SOUTH OKANAGAN
2019-12-29 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Vancouver)
Christmas Bird Count for Kids!

The plan is to meet at the tennis courts at the end of Marina Way.. This is a location that is more likely to be sheltered from winter conditions (for the comfort of birds and those who watch them!)

We will walk along the lake front and identify all the bird species we see along the way. Christmas bird counts are a long standing tradition in Canada and around the world! The information gathered helps to understand and conserve wildlife.

Please remember to dress in warm layers, bring a warm drink, and also bring binoculars if you have them. I will bring extra binoculars and clip boards.

LANGLEY
2020-01-18 10:30 - 12:00
Seeing Through Their Eyes

Join us for a morning of learning and activities exploring colour and how different animals see in nature. Guided learning will be coupled with hands on activities on the properties of light and how different local organisms process this natural physical phenomena to gather information about their environment. Some examples of animals we will learn about are insects, cephalopods, birds, and reptiles.
Location: Campbell Valley Park. We will meet at the picnic shelter.
Thinking of coming along? Let me know by Friday January 17 @ 5pm. To register for this event follow this link:https://form.jotform.com/93415688196269

VICTORIA
2020-01-18 13:00 - 14:30
Hike to Devonian Regional Park

Let’s bring in the New Year with a hike to appreciate the beauty in our “backyards.” We will hike along the Beach Trail from the Main Parking Lot through the forest, across Sherwood Creek to Taylor Beach. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and some snacks to reward your little ones (I will bring cookies to share). At the beach we will have some snacks and do some nature crafting if it’s not too cold! The hike is rated easy, is 2 km and takes about 1 hour round trip.
WHERE: Meet at the Main Parking lot, 4749 William Head Rd, Victoria
DIRECTIONS to the Devonian Regional Park:
By car from Downtown Victoria: Go north on Highway 1 and take exit 10 toward View Royal/Colwood. Merge onto Burnside Road West and continue on Old Island Highway (Hwy 1A), to Sooke Road. Old Island Highway becomes Sooke Road and, about 2km after this name change, turn left at the intersection onto Metchosin Road. Follow Metchosin Road for the next 8km until you reach a 3-way intersection. Go straight through the intersection as the road is now named William Head Road. A short 2km drive further and the gravel parking lot for Devonian Regional Park is on your left.
Trail maps: https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/devonian-regional-park/
Description of trail: 40 km elevation gain along well-developed trail through forest.
BRING: Any snacks that you’d like as well as appropriate outerwear and sturdy footwear for a hike and for the weather.

PRINCE GEORGE
2020-01-19 10:00 - 11:30
Salmon!
This month’s Nature Mentor is Terri from the Recycling & Environmental Action Planning Society (REAPS!) Join us to learn about all things Salmon, including a Salmon dissection!
Space is limited because this event is being held inside the REAPS building. Please see the confirmation to save your spot!

KELOWNA
2020-01-19 13:00 - 15:00
Dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts!

Our upcoming adventure is all about dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts! How do scientists learn new things about creatures that have been gone for millions of years? What are some new discoveries made recently? Where are the best places to find fossils and preserved remains? Why did some species grow so big?
When: Sunday, Jan 19th @ 1-3pm
Where: Mission Creek Park Gazebo
What to Bring: warm outdoor clothes, water and snack if desired, the name of your favorite prehistoric creatures (doesn’t have to be a dinosaur)
Note: This activity will take place entirely outdoors, with a craft portion being completed at the gazebo tables which I have booked for our use. Please plan your wardrobe accordingly as the weather may be cold and wet.

It is especially important to RSVP to this Explorer Day as the leader will be bringing a special gift for each attendee. Please RSVP to kelowna (at) naturekidsbc.ca by early Saturday Jan 18th.

