epbr parks council environmental educaon programs
TRANSCRIPT
EPBR Parks Council
Environmental Education Programs
Index
Fall/Winter Programs
Spring/Summer Programs
Other Resources…………………………………………………..………….. 15
Intro to Outdoor Survival……………………………………………………..………... 1
Science of Snow………………………………………………………………..…………... 2
Snowshoes…………………………………………………………………………..………... 3
Biodiversity of the EPBR Park System…………………………………..…………. 4
Bugology…………………………………………………………………………..……………. 5
GPS & Geocaching………………………………………………………………..………… 6
Natural Notions Eco-hike………………………………………………………………… 7
Natures Recycler's………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Tracks and Scat…………………………………………………………………………..….. 9
Treeolympics………………………………………………………………….…………….. 10
Trees and Forests………………………………………………………..………………… 11
Wonders of Wetlands………………………………………………………..…………. 12
Year-round Marvelous, Misunderstood Bats………………………………………………….. 13
Owl Discovery………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Activities: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
Injury Transport Survival Kit Essentials
Fire Building Human & Animal Adaptations
Curriculum Links:
Junior High: Environmental & Outdoor
Education
Introduction to Outdoor Survival
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom! *Please Note: This is NOT a survival course!
Available from October to April
Program length: 2 hours Get out of the classroom and into the wilderness of the boreal forest! Through individually-led and hands-on activities, students will learn the difficulties of outdoor survival and rewards of having the necessary skills. Students will discuss the essentials for surviving outdoors in all seasons (especially the cold boreal winters), will have the opportunity to search for their own natural tinder and kindling, and even light a small fire with flint and steel! Students will learn the importance of teamwork for survival when participating in activities. We will also discuss human and animal adaptations for surviving boreal winters, how human disturbance can impact local wildlife’s ability to survive, and the responsibilities for personal safety that come with outdoor recreation. This program is not designed to be a survival course - rather to pique student interest in the subject of Outdoor Survival.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected].
Activities include: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
PowerPoint Presentation,
Fake a Flake, Frog Quinzees
Curriculum Links:
Grade 3: Animal Lifecycles;
Grade 5: Weather Watch;
Science of Snow
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Students will use hands-on learning both inside and outside of the classroom during this winter program!
Available from October to April depending on snow.
Program lengths: 1 or 2 hours
Students will learn how snowflakes are formed and create some snowflakes of their own during this program! They will also learn about winter animal adaptations that allow wildlife in Alberta to sur-vive our long winters. Students will then venture outside to build quinzee snow shelters for their lit-tle critters and have some fun playing interactive games which teach them about winter habitats
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected].
The Parks Council’s Snowshoe Booklet will be sent to you once your booking is confirmed. In it you will find great infor-
mation on how to use the snowshoes and trail
opportunities within the area!
Visit epbrparkscouncil.org to fill out the online booking form or call 780-898-7275 for more details. Guided snowshoe hikes
are available upon request.
Snowshoes!
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Take your class on a snowshoeing adventure in the backyard of your school or on a local parks system trail!
Available from October to April depending on snow.
The Parks Council has the following snowshoes for use: 12 pairs of Tykers (up to 80lbs) 12
pairs of Youth (up to 125lbs) 2 pairs of Women (up to 180lbs) 4 pairs of Adult (up to 180lbs). *Rentals will be given on a first come, first serve basis. Once your rental form is received, you will be contacted to confirm your rental date. You must fill out an online rental form at
least one week prior to rental date.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected].
Biodiversity of the EPBR Park System
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available from May-October
Program length: 2 hours
How does human activity affect biodiversity in our natural areas? Students, in the role of scientists, examine the differences between disturbed and undisturbed sites. They explore diversity among and between species, and impacts of non-native and invasive species. The influence of human
activities on the landbase is also considered.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book a program, please contact JeanAnne at 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected].
Activities: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
Ground cover assessments, Insect & Bird Counts,
Diversity within a Species
Curriculum Links: Grade 9 Science: Biological Diversity
*A special thank-you to Alberta Parks for sharing this program with the Parks Council!
