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At Seedlings Forest School, we strive to foster a sense of community and belonging among children, where they can develop positive relationships with each other and the natural world. Our experienced educators lead activities and encourage children to take risks, problem-solve, and make their own choices.

We believe that by providing children with regular access to nature, they will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world and learn to live in harmony with it. Supporting inquiry-based learning empowers children to ask questions, explore their surroundings, and construct their knowledge through hands-on experiences Our goal is to help children become responsible and respectful citizens of the earth.

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Our experiences grow skills in Problem Solving, Cultural and Global Citizenship, Critical Thinking, Personal Growth and Well-being, Collaboration, Creativity, and Innovation.

Available topics include Wild Wellness (K-12), Animal Detectives (K-3), Community Science (Gr. 3-9), Water Rangers (Gr. 4-5), Why Grasslands? (Gr. 4-9), Climate Game Changers (Gr. 4-12), Fabulous Forests (Gr. 6), and Grizzly Bears Forever (Gr. 7-12).

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Our outdoor programs take place at the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, at Shannon Terrace, 15931 Woodpath Rd SW, Calgary AB.

K-6 programs are teacher-led. Alberta Parks staff will provide the group with an in-depth orientation, and support the group throughout the day. Teachers are required to attend a 1.5 hour on-site orientation before the date of their program. Available for 2 classes per day, based on availability.

Grade 7-12 programs are led by an Alberta Parks staff member, who will be with your group for the entire day. Available for one class per day (max 35 students).

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Evergreen Theatre's mission is to create, facilitate and empower youth by fostering meaningful curriculum-based theatrical programming that explores and inspires; innovation, stewardship and sustainability through the intersection of education, art, science and community.

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Zero Waste Place is an interactive program that includes 4 in-person or virtual workshops, teacher resources, and student-led projects to drive sustainable behaviour change in the classroom. Available across grades K-12, in French or English, this program engages students in Core and Curricular Competencies.

Supported and delivered within the City of Vancouver, this program is delivered in schools, community groups and other education settings.

This program is designed to inspire and prepare students to take action in their school, neighbourhoods and broader communities.

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BC AdventureSmart delivers free outdoor-safety education across British Columbia—urban, rural, coastal, and mountain communities, year-round. Open to all ages (youth groups require a supervising adult). Format: 45–60-minute sessions or ~60-minute webinars with Q&A. Hosts: provide indoor space with screen/AV; we also deliver onsite or online. Programs include Hug-a-Tree & Survive, Survive Outside, Snow Safety, PaddleSmart, and Snowmobile Safety. Custom collaborations with SAR, schools, parks, and tourism partners available.

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This workshop introduces educators to the rich resources provided by PLT Canada, offering a wide range of hands-on, nature-based activities to inspire environmental learning. Participants will discover how to integrate these materials into their classrooms, empowering students to engage with local ecosystems and explore topics like sustainability, conservation, and biodiversity. Through interactive, place-based learning, educators will gain strategies for fostering environmental stewardship, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the natural world. This workshop aims to provide practical tools for teaching environmental education across various grade levels.

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THE RIVERWATCH MISSION: The RiverWatch Institute of Alberta delivers science education and environmental awareness experiences along Alberta’s rivers and watershed systems. Through our professional river guides, school science float trips, stewardship activities, and water monitoring equipment, participants learn about the science and health of our waterways. By becoming watershed knowledgeable, Albertans of all walks of life will better understand, enjoy and care for our environment.

YOUR RIVERWATCH SCHOOL SCIENCE FLOAT EXPERIENCE

We believe the best way to study a river is by taking your science classes on a float trip aboard our professionally guided large rafts, fully equipped as floating laboratories! Our science education programs align DIRECTLY with the Alberta provincial curriculum and have been a go-to resource for Alberta secondary science classes since 1995. Our hands-on and experiential science float programming is offered in the fall from early September to the end of October and again in the spring (late April to mid-June) once the ice is off the river.

