Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Standing on the front lawn of my house at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park in my snazzy uniform.

An article I just read in the Georgia Straight about Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and park interpreter Bonnie Moffett got me thinking about the good old days when I was an Alberta park interpreter at beautiful Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.

From May to August for three summers while I attended university I led guided hikes on the natural and cultural history of the area for groups of up to 30 school children, park visitors and campers.

Leading an activity with a group of elementary students (left) and showing our love of trees with a fellow interpreter (right) at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.

To be outside for nearly the whole day almost every day was truly awesome, even on my days off I was outside running, hiking, canoeing or just enjoying the view from my very own little house on the lake.

Having a paddle around Beauvais Lake with my little brother.

I haven’t done a lot of hiking since moving to Vancouver almost four years ago – it sounds so awful when I say it out loud. Four years? – so it’s time to get back to that wonderful activity that is deeply woven into the fibres of my being.

There is something so special about walking around in nature that goes well beyond the physical benefits of using your muscles and exercising your lungs. The smell of toasting pine needles heated by the sun, the buzz of hummingbirds foraging for nectar and insects, the sight of ground squirrels poking their heads out of their burrow, or discovering the incredible abundance of life in a quiet wetland does something magical to your soul.

I'm in my element leading a wetland discovery program at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.

Experiencing the natural environment recharges your battery on a different level than food and exercise alone can do. With the soul-filling awesomeness of the great outdoors in mind, here are some resources for planning your own invigorating adventure in BC.