We wanted to show a week at our Growing Glaciers (Grades 4 - 7) outdoor summer camps!
Day 1: All about Plants at Pacific Spirit Park
A true day outdoors can mean many things, our first day, however, starts with being immersed in the colour green! The in-person lesson will teach our campers about plant structure, their requirements for survival, photosynthesis, reproduction, indigenous usage of plants, and invasive species. All of our lessons end in a conversation about conservation and what we can do on a smaller, individual scale to make a change on our planet! Outdoors we play plant identification games, take turns discussing the smells, sounds, and sights we all experience in the loud silence of a dense BC forest, and do some drawing and journaling in between.
Day 2: Animals at Beaty Biodiversity Museum UBC
We take an up-close look at animals we otherwise wouldn’t dare to approach! A polar bear, a panther, a cougar! We start off with watching the short documentary about the “Big Blue” whale skeleton and her story at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum theatre. The excursion continues with fun scavenger hunt worksheets and drawing activities. We all then explore at our own paces, and campers have the chance to observe over 2 million specimens! This field trip is meant to spark the wonders of awe and respect in our campers for biodiversity in British Columbia and in the rest of the World!
Day 3: Abiotic Factors at Spanish Banks
What better way to explore the harsh conditions of our planet and the requirements for biotic survival than in an intertidal zone in BC! The lessons discuss the unforgiving living conditions that enable only certain living things to survive in their ecosystems. Soil, water composition, sunlight, UV radiation, acidity, and salinity, what challenges does an intertidal organism endure in BC? Our field trip focuses on gentle exploration of wildlife, discussions and pondering about the living conditions of wildlife and how amazing they are at what they do!
Day 4: Ecosystems at Beaver and Lost Lagoon Lakes, Stanley Park
A true dive into the diverse world of ecosystems at our treasured Stanley Park! The field trip takes our campers on the South Creek Trail towards Beaver Lake where they will learn about the science of Dendrochronology, the multitude of ecosystems: a decaying log, a lily pad, a beaver dam, the world of fungi, and many many more… We end the trip with a visit to the Stanley Park nature House at Lost Lagoon Lake. Our campers leave having learned the vast variety of ecosystems in BC, the importance of niches of different species, and the plants, animals, and abiotic factors that can make up an ecosystem!
Day 5: Sustainability at Capilano Salmon Hatchery
Our final day ends in discussing sustainability. An energizing hike through the Capilano forest to see the Salmon Hatchery and an old-growth trail. Our campers leave on the last day having learned about the positive ways in which humans get involved in nature, the role and importance of a salmon hatchery, our local BC Hydro System and wastewater treatment, and the importance of sustainability. They leave having learned how sustainability can be small - such as reusable water bottles, and more creative such as building a bird feeder out of a milk carton! Finally they leave having made some new friends, having learned the importance of being outdoors, and the vast world of nature that we can learn from to make our planet and ourselves better!
And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed this week's summer camp!