From Rangers to Regional Directors, and everything in between, we’re bringing you the everyday yet inspiring insights of some of the wonderful women working in parks throughout Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
Growing up on a farm and spending a lot of time outdoors, Regional Director Rachel knew she wanted a job that wasn’t going to be in an office all the time. Following her studies in Environmental Management and working in the catchment and landcare industries, Rachel started her journey with the Queensland Government in 2007 which led her to join Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) in 2016.
‘I’ve taken every opportunity I can within QPWS, slowly working my way up.’
Looking after a team comprising over 100 staff in our South West Region which includes parks like Main Range and Carnarvon national parks, Rachel prides herself in being approachable.
‘Communication is a really important value to me and goes such a long way in building relationships and including everyone. I work closely with our Regional Leadership Team, which is made up of myself, 3 Principal Rangers and a Regional Support Officer. However, I consider everyone as part of my team!
‘Conversations can happen anytime, whether it’s walking the hallways and having a chat with people in the office or visiting staff in our regional offices to being out on park, having a chat on the phone or providing more formal updates through meetings.
‘I love working with people, getting to chat with people from all walks of life. I’m just a person, and people know they can always come talk to me.’
Rachel really loves the diversity that comes with working in the region, getting to work with many different people, on lots of different topics and issues, across a wide range of locations.
‘In my career, I have tried to take gender out of it, focussing on the fact that we are all just people, doing the best we can. I think it comes down to attitude a lot of the time, and what outlook you have. I choose to be positive, see the glass as half full.
‘Being kind and caring are two of my other big values and we should all be treating each other with kindness and respect.’
Rachel is no stranger to a challenge.
‘I love learning new things, taking on a challenge and anything related to organising and coordinating. My job within QPWS offers all this and more!
‘I take learnings from anything and everything. Even if I’ve had a complex meeting or difficult conversation, I think what can I learn from this? It makes me determined to always take something away from even the most challenging of situations.’
Travelling and getting out and about, spending time on our parks, also balances out some of the more difficult challenges of the role for Rachel.
‘I feel really fortunate to be able to spend time in some pretty spectacular parts of our region here in the South West.’
She’s also up for a bit of friendly rivalry.
‘I like to get involved in any worthy cause. For the last couple of years, I’ve been a member of our regional Push Up Challenge. It’s a great way to get involved and have a bit of friendly banter. I also like to do Funky Shirt Friday, which is a bit of fun but also has an underlying message related to mental health awareness.’
Funky shirt Friday with Rachel (on right).
Photo credit: © Queensland Government
Her message to anyone considering a career in parks or new challenge:
‘You don’t know unless you try these things, and every situation makes you a stronger, better person. I just try to be me and what’s true to me. If I’m true to me and my values, that’s what’s important.’
Rachel is just one of the many QPWS staff members, bringing her remarkable skills and experience to her role, each day. We’re fortunate to have staff like Rachel, working together to protect and conserve our incredible parks and forests both now and into the future.