Elementary School Program Offerings
The High Park Nature Centre offers a wide range of high quality curriculum-based outdoor environmental education and stewardship education programs to classroom teachers and their students.
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French Programming for French Immersion Classes
High Park through the Seasons Book a package and save!
Autumn Adventures - September to December 2009
Hibernate in High Park - January to March 2010
Restore and Explore - April to June 2010
Programs take
place at the High Park Nature Centre, located on the eastern perimeter of the
park at
All school programs are two hours in length and are available both mornings and afternoons. Morning sessions run from 9:30 – 11:30am and afternoon programs run from 12:30 – 2:30pm – we can be somewhat flexible with start and end times to accommodate bus schedules. We encourage full day visits where you and your class can take in two education programs or visit one of our partner sites, Colborne Lodge or the High Park Children’s Garden.
$6.50 per student attending for all half-day programs.
$11.00 per student attending for all full-day programs.
A minimum fee of $80.00 applies to all groups for half-day programs. A minimum charge of $132.00 applies to all groups for full-day programs.
If booking a
“
Please bring cash or a cheque made payable to “High Park Nature Centre” on the day of your visit.
Educational programs can be booked at any time by calling the High Park Nature Centre at (416) 392-1748 ext. 6 or by e-mailing at naturecentre@highpark.org.
Please leave a detailed message including your name, school, contact phone number, grade, class size, proposed dates and choice of program. We will confirm our availability by phone and then also by writing. Please note the dates of your availability for each program, both by season and by date.
Please be advised that seven days notice is necessary for cancellations and two days notice to reschedule. An invoice for 50% of the originally booked group fee will be issued for any late cancellation or rescheduling.
Programs will proceed rain or shine. Please remind all participants to dress appropriately for the weather as we will be outdoors for most of the activities. Programs may need to be rescheduled in the case of severe inclement weather such as heavy rain, thunderstorms, snowstorms or high winds over 35 km per hour. We also advise wearing long pants, socks and long sleeved tops to protect against poison ivy. If you have any questions please call our office at 416-392-1748 ext. 6.
Links to the
All of our education programs were developed to meet objectives in the Ontario Curriculum Grades 1 - 8: Science and Technology, Ministry of Education and Training. We also have programs which meet objectives in Mathematics, Social Studies, History and Geography, and Health and Physical Education.
French Programming for French Immersion Classes
Several of the Nature Centre’s most popular programs have been translated into French by our bilingual nature interpreters! Please see program descriptions below marked “offered in French”. Should you have any questions regarding our French programming, please contact naturecentre@highpark.org.
Book a
package and save! Choose one program of your choice from each of our fall,
winter and spring options, and experience the beauty of
Booking Details
The $16.50 fee per student can be paid in full during your fall visit OR 50%
in the fall and 50% in the spring.
The $16.50 per student fee must be paid for ALL students in your class, we do not charge on a per student basis for this program regardless of individual absences on the day of the trip.
Your class must attend one program in the fall, one in the winter and one in the spring to qualify for the discounted rate, otherwise the full fee of $6.50 per student will be charged.
AUTUMN ADVENTURES – FALL 2009 SCHOOL PROGRAMS
** Due to
the unsettled weather we’ve experienced this spring and summer, the dates for
some of the seasonally-based programs are subject to change.
Kindergarten – Grade 7
Did you know
that
Grade 4,6,7
BUCKTHORN BUSTERS (September 14 - October 16, 2009)
Students will learn to identify and control the invasive species that threaten the health of High Park's woodland and savannah habitats. Participants will get their hands dirty removing buckthorn shrubs and by making and tossing seed balls in the savannah.
Grade 4 - 7
Hawk Watch (September 14 – October 9, 2009)
Grade 3,4,6,7
Down in the Dirt (September 14– October 16, 2009) Offered in French
Explore the world beneath your feet! Discover the "recipe" for soil and learn about the vital role that decomposers play in the food chain. Students will collect and compare soil samples to investigate the properties of soil.
Kindergarten – Grade 4
Go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the High Park Zoo with the Zookeepers! Students will visit the Bird House and other animal enclosures, hand-feed bison and llamas and learn fascinating facts about Zoo animals.
**Zoo tours are only offered on FRIDAY mornings.
Grade 4 - 7
Orienteering (September 14 – December 11, 2009) Offered in French
Learn how to
find your way through
Kindergarten – Grade 7
Nuts about Seeds (September 14 – October 30, 2009) Offered in French
Search for native plant seeds and experience the rich diversity of a nationally rare black oak savannah habitat! Learn about seed dispersal, collect acorns, make and toss seed balls and discover how plants and animals prepare for the winter.
Kindergarten – Grade 6
Changing of the Leaves (dates TBA)
Enjoy beautiful fall colours right in the heart of our big city! Students will learn how to identify trees by their leaves and discover why leaves change colour in the fall through science and folklore.
