Ellice is in her final year studying for a Bachelor of Science, majoring in conservation and environmental science. She is one of the Auckland Council 2016/2017 student park rangers and says the highlight of her summer has been gecko monitoring.
"Small numbers of forest gecko have held on at Tawharanui Regional Park over the years. Now, all the pest control has paid off and our monitoring tells us there are many more living here."
Ellice, one of 22 students who has taken part in the Regional Parks Programme over the last three months, says it has exceeded all her expectations.
"Every day was jam-packed. Thousands of park visitors to interact with; drenching sheep, pruning walking tracks, building fences, pest control, seed collection, protecting the nests of oyster-catchers and dotterels – there was never a dull moment."
Each of the student park rangers has been based at one of our regional parks and gained valuable experience in customer service, bylaw control and working with volunteers on many ecological projects.
"It's great to help rangers keep these special places safe for the people of Auckland. I highly recommend this programme. I've gained so many skills that I'll use in my future. I'd apply again in a heartbeat."
