Find EducationalResources Now

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

Current lesson plans include Earth systems, Living systems, Time and place, Wetland ecosystems, Air and aerodynamics, Interactions in ecosystems, Fresh and saltwater ecosystems, Biological diversity, and Environmental stewardship.

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

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

Did you know over 60% of Canada’s sub-watersheds lack enough data to know their health? Water Rangers’ fun and easy tools help students (ages 12+) explore water quality using their senses and scientific tools. Our free online lessons and teacher guides show how to plan outings, connect activities to different subjects, and adapt materials for all ages. Kits are available for purchase, and we may be able to help with funding! Community-based water monitoring is a great way to spark curiosity, connect with nature, and collect important data to help protect our water. Let’s make science hands-on and meaningful for students!

Full Description

PLT Canada's Trees and Me guide introduces young learners to the critical importance of the environment and forests through a variety of engaging, hands-on activities. Designed to connect children with nature, the guide fosters an understanding of the many benefits that trees and forests provide, such as clean air, wildlife habitats, and climate regulation. It encourages environmental stewardship by promoting actions that nurture and protect our natural world. By exploring forests' vital role in sustaining life, children develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the responsibility to care for it.

Full Description

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.

Full Description

Explore the wonders of the Skeena Watershed and Pacific salmon with our free educational resources and workshops! Tailored for Northern BC communities, our downloadable lesson plans include engaging activities on salmon life cycles, habitat restoration, and ecosystem connections. Interactive classroom workshops, led by expert educators, bring these topics to life with hands-on learning. Workshops are free and available to schools and groups within the Skeena region. Inspire the next generation to protect our natural heritage!

Full Description

The Plant-Based Eating Toolkit for Schools is a free resource designed to help students and educators advocate for plant-based food options in schools. It provides step-by-step guidance on starting school clubs, engaging decision-makers, and running awareness campaigns. The toolkit includes letter-writing templates, success stories, and practical tips for increasing plant-based options in cafeterias and events.

This toolkit is accessible nationwide and can be downloaded for free. It is suitable for student clubs, teachers, and school communities looking to introduce more plant-forward initiatives in cafeterias and school programs.

Full Description

EcoSchools is an annual certification program that supports, incentivizes, tracks, and recognizes environmental action in schools.

The EcoSchools program is both a framework and a toolbox for taking action and engaging in environmental education. 

For students, the program provides opportunities for leadership, peer-to-peer mentorship, and a way to learn about sustainability while having fun. For teachers, the program integrates seamlessly with curricula across Canada and offers unique opportunities for learning.

Build excitement at your school about environmental projects, campaigns, and events throughout the year. Use the many resources, worksheets, and lesson plans available in the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) to support your journey.

Full Description

We also offer the opportunity to book a lesson with our educator to accompany the EduKit. Please note the teacher or a representative for your educational institution is responsible for picking up and dropping off the EduKit from our office.

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.

Full Description

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.

Full Description

Through our inclusive experiences, Alberta professionals can explore regional ecological issues, develop an ethic of environmentalism, and gain the hands-on tools to protect our province's wild spaces and species.

Available topics include We All Belong in Nature, Community Science, Wild Wellness, Why Grasslands?, Climate Game Changers, Grizzly Bears Forever, Heart of a Park, and Watershed Ed.

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

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

In this experiential course, Grade 10-12 students will learn through site visits, hiking tours and guest speakers about everything that connects them to the environment. The 3-credit course is part of the Career and Technology Studies area of the Alberta curriculum. Students will learn about topics from human-wildlife coexistence, vegetation identification and waste water treatment to energy production, Îyethka traditional knowledge, Indigenous practices to care for the land and the Nakoda language. We also welcome you to explore the Activity Guide.

Full Description

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

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

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

The Climate Policy Quest program is designed to be flexible, with each activity taking approximately 1-2 hours to complete. The program begins with foundational activities and lessons on climate science, current impacts of climate change, and how these issues shape our world. Learners then progress to three key lessons introducing climate policy, exploring the need for policies, and Canada’s specific role in climate policy, before culminating in a hands-on activity where students design their own policies.