Great for Virtual or Brick-and-Mortar classes!
Our Virtual Field Trips consist of two parts:
1. A synchronous session:
Where students are led through a 1-hour STEM program by experienced Nature Centre interpreters through slides, pictures, short videos, discussions and games! Students will have lots of opportunities to engage with our Nature Centre interpreters.
2. The STEM learning package for teachers and students includes:
Fall in the Forest
Animals aren't the only ones getting ready for winter! Trees are storing food and preparing for the coldest months of the year. In this program students will explore the science behind the changing colour of some leaves and how others can stay forever green! Students will learn about the diversity of the Toronto forest systems and learn to identify trees by leaf shape and other attributes.
Publicly funded schools: $85/class
Privately funded schools: $125/class
Our synchronous programs are 60-75 minutes long
Weekly availability:
| Wednesday | Thursday | |
| Afternoon | 1:00-2:00 pm | 1:00-2:00 pm |
A projector or smartboard
A computer (desktop or laptop)
An internet connection (strong wifi connection will do!)
A webcam is optional, but will result in the best audio/visual
OR a laptop with a camera and mic
You may choose to use speakers for the best audio quality
*Please place webcam/computer at the front of the classroom, but off to the side so that all or the most number of students as possible are visible to our interpreters.*
Cancellations/Rescheduling
Please give us two weeks notice to cancel or reschedule.
Programs cancelled within the two week period prior to the field trip date are subject to a fee of 50% of the original cost of the trip.
Programs rescheduled within the two week period prior to the field trip date are not guaranteed an alternative date. If an alternative date is not available in our calendar, the program will be cancelled at no cost to the school.
In-person field trips begin outside High Park Nature Centre located at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive. Each program will be completely outdoors (except for washrooms).
All programs include a hike, lively discussion and fun activities and games to get students thinking, caring and learning about the natural world all around us that we are part of!
Pre K/K
Students will look for seasonal changes as High Park gets ready for winter! We'll look at which trees drop or keep their leaves, explore what the animals are doing this time of year and basque in the colour of the season!
Grade 1-6
Students will explore the science behind the changing colours of the leaves! Students will learn about the biodiversity of Toronto's forest region, see how trees make up fundamental parts of High Parks habitats and experience the seasonal changes first hand through a hike, tree identification, run around games and more!
Grade 1-3
Learn about animals in High Park and how they get ready for winter! Students will be introduced to the concepts of migration, hibernation and residency, then they will hit the trails to see what's happening now in the park!
Grade 4-6
Students will explore the amazing biodiversity of Toronto's flora and fauna. Students will insight on the roles critters and plants play in an urban ecosystem with a trivia game through the forest and a food web predator and prey game!
Grades 6-8
Students will learn about the diversity and importance of trees in Ontario. Out on the trails, students will look for indicator species of the Carolinian forest region, participate in tree id and use math to determine the age of trees in the park.
All In-person programs will meet outside the High Park Nature Centre at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive.
Our In-person Programs are all 2 hours long.
Weekly availability:
| Wednesday | Thursday | |
| Afternoon | 12:30-2:30 pm | 12:30-2:30 pm |
2021/2022 FEES
2 hour program: $8 per student A minimum fee of $120 applies to all groups for half-day programs.
Maximum 30 students per program. A maximum of 6 adults (including teachers and adult volunteers) participate at no charge.
Programs will proceed rain, snow or shine. Please remind all participants to dress appropriately for the weather as we will be outdoors for all of the activities. Programs may need to be rescheduled in the case of inclement weather such as thunderstorms or high winds over 35 km per hour. If a program is rescheduled by the High Park Nature Centre, we will contact you by 8:30 AM on the day of the program. We are not able to offer indoor programming in the case of severe or dangerous weather. If inclement weather prevents you from attending your program, we will do our best to reschedule your visit, however; due to a high volume of bookings, we cannot guarantee an alternative date.
Teachers are expected to take an active role in managing behaviours of their students.
At the High Park Nature Centre we strive to create a safe, inclusive environment for everyone. We want to work with children and teachers/parents/guardians to overcome challenging behaviours. Our staff use positive reinforcements, empowering language, and friendly reminders of what appropriate behaviour looks like, sounds like, and feels like. However, in some cases a Program Coordinator may need to remove a child from the program and the child may be asked not to return to the Nature Centre that school year. Arrangements will be made with the child’s teacher/parent/guardian to remove them from the program. A refund will not be given in this event. Examples of behaviour that will result in removal include (but are not limited to): violence to themselves or others, bullying, damaging property, refusing to follow safety rules, repeatedly running out of sight, or continued disruption of the program.
14 days written notice before the date of the scheduled program is required for cancellations. For cancellations that occur less than 14 days before the scheduled program date you will be charged 50% of the original program fee. For cancellations that occur less than 5 business days before the scheduled program date you will be charged 100% of the original program fee.
The High Park Nature Centre promotes awareness and respect for nature through year-round, hands-on outdoor nature education and park stewardship activities. We strongly believe that an important part of connecting with nature involves responsible, active outdoor play.
At Nature Centre programs, we do engage in activities such as exploring in soil, hiking in the forest and balancing on logs-this often results in getting dirty! Our leaders prioritize safety by establishing clear guidelines with all participants and supervising throughout activities.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about active outdoor play, please talk with us.
All programs will be run completely outdoors. Masks are required for entry into the building for washrooms. Nature Centre interpreters and staff will be masked for the duration of the program. Rigorous cleaning and sanitization procedures are in place for any materials used in the program.
A Teacher/Student Screening form is required for each program.
