Junior Rangers have another summer of nature discovery
Thursday 26 February, 2026
Summer 2025-26 has provided another program of great opportunities for families to get out into nature and take in their surroundings through our Junior Rangers program.
Junior Rangers activities are free and delivered each school holidays. Led by our passionate rangers, activities offer primary school-aged children and their families the chance to learn about and experience nature in a way that feels fun, friendly, and hands-on.
Activities on offer are as diverse as the natural environments they take place in. With 112 activities delivered this summer, families could do anything from rockpooling, wildlife spotting, guided forest walks, to learning about the importance of Country.
Seeing our natural environment through new eyes
Parks Victoria Ranger Julia Pickwick believes face-to-face experiences in parks are one of the most powerful ways to help families connect with the natural environment.
For Julia, who has been involved in delivering Junior Ranger activities for 15 years, she loves seeing kids’ energy change when they experience nature for themselves, saying “each time you get to see our natural environment through new eyes and realise how exciting it is.”
Julia is guided in her work by the David Attenborough quote: “people won’t protect what they don’t care about – and they won’t care about what they’ve never experienced.”
Learning about and experiencing nature helps kids build curiosity, care and respect for Country, wildlife, and the natural environment.
Away with the Birds
One of the most popular activities Julia delivers is Away with the Birds, which is run at: Kurth Kiln Regional Park, Warrandyte State Park, Jells Park, Birrarung Park, Plenty Gorge Parklands, Coolart Homestead and Wetlands, Braeside Park, and Jells Park.
Designed for the whole family, this activity introduces children to:
- why birds are an important part of healthy ecosystems
- how to identify different bird species
- how to use binoculars
- how to spot birds during a guided walk through the park
Parents often share that their kids leave so inspired they want to keep birdwatching at home, sometimes even asking to go out and buy binoculars the very next day.
Caring for nature made easy
A key part of Julia’s work is empowering families with simple tools and actions they can take home – so learning doesn’t stop when the session ends.
What Julia loves sharing with families through the activities is that caring for nature doesn’t have to be complicated.\
“Most people want to help – they just don’t know where to start. Once you give them a simple way they can help, it can snowball into something much bigger,” Julia says.
“We’re guiding the next generation to learn about and care for the environment.”
Julia regularly sees ideas from the activities ripple out beyond the session – shared with schools, community groups and embedded into the families’ everyday lives.
Learn about nature from home
Learning about nature doesn’t stop outside of the Junior Ranger activities.
We offer a range of fun and free educational resources that families can access year-round, including:
- Junior Ranger activity books exploring different environments, wildlife and Country
- Make & Do activity sheets for at-home or self-guided learning
Get involved in our Junior Ranger activities
Junior Rangers activities run during Victorian school holidays, with registrations opening shortly before each holiday period.
Subscribe to our Outdoors Inspiration Newsletter to hear as soon as registrations open for the April school holidays.