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Ranger service
The duties of countryside and urban park rangers include
patrolling, health and safety inspections, park maintenance,
habitat improvement and management, interpretation and education,
wildlife monitoring and surveying.
Patrolling and safety inspections
Riverside Country Park and Capstone Farm Country Park are
staffed 363 days per year (not Christmas Day and Boxing
Day).
The ranger staff role on these sites is to:
- provide assistance to members of the public;
- enforce park regulations and by-laws;
- prevent anti-social behaviour;
- respond to urgent tasks that need doing around the park (such
as litter picking) thus ensuring that the parks are properly
maintained.
The Greenspace estate outside of the country parks is patrolled
according to an inspection regime by a team of urban rangers.
As part of these patrols, informal monitoring of ground
maintenance contracts and inspection of infrastructure to ensure
public safety, takes place. Greenspaces has adopted service standards to
improve condition of sites.
Park maintenance
Rangers undertake or manage contract works to maintain
footpaths, fences, trees and open grassland to ensure sites remain
in optimal condition for recreational use.
Habitat improvement and management
Together with recreational value, Greenspaces are valuable
refuges for many species of wildlife. Throughout the year, the
rangers plan, manage or carry out sympathetic management schemes
and
habitat improvements to help protect and enhance the value of the
habitats within sites. Schemes include tree planting, pond
creation, grassland management and coppicing.
Education and interpretation
During the summer months, many schools visit the country parks to study the
natural environment. The rangers help organise and lead groups, and
carry out educational activities with then. In addition, the ranger
team delivers an annual events programme for adults and children that
aims to increase public understanding about their local
environment. Events involve children's activity days, guided walks,
fungal forays, evening lectures, kite making and bird-watching
cruises.
Wildlife monitoring and surveying
Wildlife monitoring is extremely important, as it allows the
rangers to keep a check on the wildlife within sites. This in turn
allows them to choose the management schemes that will most benefit
the wildlife present. In addition to surveys undertaken by rangers,
the team works with external organisations, including the RSPB
(www.rspb.org.uk/) and
Kent Wildlife Trust (www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/),
to increase knowledge of species and habitats.
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