Indianinoz Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I'm a Chartered Accountant from India and pursuing CPA Australia. We plan to land in Australia by December this year. Though I'm an accountant/audit/taxation guy, I'm deeply interested in nature. Staying close to nature(forests or if not then farms) is something that I desire to do for some part of my life(say 3 to 5 years). Now the best occupation for me seems to become a forest ranger. What are the qualification requirements for becoming a forest ranger? The other and more practical approach seems to become a farm manager and accountant qualifications for which I already have. Also, which state and city would you recommend for us to settle in? We're trying to zero in on Hobart in Tasmania since we believe Hobart is a nice blend of the city and rural Australia and Tasmania we believe is the best state for wilderness. Are we correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I work with park rangers for Queensland Parks and Wildlife a lot. Most of them have some form of qualification relevant to the post, or experience in carpentry or trades (they spend a lot of time repairing access, building lookouts etc). I know graduates who have been taken on with archaeology and botany degrees, it's a highly competitive job market right now. There's always a need for volunteers; I would say that your chances are slim in getting in with one of the government-run agencies (how fussy private people are for groundsmen and forestry professionals I can't say). Get an accountancy job, do a lot of volunteering and when you've got some experience, try out for a post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Now the best occupation for me seems to become a forest ranger. What are the qualification requirements for becoming a forest ranger? This is the career information provided by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service which shows the range of qualifications needed. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7492 The other type of "forest ranger" is in the forests for timber industry. For that you need a specialised university degree - usually a Bachelor of Science specialising in Forest Science and Management. The other and more practical approach seems to become a farm manager and accountant qualifications for which I already have. Farm managers either grow up on farms and take over the family farming business and/or complete a university degree in Agricultural Science and follow that up with a lot of practical on-farm experience. It's a life time vocation of practical training. Tasmania has the highest proportion of wilderness of the Australian states but there are others - for example Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria - which have significant forest reserves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Apart from all that, you take your life in your hands in Tassy forests with those mad logging truck drivers coming round every bend at 100K...............was nearly wiped out twice when we visited (worth it though and I'm going back) but,.....stay at your desk.......you'll live longer :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 This is the career information provided by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service which shows the range of qualifications needed. http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7492 The other type of "forest ranger" is in the forests for timber industry. For that you need a specialised university degree - usually a Bachelor of Science specialising in Forest Science and Management. Farm managers either grow up on farms and take over the family farming business and/or complete a university degree in Agricultural Science and follow that up with a lot of practical on-farm experience. It's a life time vocation of practical training. Tasmania has the highest proportion of wilderness of the Australian states but there are others - for example Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria - which have significant forest reserves. 1) Actually I did see that Tasmanian forests requirement page earlier too. Now when I go to the website of University of Tasmania, the only course which I believe could be helpful is the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies. Will this help? The full time course appears to be of 3 years and part time of 7 years. Maybe my only hope is to get it done part time since I already have a wife so a family to take care of. EDIT: There also appears to be one Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (Honours) which is only of 1 year. Does this help? 2) I have seen certain farms that require an accountant who also assist in managerial roles. I also have some farming experience from India. I wwoofed at a farm for 4 months which grew vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, oilseeds and dairy. Plus lots of passion. 3) Just asking: Is Northern Territory not based wilderness based? I heard the 2 most biggest national parks of Australia are in that state. Also, the population density of the same is somewhere around 0.2 persons per sq.km. Are there not forests in that state? Or is it all desert which is not counted as forest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 I work with park rangers for Queensland Parks and Wildlife a lot. Most of them have some form of qualification relevant to the post, or experience in carpentry or trades (they spend a lot of time repairing access, building lookouts etc). I know graduates who have been taken on with archaeology and botany degrees, it's a highly competitive job market right now. There's always a need for volunteers; I would say that your chances are slim in getting in with one of the government-run agencies (how fussy private people are for groundsmen and forestry professionals I can't say). Get an accountancy job, do a lot of volunteering and when you've got some experience, try out for a post. Is there a scheme where I could volunteer forests on weekends and earn some money plus get some experience as well? I assume even rangers only around 40 hours a week so they would get weekends off. Can I not work every Saturday or Sunday for 8 hours a day in one of these forests as a ranger and earn some money plus get some experience as well? Is this what you mean by volunteering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Is there a scheme where I could volunteer forests on weekends and earn some money plus get some experience as well? I assume even rangers only around 40 hours a week so they would get weekends off. Can I not work every Saturday or Sunday for 8 hours a day in one of these forests as a ranger and earn some money plus get some experience as well? Is this what you mean by volunteering? Forgive me if I have the wrong impression but your emphasis seems to be on "earning some money". As a volunteer, your emphasis just doesn't fit with the "psyche" of forestry management, or indeed, any voluntary organisation. I appreciate that you are from a different country with different values/ standards/emphasis but I feel that all your posts so far, in this and other threads, have emphasis on your needs and not what the country needs from you. That's OK, research is good, but to be honest, if you think that you can just come from a country where your accounting abilities are recognised, and use that recognition as an entry into a country where you don't want to utilise those abilities (which the country hoped you would) and involve yourself in something of which you have absolutely no knowledge of, then you are living in cloud cuckoo land. What you're actually asking, is for other folk to faciltate your entry into this country based on a trade/profession that you won't avail yourself of once here. A desire to live "in the country/wilderness" but as an accountant, I would hazard a guess that you have little experience of such and in light of that, seem to be reaching out for something that you think is ideallic, but