BC Parks Foundation
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Move Outdoors with Gurdeep Pandher
BC Parks Foundation
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A healing journey among the trees
BC Parks Foundation
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If I do not see myself reflected somewhere, I am less likely to find myself there
BC Parks Foundation
10 tips for getting outside when you don’t feel ...
10 tips for getting outside when you don’t feel like it

Celebrate Parks Day 2022

Celebrate #ParksDay by sharing your favourite park with us!

We’re excited to be teaming up with Greystone Books to give away books that will help you get #OutsideandUnplugged in BC this summer:

ENTER TO WIN

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ENTER TO WIN 📚

How to enter

  • Between July 4-18, 2022, leave a comment on one of our posts telling us your favourite park to spend time in (@healthybynaturecanada on Instagram or Facebook, or @HBNCanada on Twitter).

  • Make sure you’re following both Healthy By Nature and Greystone Books on the platform you’re entering.

Three winners will be randomly chosen to win one of the books listed above, and announced on July 19, 2022. See below for full contest details. 

We can’t wait to hear all about your favourite parks!

Contest Rules & Regulations

The Parks Day giveaway contest is hosted by Healthy By Nature, an initiative of the BC Parks Foundation, and Greystone Books. Contest is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who are ages nineteen (19) or older. Three (3) prizes are available to win. Entries can be made via Instagram by commenting on one of @healthybynaturecanada’s posts, via Twitter by commenting on one of @HBNCanada’s posts, or via Facebook by commenting on one of Healthy By Nature Canada’s posts. Participants must be following Healthy By Nature and Greystone Books on the platform in which they are entering. By entering, participants give Healthy By Nature, the BC Parks Foundation and Greystone Books permission to re-post their comments and handles on their social media, blog and newsletters. Participants must own the copyright to all materials included in their submissions. Entries must be posted before 11:59 pm PST on Monday, July 18, 2022. Each comment constitutes one entry. There is no limit to entries per person, but any one person may only win one of the prizes. Prizes will be drawn at random by 5:00 pm PST on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Winners will answer a skill-testing question. Contest is not sponsored or endorsed by Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. By entering, participants agree to the above rules & regulations.

Photo: Makenzie Pratt

Connecting with nature through photography: Jack Church 

Jack Church is an adventure and nature photographer based in Vancouver, BC. In 2018, Jack moved to Vancouver from London, England, looking for a change and to spend more time outdoors. His photography has won awards in the Travel Photographer of the Year and in multiple publications internationally.

Hi, I'm Jack. I'm a nature photographer based in Vancouver. I moved to BC three years ago and I try to spend as much time as I can exploring the backcountry of this amazing province. I’ve always loved spending time outdoors and developed a passion for photography in my teenage years. I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world with my camera but there’s no place I'd rather be than in the backcountry of BC.

Photo: Jack Church

On spending time outdoors

Hiking is one of the best ways to take interesting landscape photos. I always find that you see things that aren’t easy to see and get perspectives that other photographers may miss. I also like to make the most of the winters in BC and I'll be on my skis most weekends throughout the darker months.

We are spoiled for choice when heading outside in BC. I’ve been lucky enough to get out and explore much of the province, but one of my favorites has to be in the north. I drove up through Northern BC to the Yukon and Alaska a few years ago and Northern BC was incredible.

The endless untouched landscape, mountains and lakes captivated me and I go back at every opportunity that I have. In particular the Salmon Glacier near Stewart stands out as a highlight; the road to the glacier is fairly sketchy, but once you get to the top the glacier stretches out for miles in front of you. We drove in and out of Alaska to get to it which made the experience even more memorable.

I’ve been back up in Northern BC a few times since and had some wonderful experiences seeing the Northern Lights and wildlife everywhere.

Photo: Jack Church

On photographing nature

I was introduced to photography in my early teens by my Mum who was a passionate wildlife photographer. Her photography took her all over the world from the Arctic to Africa, which is where she spent most of her time with her camera.

