Starting the Day at Tallebudgera (Kombumerri Country)
The morning began at Tallebudgera Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre (TOEEC), where Patrick (Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park) and Brighid (FoPQ’s Volunteer Coordinator – Burleigh-Tallebudgera) met the TOEEC teachers on site along with the Jellurgal Indigenous Ranger for the day. While walking to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service & Partnerships (QPWS&P) Ranger Base, Brighid and Patrick spoke with the coordinator of the certificate courses in conservation and volunteering run by Outdoor Education QLD. These certificates give high school students across Queensland the chance to build real-world conservation experience, though students must currently source their own placements. It was clear that there’s real opportunity for Friends of Parks groups to offer structured placements – something we are hoping to explore in the future.
Meeting the QPWS&P Team on Burleigh Hill
Next, the group arrived at the QPWS&P Ranger Base, tucked away on Burleigh Hill, to meet Ranger in Charge, John Hand, and his team of rangers. John spoke about the scope of his team’s responsibilities and the areas they cover. It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to capacity. With so much ground to cover and limited staff, the value of trained, reliable volunteer support became obvious to everyone in the room.
This gave us the perfect opening to talk about why Friends of Parks exists and the role volunteers play in caring for Queensland’s parks. We shared Friends of Parks Queensland’s Ecological Induction for Burleigh Head National Park, which details what local Friends of Parks groups are already doing to support QPWS&P. The response to this resource was fantastic, everyone commented on how clear and easy to follow the handouts were in showing exactly what’s happening on the ground in the park. Creation of these resources is just one of many ways we support local Friends of Parks groups.
Jellurgal: New Rangers, New Pathways
From the Ranger Base, the group walked to Jellurgal to meet the team where Jackson, one of the newly established Indigenous rangers, spoke with us about how these ranger positions came to be, what the team will be focusing on, and their vision for working alongside QPWS&P and Friends of Parks groups into the future.
Fifty years on from the very first NAIDOC Week, conversations like this feel like a genuine reflection of the “50 Years of Deadly” theme in action: new roles, new partnerships, and Traditional Owners leading the way in caring for Country. It was a privilege to hear directly from Jackson about what’s ahead for the Jellurgal rangers, and we’re looking forward to building on this connection.
David Fleay Conservation Park: Patrick’s Time to Shine
Our next stop was David Fleay Conservation Park, where group leader Patrick had the opportunity to showcase the impressive work his volunteer group has been doing in the area. As we walked through the park, handouts were shared with the group, and we spoke about the Friends of Parks mission – drawing the threads together between what we’d just learned at Jellurgal and the QPWS&P base. We emphasised just how important volunteering is for the ongoing care of these parks, and shared information about the full network of Burleigh-Tallebudgera Friends of Parks groups.
Lunch and a Chat at David Fleay Wildlife Park
After lunch at David Fleay Wildlife Park, we sat in on a short presentation from Sarah Carnell and Brett Smith. It was a great chance for Patrick and the FoPQ team to discuss how Friends of David Fleay Conservation Park volunteers could work with the Wildlife Park team to tackle weeds encroaching on the Conservation Park from the fence line, and vice versa. This project would bring a partnership between Friends of Fleays, who work inside the Wildlife Park as a philanthropic and volunteer partner to QPWS&P.
Seeing It All From the Water
To finish the day, we made our way to the water and kayaked back to the Outdoor Education Centre. This gave us the chance to see both Tallebudgera Creek Conservation Park and David Fleay Conservation Park from an entirely different angle. It also gave us a real sense of what students experience during their time with TOEEC.
Reflecting on the Day
It was a genuinely great day, full of connections with the key people caring for the Burleigh-Tallebudgera area – from QPWS&P rangers to Jellurgal’s Indigenous rangers, wildlife park staff, and passionate volunteers like Patrick. In the spirit of NAIDOC Week’s 50 Years of Deadly theme, it felt like a real step towards more collaborative, respectful relationships built around a shared purpose: caring for Country and the parks we all love.
We’re looking forward to seeing where these new connections lead.
Friends of Parks Queensland Incorporated is proud to support Friends of Parks volunteer groups across the state, working alongside QPWS&P rangers and Traditional Owners to care for Queensland’s national parks.