Reece Verdoorn
Katherine,NT
Summary
I am a passionate conservationist with over 16 years of experience in the industry through Australia, South Africa and the Marine environment. I strive to expand my experience and knowledge wherever possible, and look forward to new challenges.
Overview
1
1
Certification
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Ranger, Nitmiluk National Park - Leliyn (Edith Falls) Sector
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
01.2026 - Current
- Managing and supervising a team of Rangers in remote work environments.
- Rostering staff through duties and work programs.
- Formulating yearly Park action plans encompassing Weed, Fire, Feral animal, Cultural and Visitor management.
- Plan and implement aerial and ground burning programs for biodiversity and boundary protection.
- Plan and implement planned infrastructure protection burns.
- Wildfire response.
- Costing, planning, procurement and execution of aerial culling and burning operations and monthly budget reporting.
- Tier 2 procurement of assets.
- Responding to visitor/park emergencies.
- Opening and maintenance of visitor camp sites, ablutions, walking tracks and 4wd tracks.
- Chainsaw operation.
- Heavy machinery operation. Slashing, blading, loading, moving, etc.
- Visitor management, compliance and emergency response.
- Aiding & assisting specialist groups, programs, surveys and required permit approvals.
- Cultural site visits with TO’s, Anthropologists, Archaeologists during specialist programs.
- Coxswain Boat operation through the Katherine Gorge system.
- Crocodile management – trapping, catching, spotlighting surveys.
- Management of concessionaire contracts and park permit holders.
Senior Ranger, Cutta Flora Sector - Savannah Gulf District
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
06.2024 - 01.2026
- Senior Ranger duties, as in above position.
- Management of 3 Conservation areas’, namely;
- Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park
- Kintore Caves Conservation Reserve
- Giwininj/Flora River Nature Park (Joint Management Park)
- Joint management, meetings and agenda.
- Aerial, ground and asset protection burning programs.
- Wildfire response across the Savannah Gulf District.
- Planning and execution of extended remote camping weed treatment and survey programs.
- Costing, planning, procurement and execution of aerial culling and aerial burning operations including monthly budget reporting
- Recruitment actions – panel member.
- Visitor management, compliance and emergency response.
Senior Ranger, Limmen National Park
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
07.2021 - 05.2024
- Senior Ranger duties, as in above positions.
- Boat operation on Limmen, Cox & Towns Rivers and Sir Edward Pellew Island Group in the Gulf of Carpentaria
- Crocodile management – Limmen NP, Borroloola Management Zone & Barranyi NP
- Station monitoring/maintenance of infrastructure - Water supply and purification systems, Hybrid solar/generator power supply systems and servicing.
- T2 Ranger prior to recruitment in June 2022.
Technical 1 - Ranger
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
05.2018 - 01.2021
- Maintenance, opening and cleaning of visitor campsites, day use areas, track repairs, signage installation, painting of assets.
- Heavy machinery operation, servicing and maintenance – Tractor, grading and slashing firebreaks, slashing of 4WD tracks.
- Station maintenance of water purification system & solar/generator power system.
- Fire break maintenance.
- Ecological & infrastructure protection burns.
- Wildfire response.
- Weed control of Parkinsonia, Mimosa & Class B species. Identification surveys, chemical spraying, hand pulling, stump cutting & poisoning, management of recorded data through GIS and other Park based spatial systems.
- Conducting guided visitor interactive programs through the Territory Parks Alive program.
- Visitor management, compliance, emergency response.
- Fence installation and maintenance of exclusion areas to control feral animal incursion into ecologically sensitive areas.
- Monitoring of permits and activities by cattle station stakeholders surrounding the Parks.
- Undertake Work Health and Safety audits, inspections, updates and reporting.
- Park surveillance of strategic cross border incursion sites according to the Commission’s Pandemic Management Plan, COVID-19.
Senior Ranger/Field Guide/Trails Guide - Sabi Sands, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
03.2014 - 07.2016
- Hosting international guests throughout their stay during activities like vehicle-based safaris, walking trails and dinners
- Conducting morning and afternoon Safaris in open vehicle 4WD
- Conducting Bush walking/Trails in Dangerous game areas, maximum 8 guests for safety & group control while adhering to strict protocol & procedures for carrying a firearm & potential discharge in threatening scenarios.