Kindergarten – Grade 3
Fall into Winter (November 9 – December 11, 2009) Offered in French
As the
temperature drops and days become shorter, the plants and animals of
Grade 4 - 7
Urban Wildlife: At Home in the City (November 9 – December 11, 2009)
Even in the
middle of a big city, wild animals can find everything they need to survive –
sometimes, they just need to be creative! Discover the
incredible diversity of animals that live in
HIBERNATE IN
KG, GRADE 1
WARM UP TO WINTER
Nothing beats
the chill of winter better than a nature hike in
KG, Grade 1, 2, 4, 6, 7
TRACKS & TALES Offered in French
Read tales in the snow by learning how to identify and interpret animal tracks! Students will find out how animals have adapted to survive the winter, learn about animal characteristics through folklore and encounter tracks made by creatures while hiking in the park.
Grade 1, 3, 4, 7
GREEN GIANTS & SLEEPING SKELETONS
Discover the
trees of
KG, Grade 1
CHARMING CHICKADEES Offered in French
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee! Students will learn about a day in the life of a chickadee, hand-feed chickadees and help these cheerful little birds survive the winter by creating pine cone bird feeders to hang in the park.
Grade 2, 3, 4, 6
FLOCKS AND HAWKS Offered in French
Follow a flock of chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals and woodpeckers and search the sky for soaring hawks. Students will learn about bird adaptations for winter survival, their winter diets and unique characteristics. Participants will hand-feed chickadees and create pine cone bird feeders to hang in the park.
Grade 2, 4, 6
SCREECH AND HOOT!
Learn about
Grade 2, 4, 6
BUGS ON ICE
Ever wonder where bugs go when it gets cold? Participants will go on a sub-zero bug hunt and learn how insects and other cold-blooded animals manage to survive our Canadian winters.
Grade 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
SNOWSHOEING Offered in French
Explore the
winter wonders of
Grade 4-7
ORIENTEERING Offered in French
Learn how to
find your way through
RESTORE AND EXPLORE – SPRING 2010 SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Grade 3,4,6,7
GARLIC MUSTARD BUSTERS (April 19 – May 14, 2010)
Students will learn to identify and control the invasive species that threaten the health of High
Park's woodland and savannah habitats. Participants will get their hands dirty pulling garlic mustard plants.
Grade 3,4,6,7
PLANTWATCH (April 19 – May 14, 2010)
Become a
"citizen scientist" and discover how climate change is affecting flowering
times for early spring plants. Learn how to identify and monitor common plants
and then submit your data to PlantWatch
Grade 1-7
MIGRATION CELEBRATION! (May 3 – 14, 2010) Offered in French
Discover the
incredible feats of migration as birds return from their wintering grounds to
nest in
Canadian forests. Discover why
Grade 3,4,6,7
DOWN IN THE DIRT (May 3 – June 24, 2010) Offered in French
Explore the world beneath your feet! Discover the "recipe" for soil and learn about the vital role that decomposers play in the food chain. Students will collect and compare soil samples to investigate the properties of soil.
KG–Grade 4
Go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the High Park Zoo and meet the Zookeepers who
take care of the animals! Students will visit the Bird House and other animal enclosures,
hand-feed
bison and
***Zoo tours are only offered on FRIDAY mornings.
Grade 4-7
ORIENTEERING PROGRAM (April 19- June 24, 2010) Offered in French
Learn how to
find your way through
KG – Grade 7
SPRING PLANTING PROGRAM (May 17 – June 24, 2010)
Study and experience the richness of a rare natural prairie habitat right in the heart of the city! Students will gain first-hand experience in protecting habitats by planting native plants in the park’s rare black oak savannah ecosystem.
NOTE: Please select one of the grade-specific themes below as the focus for your planting program. All program themes include a planting activity.
Sensing the
Go on a hands-on, sensory nature hike through the park's woodlands and black oak savannah.
Flutter-by Butterfly! - KG, Gr. 1, 2, 4 Offered in French
Explore the life of a butterfly and learn about native wildflowers that
attract and feed butterflies in
Wildflower Wonders - Grade 3
Learn
about wildflowers and edible plants in
Bugology - Grade 2, 4 & 6
Students will catch, observe and identify various invertebrates in the savannah.
Special Species - Grade 4, 5, 6 & 7
Catch
a glimpse of what makes
Students will learn about environmental stewardship by helping to restore the black oak savannah.
Consider booking a full day of programming by selecting 2 half-day programs at the Nature Centre. Another option is to book a half day at the Nature Centre and a half-day program at one of our partner sites in the park, Colborne Lodge or the High Park Children’s Garden and receive a $0.50 discount per student at each site. Please inquire at the time of your initial booking.
The High Park
Nature Centre would like to thank our programming partners, the Greater
Toronto Raptor Watch, the City of
We would also like to thank High Park Initiatives for their fundraising efforts to help cover the cost of operating our education programs. Please consider becoming a member of High Park Initiatives or making a donation to the Nature Centre program. For more information call 416-392-1748 ext. 6