quite honestly, you have absolutely no comprehension of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Forgive me if I have the wrong impression but your emphasis seems to be on "earning some money". As a volunteer, your emphasis just doesn't fit with the "psyche" of forestry management, or indeed, any voluntary organisation. I appreciate that you are from a different country with different values/ standards/emphasis but I feel that all your posts so far, in this and other threads, have emphasis on your needs and not what the country needs from you. That's OK, research is good, but to be honest, if you think that you can just come from a country where your accounting abilities are recognised, and use that recognition as an entry into a country where you don't want to utilise those abilities (which the country hoped you would) and involve yourself in something of which you have absolutely no knowledge of, then you are living in cloud cuckoo land. What you're actually asking, is for other folk to faciltate your entry into this country based on a trade/profession that you won't avail yourself of once here. A desire to live "in the country/wilderness" but as an accountant, I would hazard a guess that you have little experience of such and in light of that, seem to be reaching out for something that you think is ideallic, but quite honestly, you have absolutely no comprehension of. I understand what you say. I have a family to take care of. Also, if I were to put $23000 for the course that I've listed above with no income against it, then I might have to drop it all together. I wish to take up accountancy/audit/taxation all my life but for at least a couple of years in my life I wish to pursue the job of a forest ranger. Its just a dream. I know I cannot do that all my life! Can't I work as an accountant in a firm for the first 5-7 years and on weekends do some volunteering work and pursue the 1 year course mentioned above for wilderness from University of Tasmania? Then after 5-7 years, I work as a ranger for a couple of years and then maybe get back to life as an accountant. Now, to cover the $23000, I work as a volunteer on weekends. Or something of that sort. I'm just weighing up my options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I understand what you say. I have a family to take care of. Also, if I were to put $23000 for the course that I've listed above with no income against it, then I might have to drop it all together. I wish to take up accountancy/audit/taxation all my life but for at least a couple of years in my life I wish to pursue the job of a forest ranger. Its just a dream. I know I cannot do that all my life! Can't I work as an accountant in a firm for the first 5-7 years and on weekends do some volunteering work and pursue the 1 year course mentioned above for wilderness from University of Tasmania? Then after 5-7 years, I work as a ranger for a couple of years and then maybe get back to life as an accountant. Now, to cover the $23000, I work as a volunteer on weekends. Or something of that sort. I'm just weighing up my options. I'm not getting into this any further (after this comment) as I think there's a cultural element here, but whilst you are pursuing what you want? What are your family doing? What kind of life will they have whilst you pursue what you want, or does that not matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 I'm not getting into this any further (after this comment) as I think there's a cultural element here, but whilst you are pursuing what you want? What are your family doing? What kind of life will they have whilst you pursue what you want, or does that not matter? I appreciate you're acting as a well wisher! Thanks! Rest assured, I will not do anything that will harm my family. If none of the above seems practical, I might just scrap all ideas and just take my family to National Park on weekends and take them for an odd vacation. I might instead trying wwoofing on a farm instead with my family during some part of time life and that too only if it is practical. I'm just exploring the possibility of something that I dream of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 The 1 year course you are looking at is an honours extension to an existing degree, not a standalone course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 1) . Now when I go to the website of University of Tasmania, the only course which I believe could be helpful is the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies. Will this help? It would be a start...but it wouldn't guarantee a job. As that website noted, there is much competition for jobs. There also appears to be one Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies (Honours) which is only of 1 year. Does this help? Honours degrees are an additional year of study after a basic Bachelor's degree - so it would be an additional year after the Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies. I have seen certain farms that require an accountant who also assist in managerial roles Farms which are big enough to employ their own on-farm accountant are big businesses which usually specialise eg. in dairying, or beef production, or wool sheep or wheat. Any associated managerial duties would require considerable specialist training and experience in those areas. Is Northern Territory not based wilderness based? I heard the 2 most biggest national parks of Australia are in that state. Also, the population density of the same is somewhere around 0.2 persons per sq.km. Are there not forests in that state? Or is it all desert which is not counted as forest? "Forest" in Australia means tall, densely packed trees. Northern Territory vegetation is more open and shorter. We would call it scrub or bush, but not forest. If you look at the whole of Australia on Google Earth, the very dark green bits are the forest - in Tasmania and along the east coast and south west coast of the mainland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Is there a scheme where I could volunteer forests on weekends and earn some money plus get some experience as well? I assume even rangers only around 40 hours a week so they would get weekends off. Can I not work every Saturday or Sunday for 8 hours a day in one of these forests as a ranger and earn some money plus get some experience as well? Is this what you mean by volunteering? "Volunteer" means you are not paid. Enough full time paid rangers are rostered so that they are on duty 7 days a week...in fact are "on call" 24 hours a day. Weekends tend to be their busiest times. Volunteers are sometimes recruited over the busiest period - the summer holiday season - but they are required to work for a month or two and are usually students on university vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I was doing a job with Queensland Parks rangers today so I hit them about what they look for. T hey said that the jobs are hugely oversubscribed, if one gets advertised the successful applicants will generally have some form of land management or trades background, and usually preference is given to people who have volunteered with the service. You have to be a "bush mechanic" and be able to fix things with what's available; a lot of the job is maintenance of trails so the ability to heft rocks around and chainsaw trees is a huge advantage. The requirements differ as per park; in QLD you apply for an individual park posting, though other states may roster you around. Some parks require a high level of natural resource management, others need more people management depending on visitor numbers. In QLD at least, they split wildlife officers from rangers; WOs do a lot of pest control, so you're not cuddling wildlife, more trapping the pests and getting them euthanized (amongst other requirements), whereas park rangers proper create the tracks and maintain the infrastructure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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