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please contact EPBR Parks at 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available from May to August
This program focuses on small crawling and flying invertebrates and the activities give stu-dents a hands-on experience with some of Eagle Point Provincial Park’s smallest inhabitants!
On the Mini Beast Safari you will walk along the bank of the majestic North Saskatchewan River and use your imagination to shrink down for a bug’s eye view of the forest floor. At the
Pond Life station the students will investigate and observe living plants and creatures in the water. At Butterfly Meadows the students can observe differ-
ent butterflies feeding on the many wildflowers !
Activities: Mini beast safari
Pond Life Butterfly Meadows
Curriculum Links:
Grade 2 Science: Small Flying and Crawling animals.
Bugology
The Parks Council will supply the GPS’, maps and other materials required for this program. Students
and teachers are invited to bring small trinkets or treasures of their own (ex. Key chains, pens,
bracelet, etc.) to leave in the caches once they are found.
Curriculum Links: Social Studies (Geography
and mapping), Grade 9: Mathematics (Technology and data collection)
GPS & GEOCACHING
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Take your class on a high-tech treasure hunt outdoors! Available from May to October.
Program length: 2 Hours
The Parks Council will guide you and your class on a geocaching adventure through the Rotary Pembina Nordic Community South Trails or Willey West Interpretive Trails! During
this program you will learn how to use a GPS and discuss the pros and cons of GPS vs. a compass. Students will then go on a high-tech treasure hunt for caches placed along the trails! The geocaches that we will be finding were created by local Grade 5 students and a partner-
ship with Aim for Success.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected].
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday
and are one to two hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Natural Notions
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available May to October
Program length: 2 hours Join the Parks Council for a relaxing jaunt through the Boreal Forest. On the way, we will share with you our knowledge of the local flora & fauna that can be found just outside of Drayton Valley. Students will utilize all of their senses during several fun activities along the way. We’ll listen for wildlife and other forest sounds, search the underbrush for insects, feel the difference between sunlight and shade, and even imagine what it’s like to be an animal living in the Boreal Forest.
Activities: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
Bug Hunt / Micro-hike Tree Grokking
Colour Card Scavenger Hunt
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Curriculum Links: Grade 1: Senses, Needs of Animals & Plants Grade 3: Hearing & Sound, Animal Life Cycles
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available from May to October Get out of the classroom and into the Boreal Forest to discover what types of plants, animals, and fungi are nature recyclers! Through hands-on activities, students will learn more about how plant and animal waste and dead matter is recycled in our world. Students will have the opportunity to search for decomposers in the forest and search through soil samples to observe them up close.
We will discuss the importance of these sometimes overlooked creatures for humans and the environment. Different focuses will be made to match different grade curriculum links.
This program can be delivered while visiting a local trail system, a Parks Council recreational
facility, or a forested area behind or near your school.
Activities: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
Who am I? Decomposers Decomposer Bingo Soil Sample Search
Curriculum Links: Grade 4: Waste & Our World
Nature Recyclers
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please contact EPBR Parks at 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Students will learn about animal clues in their own classroom!
Available all year
Animals are all around us, but many are shy and rarely seen. The clues (tracks and scat) left behind by wild animals are powerful learning tools to teach us about wildlife. Join EPBR and become an animal detective dur-ing this in class learning opportunity!
Activities: PowerPoint presentation and/or Track that Scat Story (depending on age level), hands-on learning with EPBR's tracks and scat replica set, then make your own wildlife track to take home.
Curriculum Links: All grade Levels
TRACKS & SCAT
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday
and are one to two hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Treelympics
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available May to October Join the Parks Council to gain an understanding of the functions of trees! The Olympic-style events will demonstrate that the seemingly ordinary processes of a tree are indeed wonders of the natural environment! ***A special thank-you to Alberta Parks for sharing this program with the Parks Council!
Activities: Tree Tug
Sugar Shuffle Big Gulp Big Slurp
Seed Toss
Curriculum Links: Grade 4: Plants & Growth
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday
and are one to two hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Trees & Forests
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom!
