Canadian Parks Explorer
September 19th, 2022 – 7:30pm
Marlis Butcher is an environmental conservationist and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and of The Explorers Club. In July 2019 Marlis became the first visitor to bag (visit) all 47 Canadian national parks, 1/3 of which have no road access. To share the park experience and encourage appreciation of these natural wonders, she published her first book “Park Bagger – Adventures in the Canadian National Parks”, a collection of short stories of adventure and discovery.
In 2016 Marlis was one of the first persons to visit Canada’s newest national park, Qausuittuq, in Nunavut. She has published articles and photos of that expedition in Canadian Geographic Magazine and Canadian Encyclopedia. Her slide show Exploring Qausuittuq National Park, takes her audience on a virtual voyage into the High Arctic. Through unique photographs and engaging story-telling, Marlis shares what it’s like to travel to and explore this extremely remote park – and meet its endangered inhabitants.
Bio: Marlis Butcher is an environmental conservationist, author, and photographer. She is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and of The Explorers Club, an international organization promoting field exploration.
Locally, Marlis volunteers on the Royal Botanical Gardens’ board of directors. She served 9 years on the board of the Bruce Trail Conservancy protecting the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Marlis still volunteers with the Toronto Bruce Trail Club, maintaining trails, and on their board.
Marlis has published various conservation related articles including for the:
- Royal Canadian Geographical Society,
- The Explorers Club’s “Far Afield” magazine,
- The Weather Network
- “Bruce Trail Magazine”, and
- her neighbourhood “Village Voice” newsletter.
Marlis’s photographs have been featured in
- Canadian Geographic Magazine,
- CBC News on-line,
- Canadian Encyclopedia, and
- the travel brochures of various wilderness outfitters and travel bloggers.
Marlis describes herself as a “Park Bagger”, someone visiting all the National Parks of Canada. In 2019 Marlis became the first visitor to have been to all the national parks, reserves, and urban park. While visiting her 47th park, Ukkusiksalik on the northwest corner of Hudson Bay, Nunavut,
Parks Canada announced a new park, Thaidene Nene. This new park, like 1/3 of the parks, does not have road access; Marlis will be visiting it 2022 after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
Marlis’s book “Park Bagger – Adventures in the Canadian National Parks”, designed to share the park experience, was published in April 2021 by Rocky Mountain Books.
Park Bagger is “an inspiring collection of thrilling personal adventures and stunning photographs sharing the incredible diversity and profound beauty of Canada’s national parks”.
Park Bagger is available at local book stores and from Indigo/Chapters, Amazon, and Rocky Mountain Books.