Meet Melanie Robinson

What is your title and role as a Parks Canada team member with Riding Mountain National Park?

I am currently working as a Fire Technician, however, my permanent position is Fire Crew Leader. As a Fire Technician with Riding Mountain National Park, some of my responsibilities include maintaining weather stations and weather data, assisting with the planning and implementation of prescribed fires, working within Incident Management Teams, and delivering training. I also fill the role of Fire Duty Officer where I am responsible for receiving fire reports, assigning resources and communicating with local and national management about any ongoing fire situations. As a crew leader, my role is to ensure the fire gear and crew are ready in the case of a wildfire occurrence in the park, implement prescribed fires, provide initial response and suppression to wildfires in the park, as well as fire expertise and assistance to other agencies across Canada (as needed). In the winter season, I am usually out in the field with my chainsaw working on wildfire risk reduction projects and danger tree removals.

Do you have a favourite spot in Riding Mountain?

One reason I like Riding Mountain so much is because I can choose my adventure based on how I feel that day. Perhaps I’d like to stand in an open prairie, smell some wildflowers, feel the breeze – then I could head out to one of the many natural prairies; or maybe I want to see some conifers, get my feet wet and take a stroll in the boreal; or maybe I want to get poison ivy while admiring all the oak and other hardwoods – for this I can head down to the east side of the park. Having said all that, here are my top five spots in Riding Mountain National Park:

• Moon Lake – I like to make at least one orbit per year around the Moon.
• Mitchell Prairie
• SIMAB Elm plot – or, in general, the elm stands on the east side.
• North shores of Clear Lake, not the cabin area but the actual shores.
• Birdtail Bench

What is the education and career path that led you to your current position?

My parents enrolled me in French immersion as a kid, so I think they started my education path to becoming a federal government employee! I started studying microbiology at the University of Manitoba immediately after high school and working for Parks Canada that summer, in the job I had always dreamed of as a kid – North Gate attendant! After working a few seasons while attending university, I realized I wanted to continue working for Parks Canada in Resource Conservation - I was able to change my program and graduated with a B.Sc in Biological Sciences.

Was there an event in your life or a role model that influenced your decision to pursue a career in science?

I was always interested in nature and sciences from a young age, I grew up with Riding Mountain as my backyard so it was always where I liked to be. I was also just a really curious person and was interested in discovering more about the world I lived in. Originally, I was more interested in medical sciences and mostly microbes (which is why I have a major in microbiology). However, my perspective shifted a bit after going through a really rough time with my mental health and I recognized the importance of nature and the outdoors in my life and its positive impact on mental health. That’s when I really decided I wanted to pursue natural sciences and work for Parks Canada in Resource Conservation – so that I would be able to live and work in places that made me happy and to protect these spaces so others may have the same opportunity.

What is your most memorable ‘in the field’ experience?

I have many – from standing on top of Kindersley Ridge looking over the 93S next to white bark pines while working on a fire, to standing atop Lipalian Mountain looking into Lake Louise, to cleaning up red oaks and hemlocks in Kejimkujik National Park after Hurricane Dorian, to exploring the north shore of Lake Superior by boat, helicopter and on foot in Pukaskwa National Park, to standing at Peace Point in Wood Buffalo National Park. I am extremely fortunate that my work has given me the chance to see some of the most beautiful places in Canada - but if I had to pick one experience I will never forget, it would be igniting a prescribed fire from a canoe on the Birdtail River here in Riding Mountain National Park.

In the next 5 to 10 years, what do you hope to have accomplished in your career with Parks Canada?

This is a tough one, because I’m pretty content with what I’m doing right now. One thing that would be nice to do is go an entire fire season without having issues with weather stations, but I think that might be tough to accomplish! Otherwise, I’d just like to continue to develop and gain experience in my current position, build my capacity on Incident Management Teams and pull off a few more prescribed fires to maintain our healthy ecosystems.

Outside of your daily work, do you have any passions or hobbies?

My dog (Runa the Norwegian Elkhound), cross country skiing and yoga would be the top three things I usually can’t shut up about. My passion is being outdoors exploring in whatever way I can, and I recently got a dog to join me on those adventures. Also, I’ve begun to enjoy traveling to other countries where I get to see and experience new ecosystems as well as all the different flora and fauna each have to offer, and I can’t forget about all the delicious food.

What are your favourite nature-related books or films? What do you enjoy about them?

As cliché as it is, I think it would have to be Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It’s a story that I can relate to – someone feeling lost in the world and rediscovering themselves and their strengths by immersing themselves in nature.

Favourite wildlife species? If so, why?

Tough one, but likely a black bear. All they do is eat, eat some more, be curious, climb a tree or two, and then once they’ve eaten enough they go to sleep for a few months. It seems like a pretty great life to me.

What would you tell a 10-year-old girl about science?

Likely the same thing I’d tell anyone else about science – if it’s something that really interests you, go for it! There’s a lot of opportunities within the science field for everyone and I hope that when that 10-year-old girl is starting her career in about 15 years from now, the question will be worded “What would you tell a 10-year-old about science?” because we’ve reached a point where sciences and technology are not male-dominated fields with diversity and equality in the workplace.