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 how to nature journal at this FREE Cadet Ranger (ages 13–17) WILD PAGES event at Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre..
Admire the beauty of nature and “write your own world”!
This WILD PAGES session will inspire teens to slow down, observe, and connect with the natural world that surrounds Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre (Enoggera Reservoir). Guided by Jen and Chloe from Hooray for Nature, Cadets will explore their surroundings and record what they find, noticing the finer details that make nature so remarkable.
Cadets will channel their observations into a beautiful, folded concertina book, building skills in creative thinking, language use, and attention to detail. Just like nature, there are no wrong answers – just genuine curiosity, self expression, and the joy of being present in the moment.
CADET RANGERS 13–17 YEARS AT DAVID FLEAY WILDLIFE PARK (BURLEIGH HEADS)
Sign your teen up for a FREE immersive nature art class at this Cadet Ranger (ages 13–17) ECO ARTISTRY event at David Fleay Wildlife Park.
Teens, it’s time to brush up on your nature-based art skills!
This ECO ARTISTRY watercolour session will inspire teens to connect with beauty of the natural world. At David Fleay Wildlife Park, Cadets will first explore their surroundings, noticing nature’s colours, textures and shapes. Then, guided by artist Chantelle Hicks from By Jove Creative, they’ll learn foundational watercolour techniques, such as blending, layering and brush control.
Just like nature, we’re not aiming for perfection, but rather embracing the natural flow of the medium with a focus on creative expression, confidence-building and enjoying the process.
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.
