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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!

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The SPEC School Gardens Program is a well established environmental education program (started in 2008) and is aligned with BC Curriculum. We offer in person grade specific curricular resources, personalized workshops and seasonal lessons. Our goal is to connect every one to nature and we often collaborate with ECE, K-12 schools, for profit and not for profit organizations to provide programming. We help K-12 schools or not for profits establish new gardens or improve existing ones with climate friendly and organic gardening practices.

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Indigenous people have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. This program explores the connection between Indigenous people and salmon on the Fraser River. Students get hands-on experience with fishing technology, learn about wind-drying salmon, and discover that salmon is in the hearts of Indigenous people living along the Fraser River today.

Grade: 4-7                           Length: 1.5 hours                Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Watch and discuss a film, featuring two Indigenous Elders telling stories about how Salmon came to the Fraser River, and their connections to the Fraser River.

Explore authentic and replica tools to learn about Indigenous fishing techniques, and create a group presentation.

Learn about wind-drying salmon through the replica drying rack, and practice sharpening a kwetsetel (Indigenous slate knife).

Full Description

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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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!

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.

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Our Mission

To nourish young minds and support local agriculture by delivering fresh, high-quality BC products to schools across the province. Through FRESH for KIDS, we create lasting connections between students, schools, and local farmers while promoting healthy eating habits.

Program Benefits

Direct delivery of fresh BC produce to schools

Support for local farmers and agriculture

Competitive bulk pricing

Flexible delivery schedules

Quality assurance and food safety standards

Professional distribution network reaching all corners of BC

How It Works

Schools or districts choose their preferred program length

FRESH for KIDS coordinates with local farmers and suppliers

Products are delivered directly to schools on a regular schedule

Students enjoy fresh, nutritious BC products

Schools track program success through our online platform

Supporting BC Agriculture

When you participate in FRESH for KIDS, you are not just feeding students – you are supporting an entire ecosystem of local farmers, distributors, and agricultural workers. Our program creates sustainable market opportunities for BC farmers while ensuring that students receive the freshest possible produce.

The program is supported by schools who choose to use their Feeding Futures Grant, support of school PAC or other funds from the community.

Support FRESH for KIDS

We believe every student deserves access to fresh, nutritious food. Visit our fundraising platform at freshforkids.ca to:

Support local schools in your community

Help expand our program reach

Contribute to student nutrition initiatives

Make a difference in BC’s food security

Full Description

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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Discover the many wonders of the only mammal that can fly. Find out how bats live, hunt, echolocate, and adapt to their habitat using their unique bodies. Because bats are nocturnal, we will not see any live bats during the program. Instead, we will explore their habitat with unique props and activities. Bats really are beautiful; learn why in this interactive forest adventure. One-and-a-half-hour program for Pre-K – Grade 3.

Full Description

Using the 3R’s, students recognize recycling symbols and sort materials found in their home and classroom.

*This workshop is free for schools in the Township of Langley (limited spaces available).

Available to schools in the Township of Langley, City of Langley (SD35) and City of Surrey (SD36).

Schools outside of Langley will be charged mileage. Teachers outside of these districts may enquire about workshop availability.

Duration 60 minutes Cost $95

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

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.

Full Description

The Fraser River is one of the world’s great rivers not only in its contribution to the environmental, cultural, and historical wealth of British Columbia, but because of its current pivotal role in the economy of BC.  We are going to explore how people have used and shared the resources of the Fraser River, focusing on the tumultuous time when Indigenous peoples and fur traders shared the river.

Grades: 4-7                          Length: 1.5 hours               Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Visual presentation introducing the history of trade on the Fraser River.

Learn proper archaeological protocol, excavate archaeological artifacts, and learn what each represents.

Keep an archaeologist’s journal, drawing diagrams and answering questions about stone and metal tools.

Play a fun and competitive game to understand the value of items traded between First Nations and European traders.

Full Description

We currently run Club programs in Metro Vancouver and Kelowna - reach out if you're looking for a program near you.

This is an 8-week/workshop after school program. Youth can do the program once. Participants take part in fun interactive activities each week and develop cooking skills by making a plant-based dinner at each workshop.

Full Description

CBEEN is a Non-Profit Society and Registered Charity. Our mission is to encourage environmental stewardship and sustainability in the Canadian Columbia Basin by supporting environmental educators. The Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) was born out of a shared sense of identity and from the common desire to support and promote EE on a regional scale. Over the past 10 years CBEEN has grown from a small group of passionate educators to a large and vibrant network of educators from across the Columbia Basin and beyond.

Our goals:

Maintain a vibrant and engaged network of educators in the Canadian Columbia Basin, and provide this network with excellent environmental education professional development resources and opportunities.

Facilitate collaboration amongst members, partner organizations, and Basin communities to effectively achieve our shared mandates and vision.

Undertake a process to better role model and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Environmental Education.

Expand network to increase engagement with and support for early years educators.

Maintain a sustainable organization which has effective and ethical governance in accordance with its non-profit and charitable status.

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Bursary applications are now open! Round 1 will be open from August 5th, 2025 - September 26th, 2025. Round 2 will be open from November 24th, 2025 - December 8th, 2025.

This year we are offering two brand new workshops:
Wings & Things: Exploring Insects, Matter and Motion
Your Voice is Power: Explore creative songwriting with AI.

Mars Coding Quest is also a re-imagined workshop to pair with our feature exhibition, Artemis Space Adventure with LEGO® Bricks, presented by White Spot Restaurants.

We’re excited to offer a range of professional development workshops for K-12 educators free of charge between now and March 31, 2026.

We are offering free Tech-Up Workshops until March 31st, 2026, for in person field trips. 
​​​​​
Want to bring Science World into your classroom? Check out our Loaner Kits for our local teachers.
  
​​​​​Want some fun experiments and games to do with your classes this year? Take a look at our Class Resources for some fresh ideas

Full Description

Water Scientists will learn about the water cycle, and make a water necklace. *This workshop is free for schools in the Township of Langley (limited spaces available).

Available to schools in SD35 and SD36

Schools outside of Langley will be charged mileage. Teachers outside of these districts may enquire about workshop availability.

Duration 60 minutes

Cost $95

Full Description

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

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

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.