I was lucky enough to accompany her on a number of expeditions and learnt from her and her peers in an informal apprentice-like situation. The photographers on these trips were highly published and had won multiple awards, and whilst there was a steep learning curve, I learnt so many things from watching and listening to them on the trips.

My Mum passed away a number of years ago but I feel her passion whenever I'm out with my camera. I’m so grateful to have spent so much time outdoors in the wild with her, in remote places without wifi or reception. The strongest memories that I have are those when we were sat; waiting in the back of a Land Cruiser. Whether it be watching to see whether a cheetah would hunt or if the herd of wildebeest would cross the river, those moments sat in nature, sharing our experience are the ones that I treasure the most.

I think that is the true passion of most nature photographers. It’s not about the time that you spend looking through the viewfinder, but the long swathes of time in between when you’re waiting for a break in the clouds or hiking up to get to a viewpoint.

Photo: Jack Church

A FAVOURITE photograph AND the story behind it 

I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over BC in the three years that I've lived here, and fortunately I've taken a few nice photos on the way. My most recent favorite is Mount Robson, taken last September whilst hiking the Berg Lake Trail.

I hiked into the park in inclement weather; visibility was poor and it was raining sideways. I set up camp just below Mount Robson at the base of the Mist Glacier and wondered whether I would even see the peak of the mountain on my trip.

Fortunately enough when I woke early the next morning, the weather had completely cleared up and the peak was bathed by one long ray of light. I walked out into the glacier bed and looked up at the mountain.

Photo: Jack Church

Composing the shot, I wanted to outline the amazing detail that I could see in person. I’d seen lots of photos of the iconic mountain at a wider angle, but I wanted to document this experience on a more personal level, and focusing on the detail of the mountain brings more meaning to this photo to me.

I like the photo because the contrast from dark to light speaks to the illusivity of the peak. One moment you might not know that there’s a mountain there, the next it reveals itself and this uncertainty is one of the things I love most about getting into the backcountry.


Jack’s advice for getting outside and unplugged

I think it can be quite overwhelming when you’re scrolling through Instagram and seeing amazing adventures filling your feed and it’s hard to know where to start if you’re looking for a good hike or a day in the wilderness. It’s also hard to know what to bring and how to prepare.

A little bit of research will really help when looking for a good hike or spot to take some pictures. I like using All Trails to find hikes - the descriptions and ratings are great, they’ll give you an idea of how hard the trail is and the comments section usually lets you know what condition that trail is currently in. You can search All Trails by a specific area, or you can explore nearby trails and look around on the interactive map.

I also like to have a look on Instagram by searching the location and looking for recent photos, this will give an idea of the trail conditions but also some ideas for photo spots along the way.

It’s important to be prepared when you head into the backcountry, so a good packing list (for a day or overnight hike) can really help when wondering what to bring, and with 20-30 minutes of research and packing, all you need to do is jump in a car, head out and enjoy it. Outdoor Vancouver has a great packing list on their website.


Thank you so much, Jack!


Inspired By Nature Series: Cariboo Mountain Adventures

This is a continuation of our Inspired By Nature series, where we highlight Canadians who are dedicated to sharing the health benefits of nature by getting others outside and unplugged. Know someone who we should feature? Email news@bcparksfoundation.ca. 

Photo: Ember Harper-Fedirko

Meet Ember Harper-Fedirko, from Cariboo Mountain Adventures

My name is Ember Harper-Fedirko, and I run Cariboo Mountain Adventures.

I’m Quesnel born and bred, but was lucky enough to spend over half my life in the Wells/Barkerville area.

I was introduced to exploring early, by my dad who was an avid mountain biker, skier and hiker – who knew the area like the back of his hand.

I was taught to read maps, plan routes and prepare safety checklists (though I couldn’t understand at the time, how any of this would possibly be useful to me in the future.)

