Outdoor Education and Camps (54)
Knee High Navigation
It is never too early to learn the basics of navigation! Students try their hands at using map and compass to work their way through a mini-orienteering course.
Additional Info
- Grade K, 1, 2
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Naturally Artistic
Get inspired by nature and the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy. Students will use the concepts of colour, form, shape, pattern, light and shadow to create a piece of natural art that will be photographed. They will then have the opportunity to express their experiences through writing.
Additional Info
- Grade K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall
NEW Summer Forest School Drop In Days at Baxter!
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Baxter will be offering Summer Forest School Drop In Days in August 2024 with a summer camp twist! For any families wondering what Forest School is all about, this is your chance to try it out for a day without signing up for an entire session. Since it’s the summer, we’re going to include some summer camp activities throughout the day as well. Come join us for a day in the Forest!
Please submit your request for Forest School Drop-In Days using our Registration Request Form. We are looking forward to welcoming your child(ren) to Baxter Forest School for summer days of exploration, outdoor learning, fun and play.
PLEASE NOTE that filling out this form does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process. We will send registration packages out on a first-come, first-served basis, including the program handbook and other necessary documents, to complete registration and payment.
Drop In Program Details:
- We are excited to offer programming for the following age groups: 4-6 and 6-10.
- Children are eligible for a session if they meet the minimum age requirement by December 31, 2024. The minimum age requirement is 4 years old for the half day program and 6 years old for the full day program.
- Cost per child is $55/full day or $30/half day plus HST.
- You can register for any number of sessions for your age group.
- Our summer drop-in days will be run out of Baxter’s River Cabin at our group campsite – where Forest School is normally run throughout the school year.
- There will not be swimming at our Summer Forest School Drop-In Days, although water games and alternative ways to cool off will be included in the program, especially during hot weather.
- There are no before or after care options for Summer Forest School Drop-In Days.
- We will consider offering additional program days if there is demand!
Drop-In Days:
Salamanders (4-6 years old)
Half Day: 9 AM – Noon
$30 plus HST
- August 7
- August 23
- August 28
Frogs (6-10 years old)
Full Day: 9 AM – 3 PM
$55 plus HST
- August 8
- August 9
- August 14
- August 26
- August 27
NEW Summer Programs at Foley Mountain!
New this summer, Foley Mountain Conservation Area will offer an exciting suite of family and children's programming throughout July and August, including summer Forest School sessions for several age groups. Join our qualified and experienced outdoor educators for some summer fun in the forest! Registration is required and will close the Wednesday prior to the program date. Fees vary by program. All program fees are subject to applicable taxes.
Family Programs:
Join us the first Saturday of the month and two Fridays per month throughout the summer for our exciting family programs! All children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required by the Wednesday prior to the event.
Submit a Family Program registration request form to get started. Upon completion of the form, we will send you a registration package, including payment instructions. Please note that filling out this form this does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process.
| Date | Program | Age | Time | Costs |
| Saturday, July 6 | Weekend Wanders - Outdoor Survival Skills |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
| Friday, July 19 | Forest Fridays - Beaver Pond Bonanza |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
| Friday, August 2 | Forest Fridays - Outdoor Survival Skills |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
| Saturday, August 3 | Weekend Wanders - Beaver Pond Bonanza |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
| Friday, August 9 | Forest Fridays - A Bug's Life |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
| Friday, August 23 | Forest Fridays - GPS and Geocaching |
All Ages | 10 - 11:30 a.m. | $27/family |
Summer Forest School Programs:
If you've always wanted to try Forest School, this is your chance! We are offering one-day registrations for our bi-weekly Forest School programs, which are organized by age. You can register for all four sessions for your age group, or one at a time.
Submit a Forest School registration request form to get started. Upon completion of the form, we will send you a registration package, including payment instructions. Please note that filling out this form this does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process.
| Date | Program | Age | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuesdays |
Family Forest School |
2 to 5, with guardians |
9:30 - 11:30 a.m. |
$18/child |
| Wednesdays (July 17, July 31, Aug 7, Aug 21) |
Forest Kindergarten | 4 to 5 | 9 a.m. - noon | $30/child |
| Thursdays (July 18, Aug 1, Aug 8, Aug 22) |
School Age Forest School | 6 to 12 |
Full day: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. |
Full day: $55/child |
| Our Community Partner | ||
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Orienteering
Give your students the chance to lose themselves in the ways of map and compass work! Students will learn the basics of how to properly use a map and compass and will practice these skills while navigating through orienteering courses of varying difficulties.
