Volunteers and work experience
Volunteers
A volunteer is any person who undertakes activities of their free will without payment under the direction of the department.
Volunteering with DERM will give you the chance to:
- contribute directly to the protection and management of our natural environment
- meet people and develop knowledge, skills and self-esteem
- put your administrative skills, trade or tertiary studies to work for Queensland.
Most opportunities for volunteering occur in DERM’s Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service however other opportunities in other divisions are available on an ad-hoc basis.
Your activities will vary depending on when and where you are working, but as a volunteer, you might:
- care for and rehabilitate sick, injured or orphaned animals
- plant native trees along wildlife corridors
- help tag nesting sea turtles
- provide information to help visitors enjoy Queensland’s protected areas such as national parks and World Heritage areas
- take overseas visitors or school students on guided nature walks
- record migratory wading birds along our coasts
- restore degraded land to a more natural state.
As a volunteer, you will be guided and assisted by a DERM officer who will give you an introduction to the Department, explain your role, provide training and help with any questions or issues that might arise.
Becoming a volunteer
See Volunteering with DERM—getting started for full details, or email us.
More technically-based volunteer opportunities may be available for recent graduates, so email the Customer Referral Centre for more information.
Work experience
DERM offers unpaid work experience opportunities to students throughout Queensland to help them develop their skills and knowledge and learn more about their chosen or potential profession.
What you need to know
- Look at DERM's organisational chart and the DERM overview (PDF, 232K)* to decide the area of the department in which you'd like work experience.
- If you are a secondary school student, speak to your work experience coordinator before registering your interest, as schools usually coordinate these placements.
- If you are a TAFE student, you will be required to provide a Student Industry Placement Competency Log as part of your work experience.
- If you are a university student, you should seek advice from the careers service about specific matters relating to work experience (e.g. insurance). Opportunities for university students are usually available during the July and the December–January semester breaks.
How to apply
Students and/or educational institutions are responsible for arranging work experience placements.
For Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service you may arrange work experience by:
- Approaching the Ranger in Charge at a Park of interest. Please see the list of parks.
- Contacting the work experience co-ordinators and/or regional offices to discuss any local work experience opportunities. Please see the list of work experience programs.
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Last updated 16 April 2012