Discover Stanley Park’s wild side as your students roll up their sleeves and connect with nature in hands-on and interactive programs exploring forest, beach and wetland ecology. We offer a diversity of curriculum-based school field trips for Pre – K to grade 7 students and for high school.
Registration is Now Open! Book here.
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Program Info
These are the programs offered for spring 2023!
Jump to the section or program you are most interested in:
- Program Fees
- Beach Explorers (Preschool – Grade 7)
- Nature Detectives (Grade K)
- Pollen Power (Grades 1-3)
- Salmon & Streams (Grades 1-3)
- Wetland Wildlife (Grades 1-7)
- Forest Fundamentals (Grades 4-7)
- Urban Ecosystems: High School (Grades 8-12)
- Wetland Wildlife: High School (Grades 8-12)
- Self Guided Tour: Discovery Kit (Grades 3-7)
Note: we can accommodate a maximum of two classes per day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon)
Program Fees
For the 2023 school year, the fees are as follows:
- Pre-K – Grade 3 (1.5 hour program): $225 for up to 25 students
- Grade 4-7 & 8-12 (2 hour program): $299 for up to 30 students
Extra students above 25 (grades Pre-K – Grade 3 only): $10/student. Absolute maximum number of students per program: 30.
Each year, we try and accommodate some schools with greater financial need; if this applies to you, and these costs are prohibitive, please inquire and email us (school@stanleyparkecology.ca).
Beach Explorers
(Preschool – Grade 7)
Visit the Lumberman’s Arch beach at low tide and explore the incredibly diverse and abundant life in the intertidal zone.
Low tide offers us a glimpse at fascinating animals and plants that have adapted to life in and out of the sea. Hunt for crabs, sort seaweeds, and find out what else lives or eats on the seashore, while students discover important human connections to the oceans.
Beach Explorers is a tide-dependent program and is available in spring between April and June.
For preschool – grade 3, Beach Explorers is a one-and-a-half-hour program.
For grades 4-7, Beach Explorers is a two-hour program.
Read the Beach Explorers Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Nature Detectives
(Grades K – 3)
Discover the hidden secrets and stories of the forest in this sensory journey through nature.
Awaken your senses as you explore the temperate rainforest. Find tiny life forms with magnifiers, meet bugs, feed trees, and transform into a bat while learning how all of these forest elements are connected.
One-and-a-half-hour program for students in grade K-3.
Read the Nature Detectives Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Pollen Power
(Grades 1 – 3)
What is responsible for much of the food we eat? Pollen!
Discover how pollinators are powerful in this engaging program for grades 1-3! Learn about the process of pollination and the amazing creatures that make it happen. Dance like a bee and look at flowers up close while uncovering the plentiful bounty pollinators help to create.
One-and-a-half-hour program for grades 1 – 3.
This program is available in spring between April and June.
Read the Pollen Power Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Salmon & Streams
(Grades 1 – 3)
Investigate a stream and discover how salmon are deeply connected to their environment.
How do salmon find their way back to their home stream? What do salmon eat? Why are they such an important part of an ecosystem? Dive into the world of these amazing creatures and the streams they call home.
Note: this is NOT a salmon release program.
One-and-a-half-hour program for grades 1 – 3.
This program is available in spring between April and June.
Read the Salmon & Streams Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Note: this program can also be offered online or in your classroom! Please contact school@stanleyparkecology.ca for more information.
Wetland Wildlife
(Grades 1 – 7)
Beaver Lake is one of Vancouver’s last natural wetlands, and it is home to incredible plants and animals.
What makes the wetland ecosystem a good place to live? How do diverse communities of animals eat their way along the food chain? Roll up your sleeves and explore Beaver Lake wildlife up close with dip nets, magnifiers and games.
This program is available in spring between April and June.
For grades 1- 3, Wetland Wildlife is a one-and-a-half-hour program.
For grades 4-7, Wetland Wildlife is a two-hour program.
Read the Wetland Wildlife Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Forest Fundamentals
(Grades 4-7)
The lush temperate rainforest is diverse, abundant and full of interconnected species.
Engage all of your senses to piece together the story of forest dwelling plants and animals and their important roles in the web of life.
Two-hour program for students in grade 4-7.
Read the Forest Fundamentals Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Urban Ecosystems: High School Program
(Grades 8 – 12)
Lost Lagoon is an urban treasure trove! Learn about the species that call this area of Stanley Park home and their interactions with the downtown core.
How do human and environmental systems interconnect in Vancouver? Dive into what makes a healthy urban ecosystem and how biodiversity and climate change affect Stanley Park. This fun and informational program is a great for any curious high schooler.
Urban Ecosystems is a two-hour program for grades 8-12.
Read the Urban Ecosystems Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Wetland Wildlife: High School Program
(Grades 8 – 12)
Wetlands store carbon, buffer the effects of extreme weather, reduce temperature extremes, support biodiversity and help to clean our freshwater but they are rare in our urban environment. In this new program, participants will join us at Beaver Lake to learn about the roles that wetlands play in mitigating climate change and supporting biodiversity. They’ll see the plants and animal species that wetlands support, and learn about parameters of water quality. Participants will test several parameters of water quality themselves, such as pH, turbidity, and temperature. They will also learn about indicator species for wetland health and find and identify macroinvertebrates in Beaver Lake.
This is a two hour program for students in grades 8-12.
Read the Wetland Wildlife Teacher Information Package for information on curriculum connections, meeting location, preparing for the program and more.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Self Guided Tour: Discovery Kit
(Grades 3-7)
Are you as big as an eagle? What lives at Lost Lagoon? Do herons have an easy life? Do salmon visit Stanley Park? Discover the answers to these questions and more while leading your own adventure with our easy to use Discovery Kit.
Bring your class for a self-guided half-day Park program or extend your field trip for $38 for the day. This is a great option for two classes from one school who want to share a bus.
The Discovery Kit is a backpack containing:
- A class set of binoculars
- A detailed map
- An easy to follow teaching script
- Fun props, engaging activities and visuals
Read the Discovery Kit Teacher Information Package for more information on where to pick up the kit and preparing for the program.
Interested in this program? You can book here.
Not finding what you are looking for? Check out our other programs!
Stanley Park Ecology Society first delivered ecology education to elementary students in 1988 and we have been providing fun and informative experiences for children and teachers ever since. Today we deliver diverse educational programming to over 5,000 students annually – 2020-2021 being an exception given the restrictions due to COVID-19. Yet this exceptional year also pushed us to create new programs online and bring our programming out of Stanley Park and into green spaces near schools, removing the barrier of transportation for classes. We expect that these new approaches will become a regular part of our diverse educational offerings for schools.
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