Park Warden

Yann Troutet

"I could essentially strap on my snowshoes in the garage, cross the street, and wander off into the park,” recalls Yann Troutet about growing up next to Gatineau Park, a 363-square-kilometre park near Ottawa. "I think living next to the park made a huge difference in my personal development. It made quite an impression on me.” Indeed, it was a lasting impression, as Yann went on to complete an undergraduate degree in environmental science and now works for Parks Canada as a park warden. "The main attraction to this job is the ability to combine my love of science with my love of the outdoors.”

Today, Yann is stationed at the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada in northeastern Quebec. The day-to-day work of a park warden is anything but mundane: "I can be called upon to respond to anything from public safety concerns to law enforcement incidents, but my primary responsibility is to act as the park’s wildlife warden.” As such, Yann spends half his time at his desk. There he can be found contacting other park staff, answering questions from the public, and developing protocols and plans for wildlife surveys and environmental assessments within the park.

He also participates in the park’s education and outreach initiatives: "Sometimes I work with area residents and visitors who want to take part in park education activities.” Other times, Yann can be found preparing presentations and publications that report the scientific results of his work. Over the past few years, Parks Canada has become increasingly focussed on protecting its parks’ ecosystems. This emphasis can be seen in Yann’s fieldwork. "All my projects have a direct link to the field. I get a chance both to assist scientists conducting experiments in the park and to implement research of my own.

Much of the science I do revolves around monitoring the wildlife populations of the park.” One drawback of Yann’s work is having to work and live in remote locations, but that also comes with some perks. "Though the human contact is often richer in a town, I get to trade off a night out at the theatre with a day out in my kayak.” The work hours for a park warden also vary greatly. "Sometimes you’re called upon to work evenings and weekends. And you can’t take much time off during summer.” But Yann says the positive aspects of his job far outweigh the negative. "I get to travel and gain an intimate knowledge of some of the most beautiful places in Canada. Knowing that my work helps to preserve the ecological integrity of these places for present and future generations is very gratifying.”