- Regions:
We talk with Ren from our Crocwise team and learn some of what goes in to keeping their local community safe.
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Ren holding a baby crocodile in front of a Crocwise sign with the text “Have you seen a crocodile? Report it!”
With 15 years in North Queensland and 7 years with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), Senior Project Officer Ren is no stranger to Croc Country. Originally a city kid from Sydney, they're thoroughly converted to regional living.
‘North Queensland is full of some really interesting people and some unique communities. It isn't just one place. It's so diverse and such a cool place to work.’
A background in marine biology and aquaculture—and a graduate diploma in secondary education—might not be your first guess, but for Ren it led to their work in our Be Crocwise team in the public education space, where they thrive.
‘Most of what we do isn't wildlife management, it's people management,’ they explained.
Empathy and curiosity are foundational to how they and the team work to spread the Crocwise message; ‘You need that compassion; you need to be able to step into peoples’ shoes.’
‘The rewarding part is when you put yourself out there. Whether it's at a community event or over the phone, you're always going to have those people that have a bone to pick with you. Being able to turn those conversations around into a respectful discussion is really satisfying.’
‘With a bit of time and explanation you can see that, okay, they understand the issue and what we do better, and that there's a great responsive team that goes out to actively manage crocodiles.’
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Ren standing in front of a Crocwise sign holding a map of Croc Country
Ren describes the Crocwise space as a journey. ‘We've just done a review of all our Be Crocwise messaging and have created something that respects and builds on the lived experience of people in Croc Country,’ they said.
‘We're working with many different stakeholders in the community, including First Nations peoples and behavioural change experts, on how we can make the program more effective and look at the efficacy of signage and messaging.’
Never one to shy away from a challenge, the work they and the team do in the Crocwise space extends into innovation.
‘Our crocodile research team is currently investigating a device that uses multibeam sonar to detect the presence of crocodiles. As well as something separate that deters crocodiles—if we could squish them into one device... bonza!’
While there's certainly many highlights working so closely with wildlife and the community, some days can be physically and emotionally challenging.
‘The worst part of my job is having to respond to a crocodile attack or a fatality. So that, for us, is a real motivator to do our job well because we know what it's like when it doesn't go well, and we never want to have to do that kind of work.’
‘Crocodiles are mobile, unpredictable animals and it's the one that you don’t see that's the one you need to be most concerned about. They can be anywhere there's water and it’s everyone’s responsibility to Be Crocwise in Croc Country.’
Despite the hard days, Ren’s passion for Croc Country and its community is clear.
Ren standing in front of Crocwise signage holding a juvenile crocodile smiling into the camera
‘The lifestyle is great. You want reef? It's right there. You want island beautifulness? Twenty minutes on a ferry and you're on one of the most spectacular islands on the Great Barrier Reef—Magnetic Island National Park. You want rainforest? Up the road at Paluma Range National Park. You want outback? Couple hours that way.’
‘It's a fantastic place to be.’
For more tips and information on being safe in Croc Country check out Be Crocwise.