NICOMEKL
2020-01-25 10:00 - 12:00
Nature Photography
Join us at the Bloedel Conservatory to explore the tropical flora and fauna and practice our photography! Ben Pollard will be there to give us tips and lead a scavenger hunt of things to photograph. Please bring your cameras or phones. We will be exploring indoors.
NOTE: wear layers you can shed – it is very warm in there. Entrance fee is $3.30 per child and $6.75 per adult. Spaces may be limited (up to 20 kids).
Location: Bloedel Conservatory – 4600 Cambie Street. There is limited free parking along the edges of the park OR paid parking in the main lot.

KAMLOOPS
2020-01-26 10:00 - 12:00
Snow Cave Building Day!

We are going to take advantage of all of this snow and learn to build a snow shelter. Bring your shovels and warm clothes. We’ll meet at 10am at the Tournament Captial Ranch: https://goo.gl/maps/N2xPab8kGvTxDrLdA
We will be in one location, so feel free to join us even if you are running late. We’ll have hot chocolate and tea, but feel free to bring any snacks you might like. The location is subject to change due to the weather, but we’ll keep you informed. Please RSVP if you think you might come. And feel free to bring friends along!

NORTH VANCOUVER
2020-01-26 13:00 - 14:30
Get InSpidered
Join Andi Fischer, a spider expert from Simon Fraser University, to learn more about spider superpowers. Learn about spider ecology and human-spider interactions, and interact with Andi’s private collection of arachnids.
There are a few places left. If you love spiders – or would like to love spiders – register here.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/get-inspidered-tickets-69955112625

NELSON
2020-01-26 13:00 - 15:00
Snowshoe Adventure!
Our first event for 2020 is our ever popular snowshoeing adventure! Once again led by fabulous environmental educator Shanoon Bennett, we’ll step off the trail and into the forest to search for animal tracks, find tasty snacks, and learn about how animals survive all winter long.
All equipment is provided for kids, but there are a limited number of adult snowshoes so please bring your own if you have them. Lighter adults can use the kids snowshoes. This event is suitable for kids aged 4 and up. You’re welcome to bring younger ones but please be prepared to carry them. You won’t be able to tow a sled. Thanks to a grant from the RDCK, this event is free to attend!
Please register for this event HERE .
Location: Meet at the Busk cross country ski area. Heading from Nelson towards Salmo, the turnoff to Busk is one road PAST the road to Whitewater. I’ll send out a map closer to the date, along with a form to sign up. Space will be limited for this event. Priority will be to current club members, with non members welcome if there is room.

COMOX VALLEY
2020-01-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Kitty Coleman Provincial Park
Erosion and the Power of Water
Come explore the forest trails, freshwater stream and beach at Kitty Coleman Provincial Park! We are hoping to do some exploring of the different habitats in the park, learn about erosion and the power of water in freshwater and shoreline environments. Plus, of course, we’ll have some winter outdoor fun!
More details will be sent out closer to the date, but please mark this Explorer Day on your calendar!

COMOX VALLEY
2020-01-26 13:00 - 15:00
Kitty Coleman Provincial Park Exploration
Our first NatureKids Explorer Day of the year will be at Kitty Coleman Provincial Park north of Courtenay. This is an interesting site with forest trails, freshwater stream and beach to explore – plus, a shelter and fire pit to help us out in damp, cool weather! We are hoping to do some exploring of the different habitats in the park, learn about erosion and the power of water in freshwater and shoreline environments and generally have some winter outdoor fun!
I am happy to announce that our club has a new volunteer co-leader – Katrina Dilley. Katrina recently moved to the Campbell River area and is an elementary teacher interested in outdoor/nature education, so we are very lucky to have her join us!

SALMON ARM
2020-01-26 13:00 - 15:00
Snowshoe in the Rainforest

Let’s explore the Larch Hills Trails via snowshoes.

Date: January 26, 2020
Time: 1-3 pm

What to bring: Snow shoes (although depending on the weather conditions might not be needed, will see closer to), water and snack if needed. Dress for the weather. I could arrange to pick up snow shoes from John’s ski shack for you if you need them, please just let me know!

Please let me know if you can come and if you need snowshoes (I will pick them up at John’s Ski shack on the way up).

