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Kakadu Ranger recognised for service in chosen field

21 November 2019

Kakadu National Park’s Fred Hunter was recognised for his long-running career as a ranger at the 2019 NT Natural Resource Management (NRM) Awards on November 13.
The NT NRM awards recognise the remarkable work undertaken by the Territory’s champions of nature, conservation and farming for the future. A record number of 320 guests attended the much loved gala dinner.
Receiving the ‘Ranger of the year award’, Fred was recognised for his work with both Kakadu National Park and Warddeken Land Management which has been an enormous benefit to the local community by strengthening culture, passing on intergenerational knowledge, creating jobs and providing solutions for long term, sustainable management of country.
He was born under a tree at Mudginberri in the heart of the Alligator Rivers country, which later became World Heritage Kakadu National Park. He is the longest serving Kakadu Park Ranger, commencing in 1985 when he was 15 years of age, and has dedicated 35 years to his work. He has a tremendous work history and is an inspiration to young Aboriginal Rangers in both his areas of operation, Kakadu National Park and West Arnhem Land. He is currently the Chief Ranger of East Alligator River District, and is responsible for managing vast areas of cultural and environmental significance in northern Kakadu. The region also has sites of high visitation, with Ubirr art site and Cahill's Crossing  (East Alligator River) among the most popular, high risk visitor management areas in Kakadu. 
At Cahill's Crossing, Rangers have to extricate dozens of vehicles a year that are washed off into crocodile-infested waters.
The other finalists for the Ranger of the Year award, were Sonya Braybon, Tjuwanpa Woman Rangers and Timothy BurrBurr, Bulgul Land and Sea Ranger Coordinator, Caring for Country Branch.
This award continues to recognise the exceptional individual who has gone above and beyond their ranger duties and made an outstanding contribution to management of protected areas across the Northern Territory.