Campbell, Barry

"I have been interested in the outdoor world from my earliest memories. In elementary or junior high school days I have many pleasant memories of trips to places like China Beach or Botanical Beach with my parents. I joined the Junior Naturalists of the Victoria Natural History Society along with acquaintences such as Nancy Turner. We hiked and learned about natural history under the guidance of "Skipper" King. In High School I developed an interest and aptitude in Biology, Geography and History. As a result I turned to biology as a major when entering the University of Victoria in 1965. I immediately joined the University of Victoria Outdoor Club to satisfy my yearning for outdoors adventure - my interest in biology and geography had to be accompanied by the excitement of exploring new and dramatic environments such as wilderness seashores, mountains etc. I stayed with the Outdoor Club for the full five years I attended UVIC, and was vice-president and president in my final two years. Myself and others gradually steered the club from pure fun and adventure towards a measure of ecological responsibility. By that we started to lobby for wilderness, parks, better logging practices, reduction of pollution etc. As a club we contributed many person days to the cleanup of garbage and pollution-contaminated Colquitz Creek, to the initiation of Environment Day, to the reconstruction of the West Coast Trail (since the Province was unwilling to consider the Trail as part of the future National Park due to Timber Values and the timber lobby, a number of us went out and started reopening the overgrown trail with good media attention. The result must have helped as Jean Chretien, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development flew out to Victoria and demanded the future park include the Trail in its boundaries. I got to attend a luncheon with Jean after his meeting with Provincial Officals) etc etc In 1969 I applied for a job as a Seasonal Naturalist with the Western Regional of the National Parks Service. I yearned to work in the mountain National Parks because of a dream to explore and climb in what I thought was some of the grandest scenery in Canada. At that time the Naturalist Service was only 2-3 years old and was only begining to expand beyond a couple of staff in all the Western Region National Parks. I was interviewed, in Victoria, by Harry Webster and a couple of others I can no longer recall. All I remember about the interview now was three things: 1) I was asked for the common and scientific names of all three species of garter snake on Vancouver Island. I think I got 25% on that question, at best. 2) I was very tense in the interview because I was intimidated by three or so interviewers staring at me and 3) when I finished the interview - about 2pm - I said "good night" and they all laughed at me (I thought that with that last faux pas that I had blown any chance at a position with National Parks forever!) To my surprise I got a letter offer to work as a Seasonal Park Naturalist in Banff National Park, starting in May 1969. It was a dream come true. I had a fantastic summer working in Banff. there was so much to learn about the place - places, geology, plants, animals, interpretation etc etc. we lead 5 3-6 hour hikes every day and every night gave a 1-1.5 hour theatre program. Mentors at that time included Kurt Seel (the passion and the drive to interpret), Ron Dutcher (creativity and power of the word), Ian Jack (a warm and caring character and fun to be with). I returned to University in September with tales of adventure, fun times, incredible scenery and a renewed passion for conservation and protection. I went back to Banff in May 1970 under the leadership of Jack Holroyd. I worked with Rick Howie and Margo Bartzen out of Lake Louise. Jack Holroyd had a problem with people with long hair and "hippy" type clothing so I was given a post some distance from him. This was the year Bob Sandford joined our crew, as a naturalist based at Saskatchewan Crossing. Needless to say he was a fun person to be with and very creative.

