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
Stewardship (16)
Got land? Plant trees!
We are looking to transform your marginal, empty or idle fields into thriving, green woodlands. We offer significant subsidies to rural landowners for planning, planting and maintenance of all their reforestation needs.
Our full-service program includes:
• Customized tree planting plans that suit your needs
• On-site technical advice from qualified forestry staff
• Tree planting and tending services
• Ordering and handling of trees
• Site preparation
• Survival assessments
Cost:
| City of Ottawa (subsidized by the City of Ottawa’s Green Acres Program) |
||
| 15 cents / tree planted | ||
| Outside of the city | ||
| 1,000 - 2,999 trees | 3,000 - 5,999 trees | 6,000 + trees |
| 40 cents / tree planted | 30 cents / tree planted | $1,500 Flat Rate |
To qualify outside of Ottawa, landowners must:
• Have a minimum 0.5 Ha (1.25 acre) of suitable land
• Order a minimum of 1,000 trees
• Agree to reasonably protect the trees from damage
To qualify inside of Ottawa, landowners must:
• Have a minimum 0.25 Ha (0.62 acres) of suitable land
• Order a minimum of 500 trees
• Agree to reasonably protect the trees from damage
Why Plant Trees?
• Enhanced wildlife habitat
• Visual and noise barriers
• Soil and water conservation
• Valuable winter windbreaks for people, livestock and wildlife
• Reduced heating and cooling costs — less wind, more shade
• Practical "hands-on" way to reduce greenhouse gasses (CO2) and produce oxygen (O2)
• Stabilized slopes, erosion control
• Increased biodiversity
• Wood products: lumber, sawlogs, firewood, nuts, fruit, maple syrup
• Recreational areas
• Increased crop yields (windbreaks/shelterbelts)
• Increased property values
• Economically viable land use for abandoned or unused fields
• Tax incentive programs
• Aesthetic beauty and distinctive character to rural landscapes
• Maintain a healthy watershed
Want to Learn More?
Contact Ian Cochrane at
613-692-3571 or
1-800-267-3504 ext. 1175
We have planted more than 6.8 million trees since 1983. We are committed to helping landowners meet their reforestation needs while increasing tree cover to build a resilient, healthy watershed for today and the future.
Check out this video about our program and its many benefits:
RVCA helps improve the quality of water in our streams, lakes, rivers and groundwater reserves. We look to protect and enhance our watershed's natural resources by providing programs that will leave a healthy and sustainable environment for future generations. Programs such as tree planting, landowner incentive programs and shoreline restoration help us achieve our goals. We are delighted work with private landowners, lake associations, NGOs, Friends of groups, businesses, government agencies and the general public to make improvements to the watershed. Working with others, we divide the task and double the success!