With a laser focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), students explore their local river ecosystem aboard rafts equipped as mobile water quality laboratories. A day of guided rafting takes the student classroom into the real natural world to experience an interesting mix of ecology, wildlife, history, geology, engineering, technology, industry, water quality monitoring and data collection. Our programs showcase science in ways students have never seen before, creating an experience they’ll never forget, INCLUDING A TOUR OF LOCAL WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS! Over the years, close to 200,000 students have adventured out with us to become young scientists for the day.

YOUR RIVERWATCH GUIDES

All RiverWatch guides are highly trained and possess a minimum Class 1 PROAOA certification to meet Transport Canada Commercial Rafting Standards. All our river guides complete an intense week of training involving rafting, emergency response, health and safety, bus driving, equipment maintenance, water quality monitoring, and local/natural history interpretation. To work for RiverWatch Guides must possess Standard First Aid certification and/or may also have Wilderness First Aid, National Lifeguard Society, Swift Water Rescue or Emergency Medical Responder training. The result is an experienced group of certified and professional river guides ready to provide a safe, engaging and fully immersive rafting experience. Your RiverWatch raft guide will help students gain new insights and appreciation for our rivers’ history, culture, bio-diversity and stewardship. Everyone will finish the day more connected to nature and the river!

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Voyage Zéro Déchet emmène les élèves et les enseignants des écoles francophones de tout le Canada dans une exploration intuitive et amusante pour apprendre à réduire les déchets au quotidien à la maison, à l'école et dans nos communautés!

À travers 3 ateliers virtuels, les élèves apprendront comment nos comportements et nos actions affectent la production de déchets et notre environnement. Nous jouons tous un rôle dans la réduction de nos poubelles et pouvons avoir un impact positif sur le monde qui nous entoure!

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Journey to Zero Waste takes students and teachers from across Canada on an intuitive and fun exploration to learn how to reduce waste at home, at school and in our communities! 

Through a series of 3 interactive virtual or in-person (depending on location) workshops, students will learn how they can help reduce waste and protect the environment. We all play a role in reducing waste and can have a positive impact on the world around us!

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Journey 2050 encourages students to explore environmental, social and economic sustainability while managing virtual farms in 3 different countries. Students spend the day learning about different topics in sustainability through a virtual farming simulation game, scavenger hunts, discussions on careers in agriculture, and more!

This one-day program takes place in the Nutrien Western Event Centre on Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta. In-school guest speaker sessions are offered for Calgary and surrounding area.

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Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous peoples have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. They used native plants for food, medicine, building materials and more. This program explores the connection between Indigenous peoples, salmon, and the broader Fraser River Basin. Students experience the movement of salmon, storytelling and oral histories, and the many uses of native plants through an Indigenous perspective.

Grades: K-3                          Length: 1.5 hours                Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Introduction to the First Salmon Ceremony through a storybook and discussion.

Understand the stages of a salmon’s life cycle and migration by acting out the story of one salmon’s life.

Learn about some of the edible and medicinal native plants in our region, and then create your own plant, including its uses.

Hear the story of how sockeye came to the Fraser River from two First Nations elders. View map of the traditional lands of the First Nations people in the Fraser River Basin, and use a visual metaphor to understand how long the First Nations people have lived along the Fraser River.

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The Classroom Gardener offers practical school garden expertise and customized consultations for non-profits, government agencies, community partners, school districts, and university faculties on gardening with children.

We offer researched and responsive whole system thinking with proven solutions for start up, maintenance, enhanced use, and seasonal frustrations associated with school garden use.

We offer comprehensive and relevant pedagogical applications of curricular learning in gardens, which supports the daily practice of education professionals.

Book an on-site start up conversation, a consultation for a new garden build, hire us for your summer maintenance, book an entire year of curriculum-aligned garden-based learning, or book our team for your next professional learning event!

