Baxter Outdoor and Environmental Education Programs
Baxter Conservation Area offers outdoor and environmental education programs for students and community groups from preschool to grade 12 and beyond. Join us in our outdoor classroom and give your students the opportunity to explore and connect with nature. Our education programs provide students and visitors with interactive, hands-on, curriculum-based experiences where they will learn about the natural world and their relationship with it. We also offer outdoor education programs where students will learn navigation and outdoor survival skills as well.
Baxter can accommodate up to 60 students per day. All equipment is included in our programs and each program runs approximately 1.5 hours in length. Below please find descriptions of each of the programs we offer. Descriptions are offered as general guidelines — if there are specific objectives that you would like to accomplish, please let us know. Although grade levels are recommended for each program, these are also only guidelines. Please select any desired fields to narrow your search.
| Half Day Program | $200 / group * | maximum 30 students, 90 minutes with an RVCA instructor |
| Full Day Program | $275 / group * | maximum 30 students, two 90 minutes with an RVCA instructor |
| Self-directed | $2.50/person * | Interested in just visiting the conservation area with your class but not booking a program? The cost is $2.50/person. This does not include the use of buildings other than access to public washrooms. To reserve facilities, contact staff. Staff must still be contacted to book a self-directed visit. |
| Overnight Tent Camping (accommodations only) | 1-15 people - $75/night * 16-30 people - $150/night * 30+ people - contact for pricing * Additional buildings also available for rent (link to facility rentals) |
Take you class on an overnight adventure to our group camping area! Plan your own activities or book our education staff to provide programming during your stay (see above for pricing). |
* plus applicable taxes
Baxter’s Cancellation Policy: A minimum of fifteen (15) business days notice is required to cancel education programs at Baxter Conservation Area.
This policy gives schools/groups on our waiting list sufficient time to try and fill the program opening. If Baxter Conservation Area is notified of a cancellation less than 15 business days in advance of your scheduled visit, a cancellation fee of $50.00 will be charged.
In the event of severe weather conditions (i.e. thunderstorms, snowstorms, etc.), Baxter staff will make contact with your school/group by 7:00 AM the morning of your trip if we need to re-schedule or cancel the program on that day. There will be no charge for a cancellation made due to school bus cancellations or severe weather conditions on the day of your trip.
Baxter Education Program Descriptions
RVCA (1141)
Children categories
Department (68)
Main Office Phone Numbers : 613-692-3571 / 1-800-267-3504
Staff Directory
Project Status: Complete
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has completed a hazard mapping study for Becketts Creek from Sarsfield Road to the Ottawa River.
These maps have been traditionally known as “floodplain mapping” or “regulation mapping” and they show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as flooding, erosion and natural environment features such as wetlands.
When completed, the mapping will be used by the City of Ottawa when updating their Official Plan and Zoning Schedules and in the review of development applications under the Planning Act. RVCA will also use the mapping to guide the review of development applications submitted under the Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend the open house (details below) and/or provide comments on the mapping below. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, slope failure, erosion, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping For those unable to attend the open house, comments can be sent to Ferdous Ahmed, RVCA Senior Water Resources Engineer at .
These mapping studies are being completed as part of the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project.
These studies are being done through a collaboration — known as the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project — involving the City of Ottawa and the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley and South Nation Conservation Authorities. The City recognized a need to update its zoning schedules based on up-to-date flood risk mapping and has provided contributions enabling the Conservation Authorities to move ahead with these studies sooner than would otherwise be possible. The RVCA is currently working on several studies in the Ottawa area.
Low Water Status Update in Rideau River Watershed
Low Water Status Update in Rideau River Watershed
VOLUNTEERS WANTED!
Brief Description
During the fall we sample benthic invertebrates using the kick-and-sweep method throughout the Rideau Valley watershed.
What to Expect
You’ll spend a lot of time traveling to remote areas in an RVCA vehicle with one of our professionals. Your day will typically start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m., however, some days might be longer. You’ll be walking steep slopes; entering cold and fast flowing water wearing chest waders; canoeing in lakes and sometimes working in inclement weather.
When
- Tentative dates are Monday to Friday, October through to November. Depending on the fall conditions, this opportunity may start earlier and/or end later.
Skills and Competencies Required
- To be successful in this role, you will already need to be comfortable traveling long distances, working in cold temperatures in and around water, wading through streams and walking in difficult terrain. We are looking for volunteers with good communication skills, positive attitude and the ability to work in teams.
Skills and Competencies To Be Acquired
To be successful in this role, you will already need to be comfortable travelling long distances, working in cold temperatures in and around water, wading through streams, wearing chest waders, touching benthic invertebrates and walking in difficult terrain. We are looking for volunteers with good communication skills, positive attitude and able to work in teams.
- Aquatic sampling field experience;
- wearing chest waders and working in streams;
- operating a multiparameter water chemistry probe;
- use of a Secchi disk, a composite sampler, and a Van Doren
- Kick and sweep techniques for benthic invertebrates
Be Prepared
You will need your own transportation to and from RVCA headquarters (3889 Rideau Valley Drive, Manotick.
Read the Participant Guide found in the volunteer section of the RVCA website.
You will need to provide:
- your own warm and water-resistant clothing (dressing in layers is a good idea);
- your own footwear and extra socks – wear closed toe shoes to get around;
- to wear chest waders you will require a thick pair of socks with length (no ankle socks);
- your own lunch, snacks, and beverages.
We Supply
- chest waders and flotation safety equipment;
- sampling equipment, supervision and instruction.
RVCA Contacts
Low Water Status Update in Rideau River Watershed (Sept. 14)
Low Water Status Continued in Rideau River Watershed
RVCA logo and other communication materials for download
| Description | File Name |
|---|---|
| RVCA Logo High-Resolution JPG files | |
| English RVCA Colour Logo | |
| English RVCA Black and White Logo | |
| French RVCA Colour Logo | |
| French RVCA Black and White Logo | |
| Bilingual RVCA Colour Logo | |
| Bilingual RVCA Black and White Logo | |
| RVCA Logo Low-Resolution JPG files | |
| Colour Low-resolution file — large jpg file, XX kb | |
| Colour Low-resolution file — medium jpg file, XX kb | |
| Colour Low-resolution file — small jpg file, XX kb | |
| RVCA Logo Encapsulated Postscript Files (eps) | |
| colour file | |
| black and white file | |
| inverse file | |
| RVCA Logo Adobe Acrobat-Portable Document Files (pdf) | |
| colour file | |
| black and white file | |
| Powerpoint Template | |
| powerpoint slideshow 1 | RVCA-slideshow-1.ppt |
| powerpoint slideshow 2 | RVCA-slideshow-2.ppt |
| RVCA Letterhead Template | |
| RVCA letterhead Word file | RVCA-letterhead.docx |
If you are a resident of the City of Ottawa with Ash trees that have been affected by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), you may be eligible for funding for the removal and replacement of your trees.
As part of a partnership with the City of Ottawa, South Nation Conservation is offering a new Ash Tree Replacement Pilot Program to assist landowners within the City of Ottawa affected by the EAB on private property. Landowners may be eligible to receive up to $500 in cost-share funding towards the removal and replacement of an infected Ash tree on their property, up to a maximum of $5,000 per landowner. Funding is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis and is available to all property owners within the entire City of Ottawa.
All work related to tree removal and replacement must be performed by a registered forestry professional.
Visit nation.on.ca/eab to learn more about the program and to access an application form.
Program Contact:
Karen Paquette
South Nation Conservation
1-877-984-2948 ext. 286
