Students: join our Discovery team this summer

Discovery rangers are the storytellers of Ontario Parks.

Roughly 300 Discovery staff work in over 60 parks across the province engaging visitors with stories of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage.

Discovery rangers help our visitors experience the best of what Ontario Parks has to offer by facilitating experiences through educational and interpretive programming.

Piqued your interest? Learn more about how you can join our Discovery team.

Is the Discovery program for me?

Are you someone who enjoys communicating with people and sharing your knowledge and passion with others?

Yes?

Then working for Discovery is absolutely for you!

Don’t know a lot about nature and history? That’s okay! You don’t need to be an expert to be a Discovery ranger.

Discovery staff in Ontario Parks come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including post-secondary programs in:

the creative arts (music, drama, fine arts)
health studies (kinesiology, psychology)
classical studies (languages, anthropology, history)
science (biology, environmental sciences)

Our Discovery staff receive training on the unique natural and cultural stories located within their individual parks.

Learn more by speaking with a Discovery team member

Want to better understand what working in Discovery is all about?

Sign up for one of our one-on-one virtual sessions and have your questions answered! Just be sure to select a staff member from within the Discovery department when booking your session.

How do I apply to work in the Discovery program?

Students can apply to be a Discovery ranger by visiting the current job posting.

Once there, you’ll have the option to select which position you are interested in (select Discovery ranger), and which parks you would like to apply for.

Eager to apply? Learn more about how to apply for a student summer job with Ontario Parks.

Here’s the important part: not every provincial park offers Discovery programs, and not all Discovery programs are the same.

There are two kinds of Discovery programs that you can work in.

Enhanced Discovery programs with a team of staff

Over 20 enhanced Discovery program parks employ a large team of staff that carry out substantial Discovery activities, including:

formal educational and interpretive programming such as staff-led guided hikes, children’s programs, theatrical evening programs, canoe hikes, etc.
community science initiatives such as bioblitzes and volunteer programs
species at risk monitoring programs
invasive species removal and habitat restoration projects
Visitor Centre exhibits and museums
…and much, much more!

These parks have a full team of Discovery staff, led by experienced naturalists, historians, and interpreters who have vast expertise in topics ranging from birds and amphibians to the Victorian Era and War of 1812.

Each of these parks hires a team of students to help run Discovery programming, however many of these parks also hire senior level positions to assist with larger tasks.

These parks offer enhanced Discovery programs:

Discovery exploration station programs

Do you want to help people explore and connect with nature?

Discovery rangers bring exploration station programs to life and might be the perfect fit for you!

Offered at over 40 provincial parks across Ontario, your role at these stations is to help people of all ages and skill levels observe, explore, and connect with nature.

These programs offer participants tools for enhancing exploration and nature journals for deepening their connection to nature.