Find EducationalResources Now

Full Description

This field trip is offered in the fall (September and October) and spring (April, May, and June) at our Vancouver sites.

Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many secondary schools and community centers. All field trips include farm work experience and a chance to harvest and taste vegetables, when seasonally available. Email us about different field trip time and duration opinions. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 10 grade 4-12 students.

Max number of students: 30

Learn more and book your trip at https://freshroots.ca/learn-on-the-farm/.

Full Description

This field trip is offered in the fall (September and October) at our Vancouver sites.

Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson Secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many secondary schools and community centers. All field trips include farm work experience and a chance to harvest and taste vegetables, when seasonally available. Email us about different field trip time and duration opinions. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 8 grade K-3 students.

Max number of students: 30

Learn more and book your trip at https://freshroots.ca/learn-on-the-farm/.

Full Description

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).

Full Description

This field trip is offered in spring (April, May, June) and fall (September and October) at our schoolyard farms in Vancouver.

Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many secondary schools and community centers. All field trips include farm work experience and a chance to harvest and taste vegetables, when seasonally available. Email us about different field trip time and duration opinions. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 8 grade K-3 students and for every 10 grade 4-12 students.

Max number of students: 30

Learn more and book your trip at https://freshroots.ca/learn-on-the-farm/.

Full Description

This field trip is offered in spring (April, May, June) and fall (September and October) at our schoolyard farms in Vancouver.

Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many secondary schools and community centers. All field trips include farm work experience and a chance to harvest and taste vegetables, when seasonally available. Email us about different field trip time and duration opinions. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 10 grade 4-12 students.

Max number of students: 30

Learn more and book your trip at https://freshroots.ca/learn-on-the-farm/.

Full Description

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!

Full Description

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.

Full Description

Join us for an interactive experience that will motivate students to take impactful steps towards reducing waste. The tours include a classroom workshop and a guided bus tour through the landfill.

Grades: 4 - 7
Program length: 3 hours total (90-minute landfill bus tour/ 90-minute classroom).
Class size: Up to 2 classes (30 students per class) per day.

Cost: No cost for tours, but schools must provide and arrange bus transportation.
Location: The Composting Facility at the Shepard Waste Management Facility (11920 68 St SE).

Full Description

Dr. Megan Zeni offers online workshops, in person teacher professional development, keynote addresses, research collaboration, and specialized consultation services. Schools, school districts, non-profit organizations, university faculty, teacher education programs, funding agencies, and education specific think tanks interested in building capacity for effective and sustainable environmental learning in rural or urban elementary school gardens and outdoor classrooms are invited to submit a request for services. Specific areas of expertise include: Curriculum & pedagogy l Outdoor play and learning across the curriculum l Risky play in schools l School garden planning, start up, and long-term maintenance.

Full Description

Location: Vancouver Technical Secondary School (2600 E Broadway, Vancouver) or David Thompson Secondary School (1755 E 55th Ave, Vancouver)

The program includes:
-3 Fresh Roots-led 2-hour field trips (October, April, and June)
-One classroom workshop (February/March)
-Teacher-Led Visits (November/December, January/February, and May)

Full Description

Evans Lake has been operating as a camp and outdoor education facility since 1960. The Centre is located 15 kilometres North of Squamish, BC on a picturesque mountain lake. Surrounded by forest, the Centre offers a feeling of wilderness seclusion while featuring all your basic amenities, accommodations and full catering.

The Centre is also open year-round and available for school field trips, family events, weddings, corporate retreats and private bookings. Rentals over 41 people offer exclusive use of the facility including full catering, use of all activity equipment and accommodations for 120.

We believe Outdoor Education is an experience every child should have. By taking the classroom to the great outdoors kids have an opportunity to get their hands dirty, learn in an interactive and fun environment, and develop personally.

Full Description

This field trip is offered in spring (April, May, June) and fall (September and October) at our schoolyard farms in Vancouver.

Situated at Vancouver Technical and David Thompson secondary schools, our schoolyard farms are a short walk from many secondary schools and community centers. All field trips include farm work experience and a chance to harvest and taste vegetables, when seasonally available. Email us about different field trip time and duration opinions. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 8 grade K-3 students and for every 10 grade 4-12 students.

Max number of students: 30

Learn more and book your trip at https://freshroots.ca/learn-on-the-farm/.

Full Description

In this program, students learn about pollution by examining different types of pollutants and where they come from. They will then evaluate how individual actions contribute to the health of the river. A slide presentation introduces students to the Fraser River, then the class breaks into smaller groups to explore pollution sources and the way pollution moves through our ecosystems and communities. Student’s also discuss the difference one individual’s actions can make.

Grades: 2-5                          Length: 1.5 hours               Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Learn about the sources and causes of pollution in the lower mainland.

Play a fun board game where students can watch how one person can make a difference against the pollution problem.

See how plastic pollution effects birds who live in the Fraser River Basin.

Full Description

Sturgeon are amazing fish that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Human influences over the past 150 years have threatened their existence. In this program, students will learn about the sturgeon life cycle, survival needs, and what we can do to protect this remarkable species.

Grades: K-7                          Length: 1.5 hours               Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Introduction to sturgeon, threats to their survival, and conservation efforts.

Explore sturgeon anatomy and life cycle, using models and biological specimens.

Play a board game as a sturgeon attempting to reach adulthood.

Age-dependent activity

Felt Board Habitat (K-3): Using a felt board, represent the many stages of a sturgeon’s life. Tagging Lesson (4-7): Perform biological tests on a model sturgeon, such as taking measurements and determining age.

Full Description

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!

Full Description

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.

Full Description

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.

Full Description

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.

Full Description

Project WET Canada offers professional development certification workshops for educators, available both in-person and virtually. Our water education program features complete, engaging, inquiry-based lesson plans and activities. Guides include Foundations in Water Education, Water in Earth Systems, Projet WET Module 1 (French), Climate, Water and Resilience (Grades 6–12), and Getting Little Feet Wet (ECE). Workshops are led by fully trained Project WET Facilitators. Length and fees vary by guide(s), format, and location. Contact Maxine Koskie or Billie Jo Reid for more information.

Full Description

Flexible outdoor education programming available for kindergarten through grade 12 taking place in Weaselhead Park in SW Calgary. All students will learn about the Weaselhead Special Protected Area in Calgary while making Alberta curricular connections in science and social studies. All classes are guided through the park by our trained Naturalists with activities ranging from identifying tracks and signs to invertebrate pond dips, plant identification, removing invasive plants and conducting water quality and human impact studies. Each grade level has targeted learning outcomes and suggested activities but there is flexibility to focus on topics of interest to specific classes in the park. Kindergarten through grade 2 classes are typically scheduled for a half day (2 1/2 hours) from 9:30am-12pm while grade 3-12 can be either a half day or a full day (5 hours). Programs run from September-November and April-June.