NANAIMO
2020-01-26 13:30 - 15:00
Let’s Learn about Animals and Food Caching
First we will discuss what animals we know that hide away (cache) food for the winter months and what kinds of foods they hide. Then we will play a caching game, pretending to be different animals that use different strategies to cache their food, and see what we learn about these strategies. Then we will build pine cone feeders to hang up in your backyard and possibly observe some chickadee or nuthatch caching behaviour. Lastly, we will go on a walk through the park to look for any signs of caching.

We will meet at Bowen Park at the picnic shelter off of Wall Street at 1:30pm. Please reply to this email and let me know how many kids will be there and how old they are.

Please RSVP here. Thank you!

DELTA HL
2020-01-30 12:30 - 14:00
Boundary Bay Dyke Trail Walk and Garbage Collection

We will meet at the entrance to the trail at 17A avenue and Beach Grove road in Tsawwassen and then walk the dyke collecting garbage as we go. I will bring garbage bags and some rubber gloves to wear over our winter gloves.
Hope to see you all there. Please email me if you plan on coming.

NELSON
2020-02-03 13:00 - 15:00
Winter Survival and Shelter Building

Our theme this month is Winter Survival. What would you do if you were an animal in the snow? Where would you hide? Where would you find food? What is most important to survive? Come build shelters, learn how to not get lost, make fire and play games. Our Nature Mentor this month is Malin Christensson. Malin runs The Forest Path, an all-outdoor nature connection program for kids age 3-12. Learn more about her program offerings here: https://theforestpath.ca/
Location to be confirmed but we’re thinking of Morning Mountain in Blewett. There is also a skating rink here so bring your skates for some fun after our Explorer Day activity is finished! You can check this website for a location map and driving directions https://westkootenayhiking.ca/morning-mountain-bike-trails/

Any questions let us know. The registration form will be sent out later. As usual, this event is free for club members and anyone who has never been to an Explorer Day event before.

NICOMEKL
2020-02-08 10:00 - 12:00
Valentine Walk
We will look for anything in nature that is heart-shaped, pink, or red to celebrate Valentine‘s Day. Wear something pink or red if you have it, and dress for the weather. We’ll be led by our very own nature club leaders, Anthea, Angie, Chantelle.
Location: Please meet at the Surrey Nature Centre. Green Timbers Park/Surrey Nature Centre – 14225 Green Timbers Way.

NANAIMO
2020-02-09 11:00 - 12:00
Wood Duck Nest Box Check-In

If anyone is interested in checking out what may (or may not) have happened with our Wood Duck nest boxes we are heading out this Sunday to clean them and refill with new nesting materials (at Oliver Woods). I don’t know about you, but I am super curious to see if any of them were used – there were certainly merganser ducklings on the water last spring/ summer, so it is possible. If it turns out that some were used, I think I will look into my contacts and try to get some wildlife cameras for the coming season.

If you do plan to attend please just reply to this email and let me know how many will be there. And remember to dress for muddy/ wet conditions! if you have muddybuddies or rain pants or even hipwaders, I am sure you will be grateful that you wore them!

NORTH OKANAGAN
2020-02-09 13:00 - 14:30
Winter Nature Signs!
We are going to have a lot of FUN! We would like to ask you to reply to our invitation. We need at least three families to go ahead with this activity.
Location: Ellison Provincial Park. We will meet at the parking lot.

COMOX VALLEY
2020-02-09 13:00 - 15:00
Fun in the Forest

Our theme is “Fun in the Forest” – this will be a forest “hike” – easy but longer/more walking than many of our outings. We are going to have a few activities along the way and are going to learn about the “magical” properties of forests (essentially the services that forests provide for us all).

Location: Seal Bay Forest – meet at the Elmo/Mitchell Road Entrance (located out the back of the Huband area): E8 on the park map located at this link. https://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/sites/default/files/docs/Parks-Recreation/seal_bay_brochure_oct_10_map_only.pdf

Please Bring:
– appropriate clothing/layers for the weather. It is often damp and cool in the forest this time of year, even if it is a nice sunny day.
– if there has been heavy rains the trails are often muddy so boots or good shoes that can handle a bit of mud is a good idea.
– snacks – this is a longer hike so you may want to pack a little drink/snack to assist any little legs
– please leave dogs at home and help us remind the kids that nature stays in nature

RSVP:
Please let Katrina and Hayley know if you are planning to attend – either by responding to this email or replying on the facebook event page.

