

BOOKINGS OPEN NOW ON EVENTBRITE.

ReWild You embraces the spirit of adventure and the beauty of nature, encouraging everyone to reconnect with the wild within. Their engaging workshops provide essential skills and knowledge to foster a deep connection with the natural world.

Looking for family fun where you can attend events with your teen?

Check out our PARK OF THE MONTH events! Each month, we run a series of fun outdoor activities in a SEQ National Park or Conservation Park. Hurry, tickets for these FREE events sell out fast. Sign up to our collection on Eventbrite to ensure you get notifications each month. 

 

Parks Connect is proudly supported through funding from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.