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Ocean Design Lab is an innovative program that will inspire curiosity and passion for future ocean heroes. This program will educate students about the environmental damage caused by overfishing.

This two-hour workshop begins with an informative lesson highlighting the environmental consequences of bottom trawling. Students will then collaborate in teams to redesign fishing nets to minimize environmental impact. The teams will build and test their prototypes in a friendly competition.

Students will use provided materials and a pretend budget to build their nets while learning important skills like problem-solving and teamwork. Ocean Design Lab helps students understand how different fields work together to address environmental challenges for a sustainable future. 

Available for Grades 3-12, this program connects with Core and Curricular Competencies. Ocean Design Lab can be taught in schools across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland and can be delivered in schools, community/ youth groups, and other educational settings.

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In this one-hour program, participants will learn about the basic needs of all animals and the five domains of animal welfare. Students will be introduced to the concepts of being a responsible pet guardian.

Themes Covered

Different types of companion animals

Basic needs of animals

Five domains of animal welfare

Responsible pet guardianship and enrichment

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A three-lesson unit designed for Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) and Grades 7-8 (Ages 12-14), complete with a culminating 7Rs Action Project Guide featuring 20 project options. 

Solving Fashion’s Waste Problem invites students to examine the social and environmental effects of clothing waste, from the hidden consequences of clothing donations to the fashion industry's relationship to climate change. Learners will explore different perspectives on sustainability, reflect on environmental stewardship, and become familiar with positive climate action happening today. Through the lens of The 7Rs—strategies to reduce waste and rethink fashion consumption—a wide range of culminating Action Projects support students to envision and create their own hope inspiring actions that promote responsible citizenship and a more sustainable future.

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Furry, fascinating and full of surprises! Are bats really blind? How do they hang upside down? And how do they find their way in the dark?

Through songs, movement, animal sounds, hands-on biofacts and real wildlife rehabilitation stories, students explore bat adaptations, echolocation and their important role in controlling insect populations. They'll also bust common myths, discover the challenges facing Alberta's bats and learn how to coexist with these remarkable flying mammals.

This interactive, 60-minute classroom presentation is designed for Kindergarten to Grade 6 and includes wildlife worksheets and a sticker.

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Visit the Lumberman’s Arch beach at low tide and explore the incredibly diverse and abundant life in the intertidal zone.

Low tide offers us a glimpse at fascinating animals and plants that have adapted to life in and out of the sea. Hunt for crabs, sort seaweeds, and find out what else lives or eats on the seashore, while students discover important human connections to the oceans.

Beach Explorers is a tide-dependent program and is available in spring between April and June. For Pre-K – Grade 3, Beach explorers is a one-and-a-half-hour program.

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Are you looking for creative educational resources to engage learners of all ages about the wonders of nature? Well then, we've got you covered.

Bring Nature Home is an educational toolkit that will help youth and adults of all ages engage in environmental education in the comfort of their own home.

This toolkit includes some of CPAWS Southern Alberta’s very own tried and tested games and activities for youth and adults, as well as other online resources to support learning.

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The Eco 360 program offers a flexible learning experience, featuring a variety of hands-on activities ranging from 1-3 hours. This program provides opportunities to expand learning through topics including types of plastics, waste in the environment, understanding the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in relation to a circular economy and so much more! Educators and learners can select activities that align with their needs, making it a very adaptable program.

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Every class in your school receives an age-appropriate lesson about your local watershed, the wildlife within it, and how to protect it from storm drain pollution. Children then paint their Dreamfish, which becomes part of a permanent fence mural installed by professional designers. The fish represent each student's dream of a healthy future for our freshwater habitats, while the mural reminds everyone that, even though we can't always see our creeks and other waterways, what we do impacts them.

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Algonquin College's Play, Learn, and Teaching Outdoors in the Early Years certificate program immerses early learning professionals in outdoor pedagogical practice through the Outdoor ECE National Framework of the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play. In this program, you explore concepts of active engagement, nurturing holistic development, and building meaningful connections in outdoor pedagogical practice.

Learners explore the benefits of risky outdoor play, strengthen a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens, and build cultural competency guided by evidence from the Canadian Pediatric Society. They gain advocacy, communication, and practical skills through place-based learning and a culminating action-research project applied to their own professional setting.

Upon completion, graduates are prepared to champion inclusive, culturally responsive outdoor play in diverse contexts, including early learning programs, kindergartens, child and family centres, community health agencies, and governmental or non-governmental organizations serving children and families.

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Lesson Plans Help Students with Climate Anxiety

CPAWS Southern Alberta is introducing a series of six detailed lesson plans, designed by teachers to help students deal with the climate anxiety that so many of them are feeling. Each lesson has been rigorously tested and modified in grade five and six classrooms in several different schools.

Download them for free today on our Bring Nature Home page: Climate Change and Anxiety.

These lesson plans links to Alberta Grade 5 and 6 Science - Earth Systems and Energy.

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Goldstream Nature House on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from March 26 – May 16 for three unique, one-hour programs: Junior Explorers, Wildlife Detectives, and Eco-Stewards. Students will learn about the vital ecosystems of Goldstream Park. This spring, the Discover Parks Ambassadors will offer the following programs for school groups: 

JUNIOR EXPLORERS - GRADES: K-3

A sensory exploration of the natural environment in Goldstream. 

