Being a Land and Sea Ranger
For many Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers, looking after Country and reconnecting with culture means everything. Indigenous rangers participate in training and development programs, coordinated by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, for support in achieving their career goals.
Supporting Land and Sea Rangers
Ranger work placements
The QPWS Reef Joint Field Management Program offers 6-month placements for Indigenous rangers to work alongside QPWS marine park rangers. Work placements allow Indigenous rangers to build new skills and deepen their knowledge of looking after sea country.
Watch this video to learn about Indigenous placements within the Reef Joint Field Management Program.
Women rangers
The Queensland Indigenous Womens Ranger Network (QIWRN), supported by the Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program and the Reef Trust; and coordinated by Yuku Baja Muliku Landowner & Reserves Ltd, assists Indigenous women rangers and staff from across Queensland to achieve their potential. The network provides a forum for sharing experiences, training opportunities, and enables connections across remote and isolated communities.
Rangers as leaders
The department has worked with rangers to develop a professional leadership program, focused on their needs. This two-year program builds participants' leadership skills to help them grow in their professional and personal lives. The program is delivered by a skilled First Nations trainer through a combination of on-country workshops, virtual meetings and individual coaching.
Rangers' stories
Ranger Clinton, Pormpuraaw
Meet Clinton, a proud Aboriginal man who has been working with the Pormpuraaw Land and Sea rangers for 10 years. Clinton became a ranger to better his community and works passionately every day to care for country and native flora and fauna.
He enjoys being a leader within his community and believes it is his duty to protect the land. Being a ranger also helps Clinton stay connected to country. 'Country is a part of who I am,' he says, 'It's part of my identity.'
As a Management Ranger, Clinton overseas the balance of 'lore' and 'law' in the ranger team's work. 'Lore' is the knowledge and tradition passed on from previous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander generations, whereas 'law' relates to the laws, values, and regulations of Western society.
Keeping this balance is a challenging, yet critical part of Clinton's work, as it continues Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land practices and traditions, alongside contemporary societies' values for protecting country.
Clinton greatly values the ranger network and the work they do, and he is proud to call himself a ranger.
'The influence rangers have on their communities is phenomenal, and looking back, I've also grown a lot as an individual.'
Ranger Sarah, Mapoon
Meet Sarah, a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who has worked with the Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers since 2015.
Her deep connection to country stems from her childhood when she went fishing, hunting, and gathering for food with her mother and grandparents.
Sarah says this is where her passion for country comes from, 'Just embracing the life of nature and hearing the tides and waves along this beautiful beach and getting to see how amazing our beautiful country is.'
As a Ranger Coordinator, Sarah's tasks include keeping up on the weekly work plan for the rangers and ensuring jobs on country are carried out within the requirements of the Land and Sea Ranger program.
Her job is important to her, the Elders, and the community around her, as she works tirelessly to preserve the land. She enjoys being a strong female leader in her community and the work she does to conserve country.
'Being a ranger is an awesome and deadly job to have.'
Ranger Frederick, Yarrabah
Meet Frederick, a proud Gunggandji and Mandingalbay Yidinji man who began working with the Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji (GMY) PPBC Land and Sea Ranger team in 2021. Frederick has since progressed into a Senior Ranger role and is loving it.
'I enjoy being a ranger because we receive a variety of training to develop our skills, which has taken me out of my comfort zone and my community. I enjoy all aspects of being a ranger, including the opportunity for personal development and meeting new people'.
'During my time with the GMYPPBC I have completed a Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management, a Certificate II in Coxswains (Marine Near Coastal) and my coxswains task book. This included 30 days sea time with Blue Planet Marine as part of their Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) Eradication Program in the Great Barrier Reef. I also recently obtained my Coxswain licence.'
Frederick is now a qualified diver, with Open Water Dive, Advanced Water Dive and PADI Rescue certificates under his belt. He has completed five voyages with Blue Planet Marine in the COTS dive program in as many months and is looking forward to commencing a dive internship.
'Being a ranger is an incredible job, I love working on and looking after my land and sea country for future generations. We are also mentors for our younger ones. We take on young rangers as trainees and mentor them, get them work ready.'
Fred's vision for the future in five years' time? 'I still want to be working as a ranger, meeting more people and developing more skills and qualifications to look after my land and sea country'.
Ranger Sharon, Cowley Beach
Meet Sharon, a proud Traditional Mandubarra Aboriginal woman who started as a trainee ranger with Mandubarra Land and Sea Rangers in early 2022. Sharon has progressed to a ranger position and is well on the way to completing her Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management.
'My connection to country comes from my Great Grandmother, Grandmother and Mother. Learning and living and walking on Country is a great aspiration for me, and one which is close to my heart.'
Caring and working on Country, including the islands, is a great fulfillment for Sharon, which she embraces in her work as a ranger.
'My role as a ranger includes carrying out administrative tasks such as weekly reports, and undertaking work on Country, such as looking after cultural sites, protecting endangered species, monitoring for weeds, pests and biosecurity issues and helping to educate the community.'
'I love my ranger job. To be able to care for my Country is my dream job'.