Top 3 Reasons to Become a Student Ranger
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Picture this, you’re a new hire to the 2020 Student Ranger Program and are about to meet your crew for the first time. After introductions, you all load into the BC Parks truck and set out to the B.C. lower mainland to participate in a six-day training course. You’ll learn safety considerations and safe practices, the essentials to pack in your day and camping pack, what to expect in the backcountry, conservation and invasive species management, about BC Parks, about partners that share the stewardship in BC Parks, your role and responsibilities, and much more. The week will be full of team building and connecting with all 12 Student Ranger Crews and sharing your excitement for the summer work season. The rest of the summer will build on this training, with student rangers completing an array of projects in conservation, recreation, Indigenous relations, community outreach and education.
Sound enticing? Read on for the top three reasons to apply to the Student Ranger Program:
1. Skills and Career Building
Student Ranger positions help build and establish your skills in project management, conservation, invasive species management, cultural awareness and teamwork, among many others, while providing a taste of work as a public servant. As a post-secondary student, getting a taste for environmental work not only builds relevant skills, but it allows you to test the waters as you decide your career path. You can get the chance to work with park rangers, conservation specialists, recreation specialists, biologists, park planners, and community engagement staff dispersed across the province.
2. Rewarding Work
Student Ranger work is deeply rewarding. Most days Student Rangers encounter people visiting BC Parks who are thrilled to hear about why they are in the park. Park visitors are genuinely grateful for the hard work required to keep BC Parks safe while protecting the natural and cultural values within parks. Conservation and invasive species removal are also rewarding tasks, which foster a feeling of shared stewardship. Student Rangers learn the importance of the work they are doing and get to see first hand the positive impact their work has on parks and the people who visit them.
3. Having FUN
Being a Student Ranger is FUN! Student Ranger work takes you into some of the most beautiful places in B.C. You might fly by helicopter or floatplane into remote locations, and have lunch by the tidal pools at Botanical Beach, or do backcountry work on a horse-back trip. As Student Rangers, you’ll develop a sixth sense when it comes to finding the nearest ice cream shop after a hard day’s work. Each Student Ranger Crew has a unique dynamic and brings together students of similar, yet different educations and passions.
Does this sound like the ideal summer job for you? Applications are open to students who meet the following requirements:
- A full-time student within the past six months (secondary or post-secondary);
- Between 18 and 30 years old;
- Canadian citizen, permanent resident or granted refugee status in Canada;
- Inspired to conserve B.C.’s parks and protected areas; and
- Able to work outdoors and camp overnight with a diverse team.
If that’s you, apply now until February 23, 2020, to be a Student Ranger Crew Lead or Crew Member! More information and job postings can be found through the BC Parks Student Ranger webpage: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/employment/student-ranger/. Any program-related questions can be directed to Parks.StudentRangers@gov.bc.ca.
Learn More:
- Learn more about the student ranger experience on the BC Parks Blog: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcparksblog/tag/student-rangers/
- For a quick overview of the Student Ranger Program check out the following video: https://youtu.be/pWG31r2quMs
- The 2020 Student Ranger Program is made possible thanks to funding from the BC Parks Licence Plate Program and Government of Canada. To find out how the BC Parks Licence Plate Program is changing parks and communities across the province, visit: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/licence-plates/
