ARC Park Ranger

Name: Dan Real
Age: 33
Job Title: ARC Park Ranger
Working Hours: 40 per week (duty roster - on call 24 hours)
Employer: Auckland Regional Council
Salary: $36,000 - $61,000
Career prospects: Senior ranger or park management positions, ARC and other agencies (e.g. Department of Conservation)
Qualifications needed: Parks and recreation degree. Other practical or land management training and skills are also useful. Other qualification options include education, science and resource management.

What do you do?

As well as providing and maintaining recreational facilities and settings, rangers work hard to ensure the visitor experience is a good one.

We carry out a broad variety of tasks including track trail and campsite maintenance, structure and building maintenance, farm management and bylaw enforcement.

We also provide an emergency response service (fire and accidents to whale strandings) and search and rescue operations.

We provide information, advice and assistance to park visitors and helping them to enjoy our region's parkland.

Conservation tasks include environmental management, weed and pest animal projects, planting programmes, species monitoring and contract management.

The job also involves education, including community guided walks and talks and curriculum-based education programmes for primary and secondary students.

Much of the work involves partnerships with local communities and volunteers.

Why did you choose this job?

Every day is different - with the opportunity to have elements of responsibility and community engagement in an outdoor environment. Also, there is no traffic gridlock on the Piha road at 7.30 in the morning.

Why is this job important?

The work we do enables the public to engage in a variety of recreational pursuits in an amazing outdoors setting.

Rangers are a trusted presence. Not only are we there to look after the parkland, we look out for the park's visitors.

We are tasked with considering the recreational demands of our region and protecting valuable land for future generations.

Managing pest and plant invasions, working with community groups and assisting in search and rescue operations are also important contributions to the welfare of our region.

What is the best thing about this job?

Working in absolutely stunning west coast bush and beach settings. Most people struggle to find the time to visit many of the areas that I get to enjoy on a daily basis.

Have you seen any odd things in this job?

Where do I start? From mass whale strandings to bizarre recreational antics - many interesting things happen in parks and often when you least expect them. Possibly the oddest incident involved a tree hugging activity that lasted almost all day.

What are your strengths?

The ability to adapt to a variety of challenging situations. Enforcing bylaws on recreational activity groups, who feel they have the right to do as they please, requires a certain amount of diplomacy and tact.

Being able to work independently on a large number of varied projects on any given day. In the morning I might be overseeing a large-scale building project and after lunch taking a diverse community group on a guided walk.

What makes a good park ranger?

Having a degree and some practical ability provides a foot in the door but there is no substitute for experience. Rangers need a good all-round knowledge of the outdoors and a willingness to communicate with their community.

What is your job hunting advice?

Many have spent time in voluntary or casual positions before joining the ARC ranger staff. People should endeavour to create networks within the industry and take any opportunity that presents itself.