A day in the life of RDCO Parks staff: Risti Lesperance

Meet Risti Lesperance, a dedicated and passionate Park Interpreter with RDCO Parks Services, who has been helping connect our community to nature for the past 15 years.

Lesperance’s Journey into Park Interpretation

Risti calls Kelowna home and has built an incredible career blending her background in education, museums, and arts and culture. With a Bachelor of Education and hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, she discovered the perfect fit in park interpretation.
“I took my chances and applied for a position with Parks Services,” she says. “Fifteen years later, here I am loving every minute of it.”

Sharing nature with the community

For Risti, the best part of her job is simple: being outside with community members.
She loves sharing her favourite regional parks and talking about the species that inspire her most like Black bears, American dippers, and Kokanee salmon.

A project she’s proud of

One of Risti’s standout achievements is the Classroom to Creek program, which saw more than 300 School District 23 students visit Mission Creek Regional Park last fall. Students learned about the salmon spawning cycle and even helped incubate salmon eggs throughout the school year.

Life outside the parks

When she’s not leading programs or helping visitors fall in love with nature, Risti enjoys time with her kids and friends. Her hobbies are as diverse as they are fun, including baking, paddle boarding, hiking, boxing, painting, exploring cute coffee shops, and reading.

A fun fact about Risti

She’s got a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe, and while she hasn’t revealed the secret just yet, those lucky enough to try them say they’re unforgettable.