DELTA HL
2020-02-13 10:00 - 11:00
Snow Geese!

We will be learning about our friends the snow geese. Experienced instructors will take us through an interactive, activity based educational program to foster awareness, appreciation and respect for our feathered friends! The program is for school aged children so the children attending must be between 5 and 12 (no younger siblings unfortunately).
Location: Richmond Nature Park (11851 Westminster Highway)
Please RSVP to deltahl (at) naturekidsbc.ca with names and ages of participating children.

VANCOUVER
2020-02-15 10:00 - 11:30
Tackling Waste in our Food Systems

Ever wonder how you can bring a waste-free lunch to school, how a food store can function without using packages, or how your eating habits can have less impact on the environment? Our next Explorer Day will be a little different than usual – we will take a tour of Nada, a package-free grocery store in east Vancouver. Nada’s mission is to cultivate a better world by inspiring people to change the way they shop for groceries. One of the Nada team members will show us how Nada, and other package free grocery stores, are tackling the waste issue in our food system today. Come with your questions about food and waste! Also, bring a grocery bag or other containers in case you want to shop afterwards.

Meeting location: Nada – Just Foods, 675 East Broadway at Fraser St. (street parking available, mostly on side streets, Bus # 9 and 99.

RSVP here.

RIDGE MEADOWS
2020-02-16 13:00 - 16:00
Ravenous Raptors

We are excited about an upcoming event February 16th. We will be partnering with KEEPS for an informative afternoon of Ravenous Raptors. Ever wonder why raptors are such great hunters? Find out at this Family Day event by chatting with naturalists around displays and a campfire at the Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Center.

Date: February 16, 2020
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Location: Kanaka Creek Watershed Stewardship Centre – 11450 256th Street, Maple Ridge

VICTORIA
2020-02-22 09:30 - 11:30
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries with Eagle Wing Tours
We are super excited to offer this Explorer Day to join the award winning Eagle Wing Tours to view and learn about the diverse marine bird and mammal life in the coast around Victoria. We will have a two-hour guided tour around the migratory bird sanctuaries in the harbour. We will have a knowledgeable and enthusiastic naturalist guide on the boat from Eagle Wing Tours.
(Please note that this tour is not a whale watch per se; we will focus on marine life that we discover in our near shore waters.)
Our “floating classroom” -the luxury catamaran 4Ever Wild- has indoor and outdoor viewing areas and two bathrooms.
Eagle Wing is generously offering us this opportunity at a basic cost that covers their fuel charges (approx $28 per person— instead of the cost to the public of $100).
Because we can have a maximum of 50 people on the boat, we will offer this Explorer Day to MEMBERS ONLY (children aged 5-12 and parent/guardian; no younger or older siblings). Sign up will be first come first served and advance payment will hold your spot (payment will likely be by e-transfer.) I will be in touch to confirm with those who sign up (via the RSVP form) and to detail further logistics (after Feb. 3rd).
WHEN: Saturday, February 22nd, 9:30am – 11:30am. We will depart at 9:30am. Arrive no later than 8:45am to get ready. There will be online waivers to sign in advance to make sign in go more smoothly the day of the excursion. We will have a safety meeting with our guide before the tour to ensure that everyone is aware of any rules and stays safe!
COST: ~$28 per person (including children) if all 50 spots on the boat are filled. Advance payment will be required to hold your spot and more details will follow once you are registered on this form.
WHERE: Meet at the Eagle Wings Tour office at 12 Erie Street at Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria (it is on the water; down the ramp and to the right).

KAMLOOPS
2020-02-23 08:00 - 17:00
Snowshoe at Stake Lake

More details coming soon!