Additional Info
- Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Orienteering Part 1
Give your students the chance to lose themselves in the ways of map and compass work! Students will learn the basics of how to properly use a map and compass and will practice these skills while navigating through orienteering courses of varying difficulties.
Additional Info
- Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Orienteering Part 2
Give your students a greater orienteering challenge! Take the skills learned in Orienteering Part One and build on them by learning to use bearings to navigate through the wilderness.
Additional Info
- Grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority offers outdoor education programming year round for nursery schools, day cares, home schooling groups, public and private schools, and community groups at Baxter Conservation Area and Foley Mountain Conservation Area.
Programs can be a half day or a full day and can take place weekdays or weekends all year long. Outdoor education programs at Baxter Conservation Area and Foley Mountain Conservation Area provide students with a strong understanding of our natural world, how it functions and how we, as humans, fit into it. All our programs are interactive and experiential to provide students with a “hands-on” approach to learning about natural science in our “Ecology Lab.”
If you don’t see a program that meets your group’s objectives, please give us a call — and our Interpreters will create one for you!
Baxter Conservation Area
Baxter Conservation Area is located on the shores of the Rideau River, five minutes south of Kars and North Gower. It is owned and operated by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.
Baxter is 180 acres of mixed forest, open meadow, wetlands, beach, group camping areas and nut tree plantation. There are five kilometers of trails and boardwalks that provide wonderful, safe access for forest, meadow and wetland exploration.
The Patrick McManus Interpretive Centre is Baxter’s program headquarters which can accommodate two to three classes as a starting point for an exciting day of outdoor learning.
Foley Mountain Conservation Area
Foley Mountain Conservation Area is located high atop a granite ridge overlooking the Upper Rideau lake and picturesque village of Westport, 50 km south of Perth. It is owned and operated by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.
The Conservation Area consists of 800 acres of mixed forests, ponds, and fields. The eight hiking trails, group camp area, scenic Spy Rock lookout, and picnic areas set the stage for a quality outdoor education experience.
The outdoor environmental education program at Foley Mountain provides students with interactive, experiential, curriculum-based experiences that will help them to understand our natural world and their relationship with it. The Program can accommodate up to 60 students per day and all equipment is provided. All programs are approximately 1.5 hours in duration.
Outdoor Survival Skills
What would you do if you were lost in the woods!? What things would you need to survive? Working in groups, students will have the chance to explore the concepts of shelter building, fire building, and outdoor cooking.
Additional Info
- Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Outdoor Survival Skills
What would you do if you were lost in the woods!? What things would you need to survive? Working in groups, students will have the chance to explore the concepts of shelter building, fire building, and outdoor cooking.
Additional Info
- Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
More...
Overnight Camping
The possibility for a more extensive visit exists at our group camping area. The large clearing offers a campfire area, outhouses, and cut firewood. Take an evening stroll on the trails or gather round the campfire for some fun and games.
Additional Info
- Grade 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Pond Ecology
By exploring Baxter’s pond, students will learn about the diversity of life in a freshwater pond habitat and how these animals have adapted to life under water. Using nets, basins and fact sheets, students will get up close and personal with the animals that call the pond home.
Additional Info
- Grade K, 1, 2, 3
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall
Pond Ecology
Investigate the diversity of living things found in a pond ecosystem and how they all have a role to play. Students use dip nets, basins, magnifiers, and identification keys to tally species and learn how these observations can be related to water quality and ecosystem health.
Additional Info
- Grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- Season Spring, Summer, Fall
Seeds of Change
Fall is a wonderful time of year to explore the change of seasons. By looking at leaves and seeds, students will discover the concept of change, the life cycle of plants, and how the forest prepares for winter. Where do seeds come from? What do they look like? Where do they go and how do they move around?
Additional Info
- Grade 1, 2, 3
- Season Fall