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The Alberta Tomorrow Foundation has a mission to deliver a platform that empowers youth to design and sustain a future for our shared ecosystem, with a vision of an informed society actively fostering sustainable futures. Use the simulation tool to:

Time travel into the PAST and FUTURE to see the impact of our actions on the ENVIRONMENT and ECONOMY,

Study Alberta's WATERSHEDS, including a virtual video tour of the Bow River,

Show possible ECOREGION SHIFTS as a result of CLIMATE CHANGE,

See the impact of Beneficial MANAGEMENT Practices,

Explore Alberta's Natural Regions with our 360 VIRTUAL TOURS,

Use the CITIZEN SCIENCE TOOL to store and share water quality data,

Explore MAP OVERLAYS of Treaty Areas and Traditional Territories, Traditional Languages, Metis Regions and Residential School locations,

Land Use Plan using INDIGENOUS INDICATORS vs Western Science Indicators

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The Bodo Archaeological Site & Centre offers experiential educational programs for students of all ages, both at our centre and site, and in the classroom. We have had thousands of students visit Bodo to take part in our interactive, hands-on activities and learning experience. Students learn about archaeology and the history of the Bodo Archaeological Sites and the Great Plains in a meaningful and memorable way. We offer in-person visits (1/2 day and overnight field trips) and in-classroom visits.

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With 55-acres of beautiful green space in the middle of Vancouver, VanDusen Botanical Garden represents a safe and interactive learning experience for school and community groups looking for local field trip opportunities!

Guided programs are available to students in grades K through 12. 45 minute programs are bookable year round and 90 minute programs are bookable October, November, April, May, and June. Take a look at the selections listed below to find the perfect option for your class! 

90-Minute Programs (available October, November, April, May, and June)

A Sense of Nature (K-Gr.2)        

Ecosystem Explorers (3-Gr.6)

Fantastic Flowers (Gr.1-Gr.4)

Pond Peering (Gr.1-Gr.4) May and June only

Seed Secrets (K-Gr.4) October and November only

45-Minute Programs (available year round)

Glimpse of the Garden (K-Gr.7)

Natural Heritage Walk (Gr.8-Gr.10)

Strategizing Sustainability (Gr.8-Gr.12)

Self-Directed Program 

Self-Directed programs are available year round. 

Pollinator Days (late May annually)

Please choose from 1 of 3 available dates. Pollinator Days runs from 10am-2pm. Classes from preschool to grade 6 are encouraged to attend one of the three event days.

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Students follow each step of the scientific method to conduct a water quality investigation. During this 1.5 hour workshop students observe and become curious about the Fraser River, do background research, construct hypotheses, test their hypotheses by doing experiments, analyze their data, draw a conclusion, and report their results.

Grades: 6-9                          Length: 1.5 hours                   Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Take a sample of the Fraser River and make observations.

Conduct background research, using the exhibits as sources, and share with the other groups.

Construct a hypothesis about salmon survivability in the Fraser based on turbidity and pH levels.

Follow scientific protocol and test the turbidity and the pH level of the Fraser River sample.

Compare results to the hypothesis.

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In this 75-minute session, students learn about bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems by analyzing real (sanitized) freshwater litter. Children then go on a walking field trip to see how much garbage they can divert from their local creek.  The school is gifted a class set of garbage pickers, reflective vests, buckets, and weigh scale to continue this activity.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers and students alike. Personally, I’ve never seen my students so enthusiastic about garbage and neighborhood clean-ups—they were so engaged!” - Nataliia Kudryk, Grade 4/5 teacher

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The Wormshop uses the indoor, appropriate vermiculture system as a vehicle to teach kids about composting and waste reduction. The students can also take what they learn in the Wormshop and apply it at home, creating their own wormbin composting system, regardless of whether they live in a house or an apartment.

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The Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo's programs serve students in-person from Calgary and surrounding areas. Our programs are curriculum connected based on the current Learn Alberta Program of Studies for Kindergarten - Grade 12. We also offer custom programming by request. Virtual programs are available seasonally, December - February, and are great for students from anywhere across the country.

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Students use an open inquiry model to investigate processes taking place in aquatic, forest or winter ecosystems. They will be given an opportunity to explore a novel environment and develop and test a scientific question. They will explore local and current research and utilize scientific equipment to conduct an investigation from start to finish. Students will construct a question, conduct background research, revise their question, collect data, synthesize data and ultimately finish with a poster and/or paper outlining their research and conclusions. Our programs take place at the Barrier Lake Field Station, in Kananaskis Country, 80km west of Calgary, AB.