Student Rangers

• Provide short-term employment opportunities for students within BC Parks and the Ministry of Environment and Parks
• Offer students a diversity of experiences and training opportunities to develop their knowledge and skillsets
• Facilitate Indigenous student involvement in projects that are being completed on culturally significant sites and traditional territories
• Provide student workers with an opportunity to foster their interest in caring for B.C.’s natural spaces
• Align crew projects with the BC Parks’ strategies and regional priorities to maintain and enhance recreational, ecological, and cultural values
• Promote BC Parks as a long-term employer for students wishing to pursue careers within the natural resrouce sector

Requirements to be a Student Ranger Crew Lead

• Enrolled in full-time studies at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution within the past six-months
• Demonstrated previous experience leading a group of two or more to complete a project or task during an academic, work, community, Nation or volunteer setting

Preference may be given to candidates who have experience leading projects or tasks in the outdoors and/or involving a component of safety planning.

• Between 18 – 30 years of age
• Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations
• Must possess and maintain a valid BC Class 5 Driver’s Licence, or provincial equivalent [BC Class 7L/7N will not be considered]
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service, which includes a Criminal Records Check
• Must participate and successfully pass the training requirements at the provincial training event (facilitated by BC Parks at the start of the work term)
• 2025 Student Ranger Crew Members are encouraged to apply for the 2026 Crew Lead positions

Requirements to be a Student Ranger Crew Member

• Enrolled in full-time studies at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution within the past six months
• Demonstrated previous experience working in a group of two or more to complete a project or task during an academic, work, community, Nation or volunteer setting

Preference may be given to candidates who have experience completing projects or tasks in the outdoors and/or involving a component of safety planning.

• Between 18 and 30 years of age
• Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations
• Must possess and maintain a valid BC Class 5 Driver’s Licence, or provincial equivalent [BC Class 7L/7N will not be considered]
• Must participate and successfully pass the training requirements at the program training event [facilitated by BC Parks at the start of the work term]
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of the BC Public Service, which includes a Criminal Records Check
• Previous Student Ranger Crew Members are not eligible for current Crew Member positions

Desirable skills and experience for Crew Lead position

• Experience leading a diverse team to perform project work
• Experience and knowledge in the four Program Areas
  • Conservation
  • Recreation
  • Indigenous relations
  • Public outreach and education
• Experience hiking long distances
• Experience travelling or camping in remote environments and backcountry areas
• Knowledge of outdoor safety procedures and application
• Experience or knowledge of field equipment and tool use
• Experience listening to and applying the ideas of others from different backgrounds
• Willing and able to perform daily physical project work
• Conflict resolution and team management
• Time management and organizational skills

Desirable skills and experience for Crew Member position

• Experience working as a member of a diverse team
• Experience or knowledge in the four Program Areas
  • Conservation
  • Recreation
  • Indigenous relations
  • Public outreach and education
• Experience hiking long distances
• Experience travelling or camping in remote environments and backcountry areas
• Experience or knowledge of field equipment and tool use
• Willing and able to perform daily physical project work

Further information about Student Ranger job requirements and desirable skills and experience will be provided in the job postings for the Crew Lead and Crew Member positions.

Each crew will be assigned to a Crew Contact (BC Parks Senior Park Ranger or Area Supervisor) who will directly supervise the crew. Crews will have the opportunity to work alongside their Crew Contact and other BC Parks staff on regional projects. Crews typically consist of one Crew Lead and three Crew Members. However, isolated areas may operate with crews consisting of only two Crew Members.

Hourly Pay for Crew Lead and Crew Member positions will be as per the current BCGEU Collective Agreement and can be found on the salary look-up tool.

• Crew Leads are classified as Park Assistant 9
• Crew Members are classified as Youth Employment 1 or 2

Crew locations

Crews will be recruited, hired, and employed by BC Parks province-wide. The 2026 crew locations have not been confirmed yet. The 2025 crew locations were:

• Black Creek (Miracle Beach Park)
• Clearwater (Wells Gray Park)
• Cranbrook
• Fort St. John
• Kamloops
• Mount Robson
• North Vancouver
• Penticton
• Prince George
• Smithers
• Squamish
• Terrace
• Tofino
• Victoria (Goldstream Park)
• Bowron Lake

Further details about each location can be found in the Location Appendix included at the bottom of the job postings. The 2025 version is available in the additional resources section below.

Crew training and development

The BC Parks Student Ranger Program was designed with the intent to promote youth engagement with the land and to encourage their passion and interests.

The program aims to hire a minimum of 30% Indigenous youth each year. Creating opportunities for Indigenous youth is a high priority for the Ministry of Environment and Parks.

An objective of the Student Ranger Program is to provide youth with skills and knowledge they can apply towards future employment in related fields of work. Providing Student Rangers with basic training and learning experiences can help further their success of reaching future employment goals. Types of training opportunities that Student Rangers can expect to receive during the season include:

• Overview of park management with BC Parks
• Public outreach and education
• Indigenous Relations training
• Field safety protocols and procedures
• Invasive plant identification and removal
• Trail building and maintenance
• BC Parks conservation training

Crew Leads will develop team-leadership, management, and organizational skills. Crew Members will have an opportunity to work with a Crew Lead and within a diverse team, building on their ability to work with others in planning and executing projects.

BC Parks staff develop crew projects in the four Program Areas of conservation, recreation, Indigenous Relations and public outreach. Given BC Parks priorities for specific projects during each season, it is not guaranteed that every crew will have exposure to projects in each Program Area. Many crew locations have historically prioritized recreation projects for Student Rangers. The table below includes the types of projects that Student Rangers may be involved in during their season.

Being a Student Ranger is a great opportunity to work outside for the summer, learn new skills, meet new people and be engaged in rewarding work. The job can be physically challenging at times, but the result of a crew’s hard work can be extremely rewarding.

Student Ranger crews are assigned a Point of Assembly (POA) office location where they base themselves for the season. Depending on the crew and planned season work, crews may start every day at their POA and then travel to the assigned worksite for the day. Other crews may find they are often travelling from their POA office to stay overnight at the worksite for multiple nights at a time. Worksites within Parks and Protected Areas can be up to a full-days drive from the POA office and therefore staying at the worksite overnight is necessary to complete work. Accommodation (tent or cabin), meal per diems, and camping gear will be provided to Student Rangers when camping overnight for work.

Crews schedules can also vary. Some crews will work week-days, while others on week-ends. Shift lengths (work hours/day and number of days/week) will also differ between crews. More information on work schedules, hours of work and specific projects can be reviewed in the Location Appendix. Applicants for Student Ranger positions need to be aware of the nature of field work, in that schedules can change due unforeseen circumstances. Being flexible to a variable schedule is recommended for those applying to Student Ranger positions.

• Location Appendix from 2025 [PDF]
• BC Parks Licence Plate Program
• Project Learning Tree: Green Jobs in Green Spaces
• Canadian Parks Council

To find out more details on the BC Parks Student Ranger Program, contact the Program Coordinator at Parks.StudentRangers@gov.bc.ca.