Join our fantastic team of naturalists and dive into interactive online learning experiences!
Click on the buttons below to learn more about each course
By registering for our Online Naturalist Courses, you are actively helping to support the Nature Centre during this difficult time - THANK YOU! We love our community of adult learners and we are so excited to be able to help you connect with nature in-person and now online as well!
Course Options:
Find them all on our Teachable page here: https://hpnc.teachable.com/cou...
All course content can be accessed at your own speed. Courses are pre-recorded. There is currently no expiry date on course content.
In this FREE course, discover a wealth of spring activities students will love, and feel calm and confident taking your teaching outdoors!
The teaching needs of this year have changed (and changed, and changed!), and taking your students outside is more important than ever! This course will be an introduction to getting your students outside and making nature your classroom! It will cover risk assessment, how to keep kids happy, safe and engaged outside in all weather, as well as nature themed games & activities to add to your teaching toolkit. This course includes an optional virtual community circle with time for participants to respond to discussion questions related to the current teaching situation. We've also added a webinar experience which will support learning and greater comfort in making connections to Indigenous Perspective with Natural Curiosity!
Funded by NSERC
Programs take place at the High Park Nature Centre located at near the High Park Avenue main gates at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive (also known as the Forest School).
Pre-registration is required for all programs. Registration cannot be confirmed until payment has been received.
Programs are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Requests for refunds made 14 or more days before the start of the program will receive a 90% refund (10% will be retained as an administration fee). Requests for refunds made less than 14 days before the start of the program will receive no refund. Requests for cancellations or refunds must be made in writing and submitted by email to info@highparknaturecentre.com. A doctor’s note may be required for cancellations due to medical reasons. Refunds are not granted for inclement weather.
Please note, the High Park Nature Centre may cancel any event if the minimum number of participants is not achieved 7 days prior to the date of the workshop. We will notify registered participants of cancellation at that time and provide a full refund.
Programs will proceed rain, snow or shine. Please be sure to dress appropriately for the weather as workshops include outdoor time. In the case of severe weather such as heavy rain, thunderstorms, snowstorms or high winds over 35 km per hour, the workshop may take place indoors.
We have set an inclement weather date for some workshops that take place entirely outdoors or when weather would greatly affect the program (ie a birding hike). If there is an inclement weather date set, our policy is as follows: At the discretion of the workshop leader, the outdoor portion of this workshop may need to be rescheduled due to severe weather such as a snowstorm, thunderstorm, extreme cold alert or high winds. In this situation, the Nature Centre will email participants at least one and a half hours prior to the program start time.
Lastly, we 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.
How to Make Nature Your Classroom - September 19
Fall Forest Bathing - September 26
Bird Sketching - September 26
Fantastic Fall Fungi - October 3
How to Make Nature Your Classroom - October 17
Linocut Printmaking - November 7
New Year Nature: An Outdoor Winter Retreat - January 4
High Park Lichens: Discover the "Corals" of the Forest - February 22
Fall Birding for Beginners - September 18 & 21
Savannah Sketchbook - September 28
Fantastic Fungal Friends: Mushrooms and Other Fungi of High Park - October 6
Summer Wildflower ID - July 22
Summer Tree ID - August 12
From Houndstongue to Shepherd's Purse: Wildflower Names and Their Meanings - August 19
Spring Birding for Beginners - May 8 & 11
Spring Wildflower ID - May 26
Teachers in Nature - January 26
Winter Bird Photography - February 2
Winter Tree ID for Beginners - February 3
Nature Journaling: Origins of Citizen Science - March 2
Birds of Prey - September 27 & 29
Making Friends with Places: A Passage de Toronto - October 9 & 11
Fall Wildflowers - October 13
Autumn Tree Drawing - October 21
An Introduction to Mushrooms and Other Fungi - October 27
Poisons, Spines & Blisters: Plants with a Dark Side - July 12
Dragonflies and Damselflies 101: Biology and Identification - July 28
Friend or Foe: The Intriguing World of Weeds - August 9
Butterflies 101: Biology and Identification - August 18
Outdoor Play in the Early Years - April 21
Spring Birding for Beginners - May 3 & 5 (Two-Part Beginner Workshop)
Spring Songbirds - May 24 & 26 (Two-Part Intermediate Workshop)
Intro to Landscape Drawing in the High Park Savannah - June 17
High Park Lichens - Feb. 10
Winter Landscape Photography – Mar. 3
Birds of Prey – Mar. 4
Winter Tree ID for Beginners - Mar. 24