Available May to October Join the Parks Council on a treasure hunt for knowledge through our local Boreal Forest! Students will learn about trees as individual plants and as part of a forest ecosystem. By examining trees on
one of our local trail systems, they will learn to recognize the different characteristics between Species. Students will also develop skills in describing and interpreting the structural features of
trees and plants As part of their studies, students will discover a broad range of living things found on, under, and around trees as well as different ways of plant reproduction and growth along with
seed dispersal. By examining human use of forests, students will also become aware of a range of environmental issues and develop an awareness of the need for responsible use.
*The Grade 6 program includes the use of GPS units. Students will hunt for geocaches placed
along the trail system which hold instructions for each activity.
Activities: Oh Deer! Population Tag
Interpretive Walk Self Guided Activity Stations
Curriculum Links:
Grade 6: Trees & Forests
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Students will learn in an interactive, outdoor classroom! Available from May to October
Program Length: 2 hours Get out of the classroom and near a body of water (either a local pond or a wetland in the Park) to discover what types of plants and animals call ponds home! Through hands-on activities, students will learn more about wetland ecosystems. Students will have the opportunity to search for wetland creatures, capture them in nets provided by the Parks Council, and observe them up close using
their pond dipping kits. We will also take a look at riparian habitats, water quality, evidence of terrestrial animals, and the importance of wetlands for our local environment. Different focuses will
be made to match different grade curriculum links.
*The Grade 8 program includes water quality testing. Students will use chemicals to test the integrity of a nearby stream.
Activities: *Please note activities may change
depending on program location, age group, time limit, etc.
Wetland Bingo Pond Dipping
Water Quality - Abiotic Factors Wetland Flora & Fauna
Curriculum Links: Grade 5: Wetland Ecosystems
Grade 8: Fresh Water & Saltwater Ecosystems
Wonders of Wetlands
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please call 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Marvelous, Misunderstood Bats
Students will be actively engaged in this fun, interactive presentation!
Available Year Round
Bats play a very important role in our Boreal ecosystem and need our protection! During this interactive presentation, students will learn all about the different kinds of bats in Alberta and throughout the world. We will explore the parts of a bat, food sources, special adaptations (i.e. hibernation and echolocation), and threats to bat survival. Students will also have the chance to participate in fun games that allow them to experience the world as a bat! Different focuses will be made to match different grade curriculum links.
Activities: Educational Presentation Who’s Your Baby! Game
Mythbusters (Optional) Echolocation Game
Curriculum Links: Grade 2: Small Crawling & Flying Animals
Grade 3: Hearing & Sound, Animal Life Cycles
“Parents were telling me that their children were ‘smelling’ them and then
telling them that that is how a mommy bat finds her baby… Learning about this concept through ‘play’ has helped the children to understand better!”
- Cindy Van Ember, Kindergarten Teacher at Tomahawk School
Program times and dates are on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Schools must provide their own transportation into the Parks System for specific programs. Programs are available Monday to Friday and are one to two
hours in length. Maximum group size is 30 students.
Other program and learning opportunities do arise with the Parks Council! Information on these is available on our website at www.epbrparkscouncil.org. For more information or to book
a program, please contact the EPBR office at 780-898-7275 or e-mail [email protected]
Students will learn about the eating habits of owls in their own classroom!
Available all year. What did your owl eat for dinner? This in-class program teaches students basics of owl adaptations and owl pellet dissection, along with methods to identify animal skulls and bones harvested from owl pellets.
Activities: Hands-on Owl pellet dissection.
Curriculum Links:
All Grade Levels: Biology and Biodiversity.
OWL DISCOVERY
Links to Online Environmental Education Program Resources: http://www.abcee.org/ http://www.cangeoeducation.ca/ http://www.childrenandnature.org/ http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/connecting-with-nature-education-guide/ https://ecokids.ca/ http://www.greenlearning.ca/
http://greenteacher.com/ http://www.sustainabilityresources.ca/
Education Links