A BRIEF REMINDER OF SWI EVENTS IN APRIL Lake Helen MacKenzie, March 30, courtesy Tim Penney IN THIS ISSUE CONDITIONS IN THE PARK APRIL EVENTS: VIMFF-April 10 & SWI AGM-April 22 CONDITIONS IN THE PARK Read...
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CLOSED - Paradise Meadows and Buttle Lake Information Centres
Thank you to everyone who visited this summer! Information Centers are now closed for the season. Expected opening June 2026.
Upcoming Events
Volunteer Training & Orientation Day
Date: June 14th
Time: 12:30pm – 2:15pm
Event Details: SWI will be holding a volunteer training day for learning more about volunteering with SWI. It is open to everyone including current volunteers and those interested. This will include learning about daily operations of the Wilderness Centres, training related to the use of the TrailRider and more.
Volunteer Appreciation Day
Date: June 14th
Time: 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Location: Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Event Details: SWI would like to thank all of our amazing volunteers who made the last few years of operation a great success. Please join us for refreshments, a short presentation, presentation of tokens of our appreciation, and the opportunity to meet and socialize with all of the other volunteers.
For more information please visit our Events Page
STEVE SMITH (1939-2025)
We were all greatly saddened to learn that on December 4th Steve Smith, prominent founding director of SWI, had passed away. Earlier in the summer Steve (together with other founding directors) was guest of honour at SWI’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. Without his inspiration and tireless dedication to educating the public about Strathcona Provincial Park, SWI would not have existed. Steve will always be remembered for his big smile, his wit, his songs and his love of Strathcona Park.
To Read more about Steve Smith please visit our Past Directors Page.
Recent iNaturalist Observations
Listed below are some of the most recent observations of species in Strathcona Provincial Park using iNaturalist. Species are recorded by SWI Directors and Summer Students. The data from our own SWI Data Collection project has been incorporated into the statistics of the BC Parks iNaturalist Project.
Latest Newsletter
Latest Research Article & Presentations
More Research Articles or Presentation can be found on our website for FREE regarding Strathcona Provincial Park.
BC Parks and Crest Creek a Decade Later
In December 2014, after two decades of dedicated volunteer work at Crest Creek, and thirty years of volunteering in Strathcona Park more broadly, the Heathens club was issued a “Stop Work Order”. This arose as a result of a dispute over new agreements that volunteers were being required to sign in 2013. During the year preceding …
Chris Barner
February 2026
Slime Moulds of Strathcona Provincial Park 2025
This presentation will focus on the progress made in 2025 on studying and cataloging the slime moulds in strathcona park, including select species of interest and diversity projections for the future.
Presentation From: Zeke Gilmore
Date: September 29th, 2025
Summer Season Hours
Wilderness Centers operate during the summer from June (once the snow melts) to Thanksgiving Weekend.
Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre
Open: 7 Days/Week
Hours: 9am – 4pm
Location: Paradise Meadows
Hours subject to volunteer availability.
Buttle Lake Wilderness Centre
Open: Friday/Saturday/Sunday
Hours: 9am – 4pm
Location: Buttle Lake, Westmin Road
Hours subject to volunteer availability.