BC Parks Foundation

From Survivor to Steward: Simran Sarai Helps You Discover Parks

In one of Simran Sarai's first classes as a Resource and Environmental Management major at SFU, she discovered that parks were among the resources she’d learn to manage. 

 "Which I thought was so cool,” she explains, “because I love parks. Thinking of them as a resource that we need to manage responsibly was very inspiring to me.”  

Today, as Discover Parks Coordinator for BC Parks Foundation, Simran shares her knowledge and passion with the next generation of park enthusiasts, the young kids who participate in her programs. 

"And they get to absorb the information in a much more beautiful setting than I did,” she laughs, “while we play together in nature!”

Simran's passion for the outdoors is rooted in her experiences as a childhood cancer survivor when, for eight summers, a special camp provided safety and solace.   

“When everything started, I didn’t really understand why I wasn’t allowed to go to school, or play at my friends’ houses,” she says, referring to the medical efforts to protect her immune system while she was in treatment. “But a source of joy and connection came from Camp Goodtimes.”  

Camp Goodtimes, by the Canadian Cancer Society, has offered “extraordinary camp experiences in a medically supervised, safety-focused and supportive environment” since 1985.  

Simran says the goal is to give kids and their families the same joyful memories as their peers, and to allow kids to enjoy being kids in the face of their illness. 

She recalls magical moments canoeing with her family, hiking with other children, and rappelling rock faces.

Loon Lake, where she’d often swim, is right next to Golden Ears Park, where Simran started her career with BC Parks Foundation as a Discover Parks Ambassador.  

“The stories of how I got here are just so connected,” she says. 

The result of those early experiences was a deep and experiential understanding of the healing power of nature. From that understanding grew a dedication to both protecting it and connecting other people—especially kids—to it as much as possible.  

And she does that through Discover Parks. 

From guided nature walks and educational workshops to sandcastle competitions and community science games, Discover Parks is all about creating moments of connection in nature that keep people coming back for more.  

Because, as the research shows, the more time people spend in nature, the more likely they are to want to help protect it.  

“We’re so lucky to be here,” Simran says, gesturing to the natural beauty around her. “It’s my joy to help people take advantage of every single moment we have in this amazing place.” 

Find your next adventure with Discover Parks.