The BC Park’s iNaturalist project is wrapping up its third year and has grown considerably since its launch in May of 2019, thanks to the help of park visitors and iNaturalist crews. The project has racked up over 470,000 observations to date, an increase of 58% from the end of summer 2020! Community scientists representing …
Maleen, Olivia and Julie are three of 86 youth who were employed in the BC Parks Student Ranger and Youth Employment Programs across the province this year. The Student Ranger Program is now in its fourth year and employs student ranger crews. The Youth Employment Program is in its second year and took a new …
More than 14 million hectares of provincial parks and protected areas in B.C. have been established in large part to help protect the province’s stunning biodiversity. Of all the provinces and territories in Canada, B.C. has the most diverse species and ecosystems (or biodiversity), and it also has the most protected land. To help understand …
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, …
Are you… a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident or individual granted refugee status in Canada; between 18 and 30 years old; a fulltime student within the past six months; inspired to conserve B.C.’s parks and protected areas; and able to work outdoors and camp overnight with a diverse team? … then this could be the job …
As I approached the Swan Lake Provincial Park day use area, my senses were awakened. Colourful tapestries were hanging from the trees, a fire smoldered in the central gathering place, rhythmic drumming blended with the rustling trees, and smells of traditional foods wafted towards me, making my stomach growl. Before I knew it, I was …
After another successful season of trail building, ecological monitoring, and public outreach projects (to name a few), the 2019 BC Parks student rangers have hung up their hiking boots and stepped back into the classroom. Thanks to funding from the BC Parks Licence Plate Program and the Government of Canada’s Canada Green Jobs Program, both …
These days sports reporting is full of stories about one GOAT or another, as in the “Greatest of All Time.” This is a story about actual goats. More than half of the world’s mountain goats are found in B.C., living in rugged mountainous terrain scattered throughout the province. Cathedral Provincial Park, located southwest of Keremeos …
When Erica McClaren looks at the coastal landscape of Helliwell Provincial Park, she feels hopeful a rare species of butterfly will return to its former home. As a conservation specialist for BC Parks, McClaren is among a large team of scientists and community members who began restoring the park’s coastal bluff meadows in the spring …
On a calm morning in mid July, Rachel Shephard slides into a kayak and slowly starts paddling around the perimeter of Fawn Lake. Keeping a camera and notebook within reach, Shepard’s eyes are glued to the water, searching for any signs of western toad tadpoles. “We’ve been looking to see where they are in the …