Photo: Ember Harper-Fedirko

Getting outside 

When I’m not living the typical “mom life” I enjoy getting myself and the kids outdoors, and passing along the joy of adventure to the next generation. My 5 month old has now been to the summit of 5 mountains, but when I’m able to sneak away for a few hours, you’ll either find me hiking a trail I’m not comfortable bringing the kids on, or riding my bike – which unfortunately I didn’t get to do much of this summer, but look forward to resuming in full force next season.

Favourite places to go for outdoor adventures

I fear I’ll sound like a broken record before this is over, but my favourite place to explore is definitely the Wells area…it’s home to me, so I feel comfortable exploring harder routes and going off trail, in hopes of finding new and exciting areas.

Wells has over a dozen (more if you know where to look) really fantastic hikes, which have mostly unmarked trails but are frequently enjoyed by our local outdoor community. There’s a broad range of trails, from beginner/kid friendly, to straight up the mountain and difficult.

You’ll find the most welcoming community when you come for a visit, as the town of Wells has been tourism-based since the early 90s, with Barkerville bringing in people from all over the world.

Photo: Ember Harper-Fedirko

Cariboo Mountain Adventures

Cariboo Mountain Adventures began as a way for me to find other women that were willing to explore the mountains, and has grown and changed a lot over the last 3 years.

In the spring of 2020 I joined The Lady Alliance, as a chapter coordinator for the Cariboo region. I thought since I wasn’t having a ton of luck bringing in new adventure seekers on my own, perhaps being part of a recognizable organization could help (and it did!)

We now have over 300 members on our Facebook page, and our once-a-month free hikes have been a local hit (when our provincial regulations have allowed for gathering of course). We’ve offered a vast range of excursions, from shorter beginner/kids hikes, to well-attended mountain adventures in Wells.

The Lady Alliance’s mission really aligned with my ultimate goal, to encourage women and the LGBTQ community to get out of their comfort zones and explore nature, all while ensuring they’re in a safe and non-judgemental space to do so.

I know first hand that it’s not always practical to join your local hiking community as a beginner – while they’re very welcoming and wonderful people…it can be scary to be the new person, feeling like you need to prove yourself or keep up, so you don’t slow everyone else down…but that’s why I created the local Lady Alliance chapter, to offer a space for everyone to try something new.

On the flip side though, when I’m hiking as Cariboo Mountain Adventures I’m thrilled to go out with everyone. I was lucky enough to start that part of my journey this fall, with my great friend Meg from the Prince George based “Adventure Bus”. In Summer 2022, we’ll be offering some overnight trips, as well as day trips for hiking and biking in the Wells area.

Photo: Ember Harper-Fedirko

Advice if you want to get outside and unplugged, too 

Whether you’re completely new to the trails, or a seasoned pro, some of my top tips for fostering a connection with nature are: 

Start small

There’s lots of trails in Quesnel (and almost any town you find yourself in). Ask local outdoor stores if your town has compiled a map book with a list of the trails. Find something short and easy, that’s close to town to begin, then work your way into the harder/longer hikes, as you feel comfortable.

Join a hiking group!

You’ll find lots of them on Facebook, and there’s plenty of self guided or free-to-join communities like the Lady Alliance that are ready to welcome everyone. You’ll only need to join one outing, and you’ll leave with a bunch of new adventure friends.

Find a guide

Yes there’s a cost associated with this, but what you’re paying for is piece of mind and experience. These people really know the trails, they do extensive pre-trips, safety plans, and they have all the right training to advise you on energy conservation and the potential dangers you could encounter on the trail. They’ll keep you safe, with wilderness first aid, and avalanche rescue.

A guide will also carry an emergency transceiver to call for help or initiate Search and Rescue, should the unexpected happen.

Most importantly, is just get out there!

I’m always just an email away and I’m happy to give tips and tricks, or gear lists for those that might be new to the wilderness.

Regardless of your skill/fitness level, there’s tons of options for everyone to feel comfortable starting a new hobby, and enjoying the outdoors.

Cariboo Mountain Adventures: cariboomountainadventures.ca