Outdoors For All

By Logan Farr

Outdoor education and working at Parks Canada is very important to me.

I’ve always been active with swimming, nordic skiing, hiking and outdoor activities.  My family has always enjoyed outdoor activities together including bird watching, trips to the mountains, camping and hiking.  After high school, I took a gap year and completed a Mountains 101 course online and audited a wildlife course. I really enjoyed those classes and I wanted to continue studying and learning. MacEwan was a great campus for me with my visual impairment, because it was easy to find my way around, and the instructors were very supportive and helped me to fully participate in their classes. I expanded my passion for the outdoors, learned about coaching and how to help others improve their skills and fitness.  After my first year at Inclusive Post-Secondary at MacEwan University, I applied for a summer job with Parks Canada. Getting that first summer dream job inspired me to work even harder. 

This summer, I’m back working in Banff National Park with the Visitor Experience and Heritage Interpretation teams. In the fall, I will be continuing my studies at the University of Alberta where I hope to learn more about recreation, tourism and parks. I will also continue to teach Nordic ski lessons this winter to kids in the Jack Rabbit program, and I’m hoping to get a guide dog in the near future. 

There are so many benefits to spending time outdoors and working outdoors for young people.

Working outdoors is great because you get lots of fresh air and you can see a lot of neat things.  Banff is a beautiful place to work.  There are lots of young people working here so we do lots of hiking.  I really enjoy meeting people from all over the world and helping them enjoy their visit to Banff.  

Getting out there early and working in the community is important.

I spent a lot of my high school years volunteering with programs relating to parks and outdoor education.  I volunteered at many places including Beaverhill Bird Observatory, The Edmonton Valley Zoo, Alberta Parks, Parks Canada and my local Nordic ski club.  Volunteering is a great way to meet people, get excellent work experience and have fun.  It also really helped me build a network when applying for jobs.  Throughout my volunteer and work experience, I have met wonderful coworkers, friends and peer supports that have volunteered with me or supported me as I was learning new tasks.  My classmates at MacEwan were also very supportive.

Outdoor education programs and future employers should know that inclusion is important.

In my second year at MacEwan I took an adaptive physical activities course and was inspired by many of the guest speakers who shared stories about living with their disability. My term paper was on a program called “Push to Open Nature,” which works to help people with disabilities explore the outdoors and parks. I think everyone should have an opportunity to spend time in our parks and natural areas.  It’s very good for mental, physical and emotional wellness.  Being outdoors gives me energy and it’s a great place to meet people and to feel connected with friends and with nature.  There are lots of outdoor education jobs that people like myself can do confidently if given the opportunity and some support.