Pembroke Campus alumna fights wildfires to preserve Canada’s parks

Posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2026

Maggie Maloney takes a selfie with a wildfire helicopter in the background.

July 18 marks Canada’s Parks Day, a celebration of the beauty and importance of Canada’s national, provincial and local parks. The day is meant to serve as an opportunity for people to get outdoors, decompress and engage with the natural world around them. Today, we celebrate our parks — as well as the people who protect them.

For Environmental Technician graduate Maggie Maloney, the journey from the Pembroke Campus’ classrooms to the frontlines of the wildfires at Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories was a clear one.

“As a kid, I grew up exploring the Provincial Parks around Lake Superior,” said Maloney. “While so much of the world’s ecosystems are dwindling, it has never been more crucial to preserve more of the natural world. For some people, exploring Canada’s parks are their only gateway to experiencing the outdoors, which in return helps to spark that love and care for the environment that is so needed nowadays.”

Maloney, now working for Parks Canada, chose the Pembroke Campus in large part because of its easy access to nature and placement along the Ottawa River, with Algonquin Provincial Park less than an hour away. Since graduating, her career has taken her all over Canada and even across the ocean, experiences which have allowed her to help conserve some of the world’s most remarkable nature environments.

“After graduating from the Environmental Technician program, I found myself working in resource conservation, environmental consulting and now wildland firefighting,” says Maloney. “Through this line of work, I have been able to explore many beautiful and untouched landscapes across Canada and New Zealand, further deepening my passion for protecting and preserving the environment. It has also brought me closer to some wonderful like-minded individuals who share similar values about conservation.”

Maloney’s recent 14-day deployment to Wood Buffalo National Park, the sight of hundreds of thousands of hectares damaged by wildfire, was a significant moment in her career, as it allowed her to play a role in preserving one of Canada’s largest and most ecologically significant national parks.

Her career highlights the diverse opportunities available to graduates of the Environmental Technician program, from emergency response and land stewardship to conservation and environmental consulting. As we celebrate National Parks Day, we should also celebrate the dedicated environmental workers like Maloney, who ensure our parks stand tall for all to experience.


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