When B-Boy comes to stay overnight, Little J becomes envious of the attention he is getting from everyone. Out walking on Country, Nanna, Little J, Big Cuz and B-Boy find an injured joey. Uncle Mick, a Search and Rescue officer, tells them how to care for the joey that they name ‘Hopalong’. The children feed and look after Hopalong until Mick finds him a place in a wildlife shelter.

Elaborate - Represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways

Theme - FAUNA (ANIMALS)

After viewing Little J & Big Cuz, Episode 7 ‘Hopalong’, engage students with identifying the role of Uncle Mick as a Search and Rescue officer. Have students identify who else in the community helps to rescue wildlife, e.g. local animal shelters, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Pet Rescue, local council workers, etc.

Introduce students to the Yirralka Rangers:

• Yirralka Rangers
• Yirralka Rangers, Yirrkala, Northern Territory

Ask students to identify the role of the Rangers in protecting the environment and native animals. View NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Divide the class into smaller groups. Each group sources information about being a Wildlife or Field Officer or Park Ranger in their local area/region. Identify the National Parks and waterways of their local areas and position them on a map, using Google Maps or Scribble Maps

Each group needs to compile a short documentary about ‘A Day in the life of a Wildlife ranger/Field Officer’. They should include information to answer these questions:

• What does a Ranger, Field Officer or Wildlife Officer do?
• Where do they work?
• What skills do they have?
• How do they protect wild animals?
• How do they protect sites with cultural heritage?
• What knowledge does a Ranger or Field Officer have?
• What additional knowledge of Country would an Aboriginal Ranger or Field Officer and/or Torres Strait Islander Ranger or Field Officer be able to bring to their job?

The documentary can be filmed, audio recorded as a narrative for a slide show, or presented with a poster diagram with information responding to the questions.

Individually, have students create a 4-box matrix with the headings: Skills, Challenges, Adventures, and Responsibilities. Have the students write down their responses and ideas about the abilities and capabilities of Wildlife Rangers, filling each of the four boxes.