Strathcona Provincial Park, designated in 1911, is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia. Located almost in the dead centre of Vancouver Island, Strathcona Park is a rugged mountain wilderness comprising more than 250,000 hectares. Visited by tens of thousands of people, it takes a certain amount of care, structure and strategy to make the park goers experience amazing each year. Enter, the Park Rangers: the stewards of these incredible habitats and places we get to experience the Wild in the safest way possible. This week, we’re joined by Strathcona’s Sr Park Ranger, Mattias Morrison, as he shares his journey of growing up in downtown Vancouver to becoming a wilderness guru that has a fierce love for the Vancouver Island wilderness and beyond. We talk about encounters with bears, learning the ways of the wilderness, what’s involved with preserving a park and opportunities to volunteer in Strathcona itself! If you have questions and would like to connect with Mattias, email him at [email protected]. You can also follow him online @ranger_mash and of course, follow @yourbcparks to find info on all the incredible places our province has preserved and has available for you to enjoy this summer! For Croteau Lake opportunities mentioned in the show, head to https://bcparks.ca/volunteers/opportunities/volunteer-host/strathcona/ ✌🏼