Field and Trails Guide, Hoedspruit, South Africa
09.2012 - 03.2014
- Jackalberry Game Lodge
- Tshukudu Game Lodge
Dive Control Specialist
Snorkel Safari
01.2011 - 07.2012
- Lead Divers on Dive Guided Tours - Adhering to protocol and procedures of guiding guests safely within recreational safety no-decompression dive limits.
Deckhand, Crew, Dive deck Supervisor and Dive Guide
Reality Cruises
09.2011 - 05.2012
- Supervised skippering, bridge watch, vessel maintenance
- Deckhand - preparing & maintaining vessel, anchoring, assisting the Captain.
- 120+ days live-aboard sea time gained
Education
Certificate IV - Government Investigations
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, NT08.2024
Certificate IV - Government Investigations
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, NT08.2024
Skills
- Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Fire Management
- Pest Management
- Aerial Platform Shooting
- Marine Operation
- Coxswain Grade 1 NC
- Scuba diving
Certification
(AUS - Australia, RSA - South Africa)
- 2024 Cert IV Government Investigations. AUS
- 2024 Conservation Officer. AUS
- 2024 Cert IV Conservation and Ecosystem Management. AUS
- 2024 Firearms Range Officer, Cat A, B, C, D, H. AUS
- 2023 Skid Steer Operation. AUS
- 2022 PUAFIR210 Prevent Injury PUAFIR204 Respond to Wildfire AUS
- 2021 CASA instrument – Carriage and discharge of a firearm. AUS
- 2021 Aerial Platform shooting – Paladin Firearm Solutions Pty Ltd.
- (Platform shooting logs available, if required)
- 2019 PUAFIR209B - Work safely around aircraft. AUS
- PUAFIR312B - Operate aerial ignition equipment in an aircraft.AUS
- 2019 AHCMOM213 - Operate and maintain Chainsaws AUS
- 2019 Coxswains Grade 1 near coastal. AUS
- 2018 Firearms Employees license (Class A,B,C,D & H). AUS
- 2018 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid. AUS
- 2018 AHCS00027 Agricultural Chemical Skill Set. AUS
- 2018 HLTAID001/2/3 Provide CPR, Basic life support, First Aid. AUS
- 2018 CareFlight MediSim Trauma Care. AUS
- 2016 FGASA Advanced Field Guide (NQF 4). RSA
- 2016 Guiding Safety and Emergency. RSA
- 2016 Lead Trails Guide (Big 5, Dangerous Game areas). RSA
- 2016 Advanced Rifle Handling (yearly re-qual, obtained in 2008). RSA
- 2012 Dive Control Specialist Cert, SSI. AUS
- 2011 HLT21107 Cert II EMS First Response. AUS
- 2011 Dive Master Cert, SSI. AUS
- 2011 Rescue Diver Cert, SSI. AUS
- 2011 SIT30707 Cert III Hospitality. AUS
- 2011 SIT30107 Cert III Tourism. AUS
Timeline
Senior Ranger, Nitmiluk National Park - Leliyn (Edith Falls) Sector
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
01.2026 - Current
Senior Ranger, Cutta Flora Sector - Savannah Gulf District
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
06.2024 - 01.2026
Senior Ranger, Limmen National Park
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
07.2021 - 05.2024
Technical 1 - Ranger
Parks & Wildlife Division - DEPWS
05.2018 - 01.2021
Senior Ranger/Field Guide/Trails Guide - Sabi Sands, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
03.2014 - 07.2016
Field and Trails Guide, Hoedspruit, South Africa
09.2012 - 03.2014
Deckhand, Crew, Dive deck Supervisor and Dive Guide
Reality Cruises
09.2011 - 05.2012
Dive Control Specialist
Snorkel Safari
01.2011 - 07.2012
Certificate IV - Government Investigations
Charles Darwin University
Certificate IV - Government Investigations
Charles Darwin University