KELOWNA
2020-02-23 10:00 - 13:00
Snowshoeing at the Nordic Centre
Rick Gee of the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club has again agreed to lead our group on a snowshoe adventure. We will explore the winter landscape while looking for animal tracks and learning about winter safety and survival. After we get back to the cabin, we will have a hot dog roast and marshmallows!
Please ensure to bring:
1. Donation to Nordic Centre for use of the facilities
2. Snowshoes (they are not available to rent at the site, please make arrangements before you come)
3. Dress warmly and according to the weather
4. Water (the cabin has not running water)
5. Optional snack to share with our hot dogs
Also, please note the different time than our usual Explorer Days!
Keep in mind as well, that it will take you longer than you think to get to the Nordic Centre. It is past the Big White turn-off on Hwy 33.

NORTH VANCOUVER
2020-02-23 13:00 - 14:30
Connecting with Local Plants
Explore late winter plants of the temperate rainforest and discover their edible and medicinal value with T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss. Cease is a Coast Salish ethnobotonist. She’s also an emerging cedar and wool weaver, an art practice that includes plant and other natural dyes.

COWICHAN VALLEY HL
2020-02-24 10:00 - 12:00
Bird Watching and Nature Journaling
This Tuesday is our Explorer day and we are meeting at the Somenos Marsh ( parking lot is heading north on the Trans Canada highway just before the discovery forestry centre) to do some bird watching and nature journaling! Please bring any bird indentification books, binoculars, and your nature journals to draw any birds we may find! We are trying to collaborate with the Great Canadian Backyard Bird Count that happens this month!
We meet the 4th Tuesday of the month from 10am-12pm. Come join us! cowichanhl@naturekidsbc.ca

OTTER HL
2020-02-28 10:00 - 11:30
Signs of Spring

We will dig through the snow if we have to, as we search for signs of spring! Join us to see what signs of spring are emerging from the winter blahs!

Location: Tynehead Regional Park. Come dressed for the weather.

RSVP here by February 21st.

SOUTH OKANAGAN
2020-02-29 17:00 - 19:00
Exploring the winter night sky, snowshoe, and campfire wiener roast
I’ve checked the night stars and it looks like a spectacular evening with Venus, a crescent moon, the constellations of Orion, Casseopeia, and the little dipper, and a confirmation that it takes 365.25 days for our earth to travel around the sun. We’ll also get a lesson for the kids in how to start a fire safely. Join us for a Leap Year Adventure!

Location: Garnet Fire Lookout (Up Carmi in Penticton).

Dress with snow pants, snow jacket, toques, gloves, snowboots or/and snowshoes.
Bring headlamps or flashlights.
Bring a lawn chair, weiner sticks, plates, cups, napkins.
Bring your own warm drinks in thermos.
I will bring wood, fire starting materials, marshmallows, hot dogs and condiments.

Feel free to bring:
* any other campfire food you’d like to share.
* If you want veggie dogs please bring some.

VANCOUVER
2020-03-01 11:00 - 13:00
Forest Discoveries
Vancouver is situated in land area dominated by the coastal temperate forest. On this Explorer Day, we’ll learn about the forest of Pacific Spirit Park with forest educator Laura Cottle. We’ll look at the forest as a big – or macro level – ecosystem and the various mini to micro ecosystems within the forest. Through the use of games, stories and other place-based learning tools, we’ll examine tree and plant species, as well as the animals that call this habitat home. We’ll find signs that tell us something about the history of this forest, and consider what it might look like in the future.

Laura Cottle has formal university education in Forestry and in Education. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge of the forest with others as well as learning from others. She has worked as a Naturalist for many years at the Greenheart TreeWalk located in the UBC Botanical Garden and as a Naturalist leading “ecowalks” for Pacific Spirit Park Society.

Location: Meet at the entrance to Pacific Spirit Park at 4915 W. 16th Ave., Vancouver, at 10:50 AM. We’ll explore the park from 11 AM to 1 PM.
Dress for the weather and wear good shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty or a bit wet.

RSVP here.
