What do they do? (From the Ealing Council Website)The main role of rangers is to make sure parks and countryside sites are safe, enjoyable and welcoming places for people to visit, as well as good habitats for wildlife. There are two ranger teams:East – based at Acton Park Lodge covering sites to the east of the River Brent in Hanwell, Ealing and ActonWest – based at Manor House Grounds, Southall covering sites to the west of the River Brent in Greenford, Perivale, Northolt and SouthallEach team has a manager and ten rangers. Rangers are responsible for sites allocated by ward. To find out which ward you live in, please go to find my nearest and enter your postcode.Rangers wear a distinctive purple, green and beige uniform. They work shifts to provide a seven day service including weekends and evening daylight hours until 9pm in May, June, July and August.Patrolling Rangers patrol parks and countryside sites on a daily, weekly or monthly basis depending on the use of the site. Whilst on patrol, they act as a point of contact for visitors and provide a staff presence within parks.They also monitor the condition of infrastructure, such as buildings in parks, grounds maintenance, fencing, footpaths, park furniture, graffiti, health and safety issues etc. When problems are encountered, rangers will try to deal with them directly or report them to contractors to resolve as appropriate. Park rules and byelaw enforcement Rangers deal with incidents including illegal motorcycling, dog fouling, fly-tipping, littering, poaching, anti-social behaviour and illegal traveller encampments, calling on the assistance of the police if necessary. Playground inspections All play areas in parks are visually inspected every week for any damage, problems or health and safety issues. Any defects to play equipment, surfacing, fencing or signage are reported for repair as necessary. If you see any problems in any of our park playgrounds please contact your nearest ranger team.Nature conservation work Rangers manage the borough’s nature conservation areas helping to develop, maintain or enhance habitats for wildlife. Work is carried out according to management plans written for sites which tie in with Ealing’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Practical work days regularly take place on Tuesdays (although there may be occasional weekend workdays) and tasks include woodland or meadow management, pond care, fencing or footpath work, hedge planting or tree planting. There is also a river team made up of three rangers who work up and down the River Brent, clearing rubbish and vegetation and undertaking conservation projects to benefit wildlife along the river. You can join the rangers if you have free time on a Tuesday; contact your local ranger team to find out more about volunteering. It is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new friends, keep fit, enjoy the great outdoors and do something positive to help your local environment.Environmental education Rangers work with local schools and community groups such as cub scouts and brownie guides groups on a variety of educational activities by arrangement. The most popular ranger-led sessions include activities designed to fit in with the national curriculum, such as minibeast hunts, nature trails, tree trails, studies of habitats and ecosystems.Rangers can also give advice to schools on improving their school grounds for children and wildlife. They can work with other local community groups to plant trees and hedges, care for ponds and other activities.Guided walks, talks and events Rangers occasionally run guided walks, eg nature trails on various themes around parks and countryside sites. They can also be booked by arrangement to give talks on projects taking place locally. Rangers may also put on small-scale events at some parks or have an input into larger events run by the events team.
Jane Salisbury ● 5623d