Meet Senior Park Ranger Angus

The num­ber of rangers based at Glen­thorne has grown as part of the for­ma­tion of Nation­al Parks and Wildlife Service’s new South Metro District.

This new dis­trict will ser­vice Glen­thorne Nation­al Park-Itya­mai­it­pin­na Yarta, Mari­no, Hal­lett Cove and Moana Sands con­ser­va­tion parks, Onka­paringa Riv­er nation­al and recre­ation parks, and Sturt Gorge and Shep­herds Hill recre­ation parks.

Senior Ranger, Angus Droogan-Tur­nis­ki sat down for a quick chat to tell us more about him­self and why he’s excit­ed about being part of the South Metro District.

What moti­vat­ed you to become a ranger?

I’ve always enjoyed spend­ing time out­doors bush­walk­ing and bird­watch­ing so becom­ing a ranger felt nat­ur­al to me. 

Through my role I get a fan­tas­tic bal­ance of field work and plan­ning around park management. 

The best part is that every day is different. 

What excites you most about work­ing in a new nation­al park?

The most excit­ing aspect of work­ing in a new nation­al park is being able to set up new places for peo­ple to come and enjoy. 

The Glen­thorne precinct is not only cre­at­ing more places for recre­ation, but also increas­ing the con­nec­tiv­i­ty of habitat. 

It’s amaz­ing to see how quick­ly the area is trans­form­ing and the wildlife is respond­ing to the changes.

Can you tell us about any hid­den gems across the Glen­thorne precinct that vis­i­tors should know about?

There are hid­den gems right across the Glen­thorne precinct. 

There’s breath­tak­ing views from Mari­no Con­ser­va­tion Park, fan­tas­tic geol­o­gy at Hal­lett Cove and rich his­to­ry at Glen­thorne Nation­al Park. 

There are also fan­tas­tic moun­tain bike trails, and future walk­ing and rid­ing trails being created. 

I’m also look­ing for­ward to explore Hap­py Val­ley Reser­voir when it opens up in December.

What ani­mals do you enjoy see­ing most while at work? 

The inter­con­nect­ed rela­tion­ship of our wildlife is what I enjoy most. 

It can be a unique orchid that is only pol­li­nat­ed by one type of wasp, or an old gum tree with hol­lows just the right size for a bird or small ani­mal. To me it’s about observ­ing how it all works in harmony. 

The best way to see wildlife in a park is to find a spot to sit for about 20 min­utes. If you stay calm and relaxed the ani­mals should feel more com­fort­able and you will notice more around you. 

Get to know the oth­er South Metro Dis­trict rangers Steve John­son, Bec Brown, Jae Ellis and Court­ney Hein­jus.

Keep an eye out in our next edi­tion to get to know Glenthorne’s local Ecol­o­gist, Sam Chesson.