Our Year 10 Science students are investigating endangered species and biosecurity so we reached out to former Timboon P-12 School student, Abbey Ralph, who is now a Graduate Ranger at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. After a gap year, Abbey enrolled in a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Deakin University where she discovered a new passion and drive for land based environmental science. During her course Abbey volunteered at wildlife sanctuaries and parks before determining that she wanted to one day return to work in Tasmania. COVID restrictions made interships difficult so Abbey applied for an Honours year and, as a non-academic person, she knew she was up for a challenge, but couldn’t wait to start a fourth year of study in an area that really interested her. Abbey’s research year took her to the Grampians National Park where she studied the abundance and distribution of the Long-Nosed Potoroo and the Southern Brown Bandicoot. This research was critical as bandicoots have not been seen in the landscape since 2013 and potoroos not since 2010. Camera traps and vegetation surveys helped establish where they were sited in the Grampians and also determined the number and type of predators in their environment. Abbey worked with Parks Victoria and was able to apply her environmental management skills into practise in real world situations. Abbey now has her dream job as a Gradate Ranger at Cradle Mountain where she is involved in park maintenance, talking to visitors, reviewing permits, walking the walking tracks, project planning, firefighting, helicopter operations, supporting search and rescues and volunteer programs. She is planning for her next adventure, potentially working at Macquarie Island before embarking to the Antarctic one day. Abbey’s takeaway messages were: You don’t have to be the smartest cookie in the jar to get where you want to be, Build a network of people through working in related fields and volunteering, You don’t need to have everything figured out when you leave school, Anyone can be a park ranger if you love the outdoors. Thanks Abbey Comments are closed.
|
Archives
March 2024
|