He was able to do things I was far to reluctant to do in front of an audience. I was a much more straight-forward naturalist, just using words and photos to convey meaning - none of this role playing or acting for me. Again I had a good summer, despite the tension with my boss. I returned to Victoria in September at the end of my seasonal job - broke (I had spent my wages on photography gear and film, and outdoor equipment) and with no future job prospects - but at least I had my degree. I was uncertain where to go from here - I considered professional photography because of my passion for the subject - but I was not formally trained in it, nor had the money for good equipment. I had to get a job to keep my parents out of my (long) hair. Finally after one days work at the Federal Forestry Laboratory (an old haunt for summer jobs while at University) I got a call from Calgary asking me if I wanted to work at the new National Park (no name National Park) on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. I jumped at the opportunity and arrived in Ucluelet within a day or so - about October 23, 1970. Here I worked under Dudley Foskett and with 4 other staff at the new Park. We worked out of an ex-shoe store in Ucluelet, with no cars, nor gear nor clear direction on creating a new National Park - the first one on the Pacific Coast and the first one in Canada containing marine waters. There was a lot of uncertainly in how to proceed and how to manage this area as a National Park, despite not yet owning the great majority of the land. So that was the start of my career in National Parks. I worked as a term and seasonal all year in Pacific Rim (as it came to be called May 4, 1971) from October 1970 to October 1972, then seasonal for the summer in 1973, 74 and 75. I worked as an Assistant Park Naturalist in Banff the winter of 1974-75 replacing Margo Bartzen who was on language training. I started work again on September 29, 1975 - the day my first son was born - and have continuously for Parks since then. Dudley Foskett had gone on stress leave and Bill McIntyre, the Assistant Park Naturalist, moved into his position on an acting basis.

In 1976 I was interviewed for Assistant Park Naturalist positions in Western Canada. My interviewer was my old nemesis Jack Holroyd. So it came as a great surprise that I came 2nd (after Bill Merilees) in the competition and was offered Pacific Rim NP (Dudley Foskett had been pressured into retirement earlier that year). The summer of 1976 was one of the worst summers on record for the weather. I was in charge of 5 naturalists. Three quit before the end of their terms for various reasons and Bill McIntyre (the Chief Park Naturalist) departed for a six week seabird course during the middle of summer. I was plenty stressed at the end of that summer and then I had to go off to Vancouver for French language training. I left my wife and baby son in our temporary trailer in Tofino and headed off to the big city to become bilingual. I survived that and returned to the Park as a “fr-anglophone” in spring 1977. I then worked as the assistant Park Naturalist, then Interpreter until March 1992. Accomplishments include: developing an interpretive program in the Park from nothing (no cameras, no cars, no desks, no books etc) to its present state; training and working with dozens of seasonal interpreters over the years; developing a good interpretive program and seeing it build in strength and success over the years; planning, laying out and constructing several Interpretive Trails, including the Rain Forest, Bog and Spruce Fringe Trails; producing several pamphlets, photo displays and exhibits, many on-site signs and self guided trails etc.; developing with others reoccuring events such as the Beach Litter Blitz, Environment Week, Whale Festival events; garnering the respect of senior Park staff in the Naturalist Program; gaining the respect of locals in a resource based area in what we were doing; establishing and maintaining a number of archives (archaeological, shipwreck, archival slides and photos, documents, etc) of value to the Park and community; establishing the interpretive office as a resource - and creativity-rich learning centre for seasonal staff; participating as a Park employee and citizen in the committees and events leading to the preservation of areas in Clayoquot Sound and elsewhere. My mentors over the years include most of the names mentioned above but also: Bill McIntyre (my boss for many years; despite normal supervisor-employee frustrations he inspired clear interpretation); my seasonal staff including Jim Darling, Wayne Stetski, Jim Mulchinock, Heather Holmes (Plewes), Trudy Chatwin, Sherry Kirkvold, Marla Oliver (Hamilton), Carolyn Fysh, Mark Hobson and people like David Suzuki, Rick Careless, and a host of other conservation-oriented people.

In 1990 the Park Superintendent Tom Heggie suggested that he would like me to go over to the Warden Service because of my experience in cultural resources of the Park. This finally happened in 1992. I was a Park Warden with extra responsibilities for Environmental Assessment and Cultural Resource Management from then to fall 1997. At that latter date the Warden Service divided off another group, the Ecosystem Secretariat, resource oriented staff responsible for planning, conservation, ecosystem management, science, monitoring, research etc. I joined the Secretariat as the Cultural Resource/Environmental Assessment Officer and currently remain in that capacity. I have no awards or honors from the field of Interpretation. HoweverI was Fireman of the Year for the District of Tofino Volunteer Fire Department one year!!! I haven't published any books but figure I have written the equivalent of several in my reports, briefs and participation related to various resource management planning committees in the 1980's and 90's (Meares Island Resource Management Planning Team, Clayoquot Sound Task Force, Clayoquot Sound Sustainable Development Planning Team)."