Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I work in the Australian Alps national parks?
2. Please give me more information - I've got to do an assignment
3. Please give me more information about visiting the Australian Alps national parks
1. How can I work in the Australian Alps national parks
Only one person (program coordinator) and a half time person (community projects) work directly for the Australian Alps national parks cooperative management program. Much of the work is carried out by dedicated employees of the 4 agencies involved: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Parks Victoria, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service and ACT Parks & Conservation.
So we can't offer a job or even work experience, but the following leads may help.
The Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers (ACTV) is a very helpful organisation, you might like to visit their website - www.atcv.com.au ATCV can arrange all sorts of work experience, some aimed directly at graduates and tertiary students. Many visitors from overseas get work experience through them.
You might also like to find out how the Australian Alps protected area management agencies recruit their staff - contact them through their websites or phone help lines:
- ACT Parks & Conservation (www.environment.act.gov.au) or (02) 6207 9777
- Parks Victoria (www.parkweb.vic.gov.au) or 13 1963
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (www.npws.nsw.gov.au) or (02) 9585 6333
All three have parks in the alpine parts of Australia and all are party to the Australian Alps agreements.
If you go to the Parks Victoria web site you will find a good PDF document overview about working as a ranger: "How do I become a Ranger?: Your questions answered"
2. Please give me more information - I've got to do an assignment!
If you are looking for information to help with a project for school, please check out our online Education Kit or go directly to the introductory page. You will find most of our educational resources on line - all you have to do is print them off.
If you are looking for information to help with an assignment for college or uni please look carefully at the pages suggested above for background information. If you need more detail go to our list of reference books. If you are searching for scientific references go to the resources page of the Australian Institute of Alpine Studies web site, you'll find plenty of leads there particularly in the newsletters, the database and the virtual library.
Remember you can get an overview of the Australian Alps national parks site from our sitemap.
P.S. The Australian Alps Education Kit should be in your library - if it isn't, get your librarian to order one; it has some great slides and many more illustrations.
3. Please give me more information about visiting the Australian Alps national parks.
If you are visiting Australia from overseas you will discover loads of info about travelling around Australia on www.australia.com it is Australia's official tourism website.
You will also get some great background information about national parks in the Australian Alps by searching around this Australian Alps national parks website check out:
If you are looking for information specific to Victoria, NSW or the ACT visit their websites - they will have the most up to date information about their parks:
- ACT Parks & Conservation (www.environment.act.gov.au)
- Parks Victoria (www.parkweb.vic.gov.au)
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service (www.npws.nsw.gov.au)
If you are looking for books to help you plan a holiday in the Australian Alps you need look no further than the excellent touring guide Explore the Australian Alps published by New Holland Publishers in 1998 in association with the Australian Alps Liaison Committee.
To accompany your trip you might also like to get hold of the brand new field guide Wild Guide. Plants and animals of the Australian Alps by Barbara Cameron-Smith published by Envirobooks in 2000 in association with the Australian Alps Liaison Committee.
For current availability and a complete catalogue of all our publications.