Taking Care of Manitoba’s Provincial Parks
The Localer: Sloan Cathcart, head of interpretation at Manitoba Parks, explains what the job entails as he shares his passion for nature.
By Jackie Johnstone | Photography by Brooke Van Buskirk
Growing up near the Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Sloan Cathcart spent as much time as he could camping, fishing, hiking and exploring the unique landscapes, including the rare shifting open sand dunes. And given the chance to work in the park in the summer of 2004, Cathcart, a high school student at the time, jumped on it enthusiastically. He has since been with Manitoba Provincial Parks and now is in the role of head of interpretation. So, what does a park interpreter actually do?
Manitoba’s park interpreters fulfill a diverse range of responsibilities — “one of the best jobs we have in the [provincial] parks system,” Cathcart notes. Unlike conservation officers, who patrol and enforce regulations and manage wildlife conflicts, park interpreters connect directly with visitors, and education is central to their work.
Park interpreters guide trail hikes, host campfire talks, lead site tours and explain the regional and historical contexts that make each park special. Engaging in dialogue with travellers, families, schools and other groups that participate in parks’ programming, interpreters aim to build a personal rapport between people and the parks they visit. By sparking curiosity around the campfire, they foster connections and, ultimately, environmental stewardship, making visitors care about provincial parks.
As Manitoba Provincial Parks’ head of interpretation, Sloan Cathcart engages directly with park visitors to encourage them to learn more about nature. The ultimate goal? To foster environmental stewardship.
Whether you’re keen to ignite that spark of curiosity and discover environmental stewardship or you’re happy to simply enjoy spending time surrounded by nature, go ahead and visit a park.
As head of interpretation, Cathcart is tasked to work with all of Manitoba’s parks. And he’s more than happy to lead school groups — “anything [to do] with kids,” he says — and the opportunity to nurture ecological stewardship in young people. He loves watching them encounter “that wow factor…getting into [the] landscape for the first time and experiencing some really cool places in our parks,” he says, “opening their eyes to the natural world.”
A special part of the job is the chance to view wildlife. Cathcart’s personal highlights include encountering a small herd of the rarely seen endangered woodland caribou in Nopiming Provincial Park, in southeastern Manitoba, while he was guiding a tour. “We were driving through the park, [coming] around a corner, when all of a sudden, [the caribou were] there…on the road!”
Whether you’re keen to ignite that spark of curiosity and discover environmental stewardship or you’re happy to simply enjoy spending time surrounded by nature, go ahead and visit a park. Feel free to approach a park interpreter with questions. Learn more about the land — its history, its flora and fauna. Each and every park in the province offers a wealth of knowledge and experiences. And if you happen to be in the vicinity of Spruce Woods Provincial Park, you might even have the pleasure of going on a memorable tour led by Cathcart himself. CAA
(From top) Visitors to Kiche Manitou Campground area can enjoy spectacular views; hikers can explore the Isputinaw Trail in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
Do you know someone who goes above and beyond?
We’d love to hear about them. Submit your nominations, and they could be our featured Localer in an upcoming issue.
Related stories
A Dedicated Volunteer Builds a Stronger Community for All
Focused on Collective Well-Being
At His Ice Cream Shop, Joseph Chaeban Celebrates Winnipeg
As Manitoba Provincial Parks’ head of interpretation, Sloan Cathcart engages directly with park visitors to encourage them to learn more about nature. The ultimate goal? To foster environmental stewardship.
Taking Care of Manitoba’s Provincial Parks
The Localer: Sloan Cathcart, head of interpretation at Manitoba Parks, explains what the job entails as he shares his passion for nature.
By Jackie Johnstone | Photography by Brooke Van Buskirk
Growing up near the Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Sloan Cathcart spent as much time as he could camping, fishing, hiking and exploring the unique landscapes, including the rare shifting open sand dunes. And given the chance to work in the park in the summer of 2004, Cathcart, a high school student at the time, jumped on it enthusiastically. He has since been with Manitoba Provincial Parks and now is in the role of head of interpretation. So, what does a park interpreter actually do?
Manitoba’s park interpreters fulfill a diverse range of responsibilities — “one of the best jobs we have in the [provincial] parks system,” Cathcart notes. Unlike conservation officers, who patrol and enforce regulations and manage wildlife conflicts, park interpreters connect directly with visitors, and education is central to their work.
Park interpreters guide trail hikes, host campfire talks, lead site tours and explain the regional and historical contexts that make each park special. Engaging in dialogue with travellers, families, schools and other groups that participate in parks’ programming, interpreters aim to build a personal rapport between people and the parks they visit. By sparking curiosity around the campfire, they foster connections and, ultimately, environmental stewardship, making visitors care about provincial parks.
As head of interpretation, Cathcart is tasked to work with all of Manitoba’s parks. And he’s more than happy to lead school groups — “anything [to do] with kids,” he says — and the opportunity to nurture ecological stewardship in young people. He loves watching them encounter “that wow factor…getting into [the] landscape for the first time and experiencing some really cool places in our parks,” he says, “opening their eyes to the natural world.”
A special part of the job is the chance to view wildlife. Cathcart’s personal highlights include encountering a small herd of the rarely seen endangered woodland caribou in Nopiming Provincial Park, in southeastern Manitoba, while he was guiding a tour. “We were driving through the park, [coming] around a corner, when all of a sudden, [the caribou were] there…on the road!”
Whether you’re keen to ignite that spark of curiosity and discover environmental stewardship or you’re happy to simply enjoy spending time surrounded by nature, go ahead and visit a park. Feel free to approach a park interpreter with questions. Learn more about the land — its history, its flora and fauna. Each and every park in the province offers a wealth of knowledge and experiences. And if you happen to be in the vicinity of Spruce Woods Provincial Park, you might even have the pleasure of going on a memorable tour led by Cathcart himself. CAA
Visitors to Kiche Manitou Campground area can enjoy spectacular views; hikers can explore the Isputinaw Trail in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.