Volunteers ensure that there is something for everyone in our parks
This year the theme of National Volunteer Week is ‘Something for Everyone’ and the volunteers that walk alongside Parks and Wildlife Division staff help us ensure that our parks and reserves are ready to welcome visitors from around the world.
Last week was National Volunteer Week, a time when we celebrate the incredible people who volunteer alongside NT Parks and Wildlife staff, helping to look after some of the most significant and spectacular landscapes in Australia.
Whether it’s the many volunteer groups taking precious time out of their busy schedules to work on specific projects, volunteer campground hosts and caretakers spending weeks at a time welcoming visitors from around the world, or individual volunteers working alongside Rangers, sharing their enthusiasm and experiences while learning new skills, volunteers are very much part of the fabric of our parks and reserves.
Celebrating the contributions of our NT Parks and Wildlife volunteers has always been an easy call, and this year’s National Volunteer Week theme of ‘something for everyone’ rings true when we think about the contributions that our volunteers make.
Taking time out of your life, week after week, to give back to your community takes real commitment. With projects ranging from plant propagation at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens to food preparation at the Alice Springs Desert Park, track maintenance along some of the most remote hiking trails in Australia, the management of weeds of national significance or the protection of important dune stabilising plant communities, members of volunteer groups work together to achieve great things. Activities usually take place on the weekends or on specific days, making it easier to fit volunteering into busy lives. The range of activities undertaken by volunteer group members means that there will always be something for everyone to do.
The contributions of our volunteer campground hosts and caretakers go well beyond the basics of campground maintenance. For many people, camping in a remote area park is an entirely new experience. Whether its important safety information, tips that make for a memorable adventure or simply a friendly face in a brand new place our volunteers make sure that everyone is welcome and that visitors from around the world feel comfortable and supported in what can at times be a challenging environment.
Sometimes volunteers work directly alongside Rangers in the field. They might be students taking up an opportunity to gain invaluable field experience as they work their way towards a rewarding career in land management. They might be people with a lifetime of experience to share, or someone with a specialist skill set to contribute to the success of a particular project. Our volunteers provide enthusiastic helping hands while also reminding us of the importance of lifelong learning and a sustainable future for our parks, helping us to ensure that these special places are there for the whole community for ever.
Whether you are a volunteer or work alongside a volunteer, we would like to say thank you. The collective contribution you make to our parks and reserves means that there will always be ‘something for everyone’ in the incredible landscapes that we are fortunate enough to call home.
