Cradle Mountain
 ©  Lance Neville

Montague Island lighthouse
©   Inger Vandyke

Boroka Lookout Grampians
© Parks Victoria

Grampians Mammal
Monitoring © Parks Victoria

Wombat Lake
Cradle Mountain

Seal Colony Montague Island

Researcher with
Penguin Chick

Participant Feedback

 

"In the early misty hours of the morning eastern grey kangaroos, seemingly the only inhabitants of the Grampians, graze freely on dew-covered grass; we spot the occasional herd of red dear amongst the dense forest cover as the sun peaks through the dramatically jagged rocky terrain in the background. Just another day in the office for our fellow rangers Mike, Sylvia and Jake!

Volunteering at the Grampians was truly life changing for me. Helping the Park Rangers carry out animal monitoring surveys certainly was rewarding.  We got to weight and mark blue tongue and stumpy lizards, skinks, swamp rats and even witnessed a possum being micro-chipped. After the huge bush fire that ravaged the Grampians not too long ago, it was good to see the affected areas being repopulated by various species of flora and fauna including some truly magnificent rare wild orchids and even better knowing that we got a chance to help out in this important study.

Our group leader Penny, was so much fun and really looked after us all. Her enthusiasm, flexibility and great sense of humour were key in creating a fantastic group camaraderie that lasted throughout the four days. I certainly have made some lifelong friends from that trip!

The best part of the Grampians Experience was hanging out with the Park Rangers and getting an insight into their work. We got to see parts of the national park that are not open to visitors, learnt a lot from our rangers and now understand how spiritual ‘Gariwerd’ (Grampians) is to the local kooris. The rangers’ passion and commitment to the environment was so infectious that it fuelled my ambition to work in conservation so I signed up for the summer ranger programme!" S Vasudevan, November 2007


“I participated in the mammal monitoring program in November. It was an amazing experience. The Parks Victoria staff and CVA guide were knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. The work they do with the mammal monitoring is truly inspiring. The food and accommodation was great, scenery spectacular and the close encounters with wildlife unforgettable. I will be back!”


“The Mammal monitoring was terrific! Short walks to waterfalls and rock are sites were great. The accommodation was excellent and group size ideal”


“ “Working on the small mammal project in the Grampians was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Australia's smallest and most threatened creatures.  Aside from spectacular scenery, a true highlight for me was the opportunity to work alongside CVA and Parks Victoria staff, who, after fighting a horrific summer of fires, still found the passion and enthusiasm to rehabilitate charred landscapes in this rugged, mountainous region.” I. Vandyke, October 2006


“It was such a grounding experience. What an honour to work with passionate people. The rangers were inspiring and knowledgeable. I felt a deep connection with the land and took away something I am able to apply in other areas of my life and work.” Y Peers, 2006.


“The program was very informative and well organized.  Our Rangers enthusiasm and knowledge had a positive impact. The accommodation was excellent and our guide was genuine and ‘natural’ personality.”

“What a special and incredible experience. The early morning starts are well worth the effort to spend time making a difference to Australia’s wildlife and learning from the Park Rangers. Thank you for making this program available.’ Davies, October 2006.


“An excellent program! CVA guides and Park staff were great and really easy to get along with, as well as being knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.  The group size was ideal and I left feeling I had learnt a lot. It wasn't too physical either.  A highly recommended program. Thanks for a great experience”.  L Barker, 16 - 19 October 2006


“Enjoyed this unique holiday, spending time with similar minded people in a beautiful environment and eating good healthy food.  Thank you so much for providing this wonderful program”. Y. Hijioka, 16 - 19 October 2006


“Thank you for all involved in organising this unique event on mammal trapping, very enjoyable meeting many new people with common interests”. 12 - 15 November 2006

“I really enjoyed the experience and felt as if I contributed to the project. Super group and leader I shall volunteer again in the future”. S Flere, November 2006.

“A wonderful time, the rangers were fun, interesting and helpful. Shannon our guide was so helpful and had everything organised. Being out in the early morning checking traps was just brilliant”.