A Day in the Life of RDCO Conservation and Trails Team Lead, Marius Starr

If you are wandering through the backcountry sections of many of our regional parks there is a good chance you are walking on trails shaped by the careful planning and hard work of Marius Starr.

Originally from Shelburne Ontario, Marius now calls the Central Okanagan home where he works as Conservation and Trails Team Lead in Park Operations. After nearly two years with the RDCO, he has become a familiar presence behind the scenes spending much of his time in the less visited corners of the region’s parks where stewardship safety and sustainability matter most.

From forestry school to park trails

Marius’s career path has always pointed outdoors. He studied Forestry in Ontario before heading west where he began working in cut block development. Over time his focus narrowed to two interconnected areas: wildfire mitigation and trail building.

That combination of skills ultimately led him to local parks work building and maintaining trails during the summer and fall and shifting to wildfire mitigation work in the winter. It was a natural progression that aligned his professional experience with his passion for protecting natural spaces.

Working where the impact is clear

Ask Marius what he enjoys most about his job and his answer reflects his terrain. He loves spending time in the back end of RDCO’s larger parks. These are the areas park visitors do not always see places that require careful planning resilience and hands on expertise to maintain.

One project stands out as a career highlight. Following wildfire damage Marius played a key role in rebuilding the trail network in Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park. The work is demanding but deeply rewarding restoring access to the landscape while ensuring trails are safer and more resilient for the future.

Life beyond the trail

When he is not at work Marius embraces life outdoors and at home with equal enthusiasm. He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, hiking with his family and exploring backroads while 4x4ing. And when the weather or energy level calls for it you will find him unwinding with video games.

Colleagues may not be surprised to learn that Marius has a knack for navigation although as he jokingly admits he “almost never gets lost but usually finds the most difficult way to get to where I am going.” He is also a walking repository of random mostly useless facts which tend to spark a familiar reaction: “That’s pretty neat”.

Caring for the land one trail at a time

Whether he is deep in the forest rebuilding trails after wildfire or quietly ensuring parks are ready for the season ahead Marius’s work helps protect the natural spaces that make the Central Okanagan such a special place to live and explore.

And while you may never see him when you are out on the trail his impact is right beneath your feet.