Doc rangers

The Department of Conservation has more than 1000 rangers, or frontline staff, nationally and about 175 in the southern South Island region, of which Wanaka is a part.

Doc rangers work in conservation areas from the subtropical Kermadecs to the subantarctic Islands and do a wide range of work in programmes to protect our biodiversity (such as controlling predators and invasive weeds and caring for threatened species), look after places, visitor infrastructure (tracks, huts and campsites) and heritage sites, and work with communities. There is no one job description. There are biodiversity rangers, recreation and historic rangers, community rangers, partnership rangers and predatorfree community rangers.

Doc directorgeneral Lou Sanson says:

‘‘Rangers are at the core of what Doc does. They are out there yearround, in all conditions, looking after our native species and special places that make New Zealand unique and enabling New Zealanders and overseas visitors to enjoy and appreciate these places. Our rangers service New Zealand’s large network of national parks and other conservation areas, marine reserves and huts, campsites and tracks, and work in programmes to save threatened species and restore ecosystems. They also play a key role in our work with iwi, community groups and businesses to achieve more for conservation than Doc could achieve alone. More than this, as the public face of Doc, rangers are important ambassadors for protecting our nature.’’