WILDLIFE DETECTIVES - GRADES 4-7

Investigating ecosystems and species relationships.

ECO-STEWARDS - GRADES 7-12

Learn vital environmental stewardship skills and become an advocate for nature.

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Grasslands are one of our most important ecosystems, acting as powerful carbon sinks, preventing soil erosion and providing critical habitat for pollinators. With the Grasslands Resource Pack, your students will journey to Western Canada and explore these incredible ecosystems, how Indigenous Peoples farmed in the past and how we can look toward the future with sustainable agriculture.

Modules include: (40 minutes each)

Introduction to Grassland Ecosystems

A History of Agriculture in Canada

Sustainable Agriculture to the Rescue

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At Cheakamus Centre, learners of all ages connect with nature, community, and Indigenous culture on a 165-hectare ecological reserve. Field School programs feature outdoor studies, recreation, and team building in day or overnight formats, all tied to the BC curriculum. Indigenous Cultural Programs, led by Skwxwú7mesh educators, immerse participants in Coast Salish traditions through hands-on, interactive learning in the longhouse and rainforest, fostering curiosity, understanding, and respect.

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EcoCooks School Online is the digital adaptation of Elements Society's in-person food and environmental literacy program, EcoCooks School. It's ideal for teachers looking to integrate sustainability topics through high-quality, ready-made lessons. In 4 digital lessons with an optional kitchen-skills day, learners explore the connections between food and the environment, discover where food comes from and how food affects climate, as well as why food waste matters, how to better preserve food, and what they can do to make a difference.

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Outdoor Learning Quickdraw is physical card deck resource for $25 + GST + Shipping. It is designed to provide activity and cross-curricular lesson ideas for classes of any age to try outside. There are activities connected to Physical Education, Wellness, Science, Outdoor Education and more, making up four suits with 13 cards each:

Physical Literacy cards suggest activities that develop agility, balance, coordination and strength skills related to locomotor and non-locomotor movements in the outdoors. There is no right way to move! These cards show and suggest many inclusive ways to encourage all students to participate, and we know that teachers and program leaders are experts in modifications and inclusive practices.

Teamwork cards feature challenges for small groups and full class activities that develop collaboration, communication and critical thinking.

Outdoor Skills cards feature key competencies for students to practice at school to prepare for single or multi-day trips into front and backcountry destinations.

Environmental Action cards suggest activities and learning topics that can be tried nearby your schoolyard and as far away as hiking trails and provincial parks.

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The invasive plant program takes place at the Weaselhead in SW Calgary and is a fully outdoor program that requires students to manually remove plants. The day will include several activities including:

● Introduction, Land Acknowledgement, park rules, and expectations

● Learning about invasive plants (their characteristics and adaptations, impacts and how to control)

● Invasive Plant matching game.

● Field Guide practice game.

● Botany walk to learn about native plants in the park

● Plant Scavenger Hunt

● Plant mapping

● Density Game

● Transects and Quadrats

● Invasive Plant removal in the Aspen Forest

● Invasive Plant Manager Game

This field trip is designed as a full day trip but can be shortened to half a day.

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This program is designed for grades 7-12 and explores the complex relationship between violence directed at pets and people. The goal of this program is to foster empathy and instill a sense of responsibility towards all living beings, while also addressing the importance of animal welfare.

The program is a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes, which includes a 30-minute debrief and Q&A session to encourage discussion and reflection. Content is customized to the age group you select during registration.

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Location
Strathcona Community Gardens (759 Malkin St) and Renfrew Ravine (3998 Renfrew St)

Program Detail & Focus

Program dates & focus areas are posted on our website seasonally. There are Spring, Summer, and Fall intakes. Most programs run for 10 sessions

Eligibility
Youth ages 14-18 who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, living with a disability, or from other equity-denied communities.

Supports
You will receive up to $20/day honorarium based on attendance and youth must attend a minimum of 4 program days to receive an honorarium. Lunch and bus tickets are provided. We also have some outdoor clothing available to borrow, including rain jackets and boots.

Full Description

These online, self-paced resources will teach students all about killer whales, including the different ecotypes that reside in British Columbia, and the threats to these incredible species at risk. Students will develop group Action Projects, gaining skills in teamwork, organization, and leadership.

These resources are best suited to Grades K-12, and focus on Core Curriculum and Competencies connections in science, social studies, and physical and health education. Resources can be reviewed in a single session (est. 1.5 hours completion time), or used over multiple sessions. These resources can be used in schools, community/youth groups, or other educational settings.

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Did you know there’s a 6-meter-long, 100-year-old fish living in the Fraser River? Learn all about the endangered white sturgeon through interactive activities, with both Indigenous and Western science perspectives. Students will listen to a First Nation’s story about sturgeon, construct theories from available research, and communicate their learning through art.

Cost: $50           Grades: 4-8           Length: 1 hour           Maximum group size: 30 students

To participate in this program, you will need:

A stable internet connection.

The ability to join the video conference with the FRDC educator.

Curricular connections:

This program incorporates the First Peoples Principles of Learning, specifically that learning is relational; recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge; is embedded in story; and requires recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. This program supports science competencies through analyzing data and constructing theories, and applying First people’s perspectives. This program supports the ELA Big Idea that stories help us make connections with others and the world. And this program supports the Arts Education competency of expressing feelings, ideas, stories, observations, and experiences through the arts.