Volunteer rangers
Welcome to our volunteer ranger information page. Here you can find everything you need to know about what volunteer rangers do and how you can get involved.
Who are our volunteer rangers?
Our volunteer rangers help care for the largest National Park in the UK and inspire others with their love of this special place.
They:
- Are ambassadors for the Cairngorms National Park, who share their love and knowledge of the area, inspiring local people and visitors.
- Dedicate their time and skills to help take care of the National Park.
- Volunteer alongside a range of participating ranger services, landowners and land managers across the Cairngorms National Park.
Become a volunteer ranger
This is a great role for people who love nature and the outdoors, enjoy meeting new people, being out and about in the fresh air, and who want to learn new skills! You’ll meet an incredible variety of people, have the chance to learn new skills, work as a team, and spend time in some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country.
You’ll be provided with a uniform and can expect to start out by being based within busier areas of the National Park. You’ll be meeting and engaging with members of the public sharing information and answering questions, walking popular routes well-used by visitors, and will have the chance to become involved with more practical conservation and monitoring activities.
We ask that you could commit to an average of two opportunities per month over the course of a year, with activities taking place on weekends and/or during the week. You will be able to pick and choose to volunteer at times that best suit you. Some Volunteer Rangers choose to give more than this and we recognise that in some months volunteering might not always be possible for you.
Being a Volunteer Ranger would be great for someone….
- With enthusiasm and a love for the natural environment
- With good communication skills, so that you’re comfortable meeting and interacting with members of the public
- Who can work as part of a team
- With a good general knowledge about the local area you’d like to volunteer, and would like to learn more about the National Park
- Who is willing to travel (we are able to cover reasonable travel expenses)
- Aged 18 years or over
We also ask you to be available on the 26 April, 10 and 11 of May, and 31 May for training and induction for the role this year.
The Cairngorms National Park is the largest National Park in the UK. We look for volunteers to get involved across this area. Volunteer Rangers have the opportunity to volunteer in the areas closest to them, whilst also being able to get to know areas that are further afield.
Volunteer Ranger activities include practical conservation tasks and/or biological recording, as well as opportunities to engage with members of the public.
Patrolling paths and trails both in communities and more remotely is a key element of what engagement means for us, where we ask Volunteer Rangers to share leaflets, general information, positive guidance, and litter pick along the way.
Practical conservation tasks include upland path maintenance, tree planting, fence line repairs and patrolling community paths around the National Park. Opportunities also include volunteering with the Cairngorms Youth Action Team, Health Walks, Badaguish Dementia Centre and other nature for health groups.
Biological recording can include bumblebee and swift surveys, river habitat health monitoring, raptor monitoring and beaver watches. Training for these opportunities will be provided for interested Volunteer Rangers.
Much of your activity will be undertaken in partnership with Ranger Services across the National Park, giving you the opportunity to volunteer alongside experienced paid Ranger Services either through engagement activity or practical conservation.
Training is provided over the course of two to three months, at varying locations in the National Park. Some of these training sessions will be online, others will be in person. Training includes a first aid qualification, a session on safe group work, a session on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, how to share guidance positively, safe tool usage, and inductions to specific sites across the National Park.
Volunteer Rangers are provided with a range of clothing and kit as part of their role. We ensure that clothing has a visible Cairngorms National Park logo on it so Volunteer Rangers are identifiable when out and about. We also provide travel expenses to ensure you are not out of pocket for your journeys to and from volunteering opportunities.
We would encourage you to read into the Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 to find out more about what we do. (Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 – Cairngorms National Park Authority LINK). The nature and climate crisis requires leadership and action, and this plan sets out both. Habitat, wildlife, and communities have experienced significant change over the years, with volunteering playing a key role in positive change.
Chat to someone about the role
If you would like to speak to us about the volunteer ranger role, ask any questions you might have, or if you’d like the information on this page in another format, please let us know by contacting us at [email protected].
How do I apply?
We aim to recruit new members to the volunteer ranger team once a year. We’re not currently recruiting but if you’d like to be the first to know when we are, please sign up to our newsletter.
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Need to know
Everything you need to know on how you can help to take care of the National Park on your visit.
What we do
From pioneering conservation projects to community engagement and active travel, find out more about the range of work happening across the National Park.