Who takes part in Nature Centre Programs?
How many children have taken part in the programs?
How much does it cost to attend a Nature Centre Program?
What does a typical
2-hour program look like?
Nature Centre programs server diverse groups of people from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds across the Greater Toronto Area, including (but not limited to): elementary and secondary school groups, pre-school aged children and their parents, local day cares and community centres, home-schooling groups, local families, adult English-as-a-Second language groups, seniors, persons with special needs and persons with mental and/or physical challenges.
How many children have taken part in the programs? <back to top>
Since 1999, over 15,000 children have learned about the importance of protecting and restoring High Park's natural areas.
How much does it cost to attend a Nature Centre Program? <back to top>
We strive to keep our fees as low as possible to maintain accessibility for all members of the community. A 2-hour curriculum-based program for school children in the fall, winter or spring costs $5.00 per student. Our 2-hour summer ecology programs for local day care centres and community groups cost $3.00 per participant or $50.00 for a group of 20+ participants (to a maximum of 30). Prices for our family-based programs, summer camps and naturalist club programs for children vary from program to program.
How are your programs funded? <back to top>
The Nature Centre's programs are funded by generous funding agencies (see Sponsor/Donor List) as well as the revenue generated from our program fees. We also like to acknowledge in-kind donations from local businesses and community members. They are also listed on the Sponsor/Donor List).
What does a typical 2-hour program look like? <back to top>
It varies from season to season and program to program. For example, participants in our "Charming Chickadees and Wonderful Woodpeckers" winter program are introduced to the adaptations of birds that winter in High Park and then have the opportunity to create pine cone bird feeders before heading out on the trails to hang their feeders and hand-feed chickadees. Summer programs introduce participants to the unique ecology of the Park and then focus on the group's theme of choice: Beetles, Bugs and Bees, Paws and Claws, Butterflies and Blooms, Green Giants or the Art in Nature. Participants could head out in search of bugs after dressing up like an insect or role-play the life of an urban animal in High Park after hiking the trails, searching for animal homes. Our programs are designed to engage the senses of our participants - especially their most important sense - WONDER.