A few weeks ago 17-year-old Joshua Shields was unemployed and uncertain about what to do with his future.
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But now thanks to a local environmental initiative he's gaining qualifications to pursue a career as a park ranger.
The Green Corp program is designed to get people aged 17 to 20 involved in the protection and restoration of their local environment.
But along the way, the people chosen for the Green Corp project get paid for the work they do and finish up with qualifications that can lead to careers in horticulture, landscaping, landcare, forestry work and firefighting.
"I see this as a great stepping stone for my career path," Joshua said.
"I didn't have a job and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life - I needed something to get me started.
"I'm really enjoying the outdoor labour, it's hard work but it's so rewarding to be doing something for the environment."
Ten young people from Dubbo are involved in the local Green Corps, which is headed up by team leader Jade Freeman.
The team is set to undertake four major projects throughout the next six months with works at Wongarbon Reserve, Redbank Reserve north of Dubbo, Jones' Creek Reserve and a five-kilometre stretch of the Macquarie River through Dubbo.
"We have started here at the Wongarbon Reserve and we're removing the introduced African box thorn tree species and replacing them with native trees," Joshua said.
"We've also constructed a walking path made from recycled tree mulch and we're removing noxious weeds."
Wongarbon resident Del Goninan said the small community was extremely appreciative of the work being done in the reserve.
"A lot of locals use the reserve because it's very close by and what they've done here already is just magnificent," she said.
"These young people should be congratulated."
Another admirer of the project is federal member for Parkes John Cobb, who attended the launch of the project yesterday, calling Green Corps a "common sense approach to conservation".