Eco Learning Hive
If you’re looking for a way to get outside, soak up that sun while it’s still around, and learn a little more about nature, there are many cool options – including some remaining 2015 summer camps!
Check out the Eco Learning Hive to find out all about them. Just to feed your curiosity, here are a few examples of the programs you can find:
The Gorge Waterway Nature House, located in Esquimalt Gorge Park, is a great place to spend your afternoon right in the city! A definite highlight is the Seaquaria touch tank, stocked with live local marine life. Get up close and personal with sea stars, sea cucumbers, decorator crabs, and more! Learn about the history of the Gorge, the amazing diversity of species that are found in its waters (like Pacific Herring, Coho Salmon and Olympia Oysters!), and many ways to get involved in your community. Visit the restoration of the interactive, 3D model of the Gorge Waterway, and talk about creating healthier and more vibrant watersheds.
Looking for a week-long, adventure packed, super fun program for a kid in your life? At FUN Camps kids ditch the screens, get outside and explore the awesomeness nature has to offer. They spend the day having a blast, paddling a kayak, rock-climbing or riding a horse. You spend the day knowing that they are actually connecting with people and nature and becoming empowered leaders. At the end of the day, you get a kid who comes home tired but inspired. That’s a win-win-win, for you, them, and our planet.
If it’s a day activity you’re looking for, the Compost Education Centre, CRD parks, and the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre have you covered!
Victoria Compost Education Centre site tours are interactive, educational, and fun for all ages. Learn about the benefits of composting through informative games, all within their straw bale building. This day will also include a journey through their organic gardens with opportunities to touch, smell, and even taste a variety of plants!
CRD Parks and Recreation has many options this summer and beyond for fun filled adventure. They have hikes, walks, and tours to fit all your needs. If you’ve been wanting to get outside and learn about your surroundings, these are the trips for you!
The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney is filled with amazing ocean life! If you act quickly, you might even find yourself a spot in the Barnacle Buddies camp. In this camp, budding biologists will find themselves exploring the diversity of creatures, big and small, that our oceans have to offer! Not only will you spend time in the aquarium, but also out on the Sidney shores learning through hands-on experiences. If a camp isn’t for you but you’re still interested in the creatures, stop by the aquarium and find out for yourself just how many neat creatures are living in our oceans.
Need some teaching tools in your tool box for the new Science Curriculum? The Royal BC Museum and the Gorge Waterway Nature House are hosting a Teacher Workshop on September 4, 2015. The focus of the workshop will be to build awareness about the recent changes to the BC Science Curriculum and the opportunities it presents for hands-on, multi-disciplinary learning. Special guest presenters and facilitators will demonstrate simple ways to integrate these concepts into your curriculum through environmental themes and place-based learning activities. The workshop will cover the practices that can be incorporated into your own classrooms and communities to meet the needs of K-12 students of all learning styles. Participants will go home with buckets of new resources, connections, and collaboratively built new approaches. To learn more, visit the website or visit their Facebook Page!
Find out about all these great opportunities and much, much more for the summer and for school trips in the fall by visiting www.ecolearninghive.org!
