A bird-lover and former office worker, Ruth Woodrow traded her blazers for workboots.
One of our enthusiastic rangers, Ruth quit her job as an executive assistant to try out life at Parks Victoria. Jumping through our commercial and marketing teams before landing in the role of her dreams at Serendip Sanctuary.
In celebration of World Ranger Day 2026, we got her to pop down the binoculars and talk to us about her role at Parks Victoria and an interesting interaction with the Werribee Open Range Zoo veterinary hospital.
What inspired you to become a Ranger?
‘After 13 years working as an Executive Assistant in the commercial sector, I realised I was spending my days in the wrong place.
What really inspired me was being outdoors, exploring nature and, especially, searching for birds. So, I took a leap of faith. I resigned from my job and enrolled in a Diploma of Conservation Ecology course without knowing exactly where it would lead. Two years later I joined Parks Victoria, ironically in the Commercial team!
From there I moved into marketing before finally securing a ranger position at Serendip Sanctuary. It was the role I’d always hoped for: working outdoors, caring for nature and helping protect Victoria’s incredible wildlife.’
Ruth (far left) and team releasing some turtles back into the wild. Credit: Parks Victoria
Can you describe your role and what a typical day looks like?
‘No two days are ever the same, and that’s one of the things I love most about being a Ranger.
Serendip Sanctuary is unique within Parks Victoria because we care for captive wildlife, meaning animal husbandry is a regular part of my work. However, Serendip is now shifting focus away from displaying captive animals and towards conserving threatened species and restoring native ecosystems. We’ve been propagating plants native to the Western Basalt Plains, and it’s been a fantastic learning experience involving field trips, seed collection, collaboration with experts and working alongside the community.
At the same time, the Sanctuary is currently undergoing an exciting transformation! With new visitor facilities, a sensory garden, and an education centre all helping to create a more accessible, all-abilities destination. So, my day might involve caring for our animals, chatting with visitors, maintaining park infrastructure, and working on conservation projects.
Alongside my work at Serendip, I also help manage Avalon Coastal Reserve, the former Avalon Saltworks. This site is really special too, as it is one of Victoria’s most important coastal wetland landscapes for migratory birds. We’re working on restoring the habitat and a typical day at the reserve can include:
- rubbish removal
- monitoring and maintenance of the water pump
- pest plant and animal management
- conducting shorebird surveys over the summer
- coordinating Orange-bellied Parrot surveys over winter and
- working closely with a wide range of stakeholders to help restore one of Victoria’s most important coastal wetlands.’
The weed at Avalon Coastal Reserve stand no chance against Ruth and her PPE. Credit: Parks Victoria
What is your favourite park, waterway or place you manage and why?
‘It has to be Serendip Sanctuary, which probably isn’t surprising after 17 years there!
What makes it so special for me is the incredible birdlife. We regularly see Tawny Frogmouths, Purple-crowned Lorikeets, Spotted Pardalotes, and I could list loads more! Serendip is also one of the few places in Victoria where visitors can see both Magpie Geese and Cape Barren Geese.
Over the years we have also been fortunate to host incredibly rare visitors, including Australian Painted Snipe, Black Honeyeater and Swift Parrot, all of which attract plenty of attention from bird enthusiasts.
We’ve even had Brolgas visit the site – one of my favourite memories was when we housed captive Brolgas and two wild Brolgas began flying in regularly to spend time with them. It was an extraordinary sight.
Even though Serendip covers just 260 hectares (the old one square mile farm block), I’ve recorded more than 200 bird species there. I love hearing the different calls as seasons come and go and, as a passionate bird photographer, it’s been an incredible place to learn, observe and capture wildlife over the years.’
