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Main Office Phone Numbers : 613-692-3571 / 1-800-267-3504
Staff Directory
Baxter Forest School offers an alternative education in which children spend most of their time outside, playing and learning through experiential, hands-on activities that promote curiosity in an active and authentic learning environment. Students will receive the benefits of repeated and regular visits to a natural area, in a play and inquiry-based education setting.
PLEASE READ our Forest School Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Location: 7498 Carter Road, Kars, ON, South of Ottawa — Google map
Fall Forest School Registration NOW OPEN:
Complete this Registration Request Form to be added to our registration list. 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.
Program Details
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Program sessions offered for ages 4-6, 6-8, 6-10 and 8-13. Children must be the minimum age for the group by December 31, 2024.
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Cost per child is $55/full day or $30/half day
- We will do our best to accommodate your requests but reserve the right to alter the schedule based on demand.
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2025 Winter and Spring Forest School dates are listed below, and registration will take place during fall and winter.
Fall Forest School Sessions (Registration NOW OPEN!)
| Program Session | Date/Time | Cost |
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Half Day — Mondays |
September 9 – December 9, 2024 |
$360 |
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Full Day (with half day option) — Tuesdays |
September 10 – December 11, 2024 (14 sessions) 9 a.m. to 12 pm or 3 p.m. |
$770 (full day) $420 (half day) |
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Full Day — Wednesdays |
September 10 – December 11, 2024 (14 sessions) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
$770 (full day) |
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Full Day — Thursdays |
September 12 – December 12, 2024 |
$770 |
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Half Day — Fridays |
September 13 – December 13, 2024 (14 sessions) 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
$420 (half day) |
*plus any applicable taxes
Winter Forest School (Registration Coming in September 2024)
| Program Session | Date/Time |
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Half Day — Mondays |
January 6 – March 3, 2025 |
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Full Day |
January 7– March 4, 2025 (9 sessions) 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 3 p.m. |
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Full Day — Wednesdays |
January 8– March 5, 2025 |
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Full Day — Thursdays |
January 9– March 6, 2025 (9 sessions) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
Spring Forest School (Registration Coming in Winter 2024-25)
| Program Session | Date/Time |
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Half Day — Mondays |
March 17 – June 16, 2025 |
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Full Day (with half day option) — Tuesdays |
March 18 – June 17, 2025 (14 sessions) 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 3 p.m. |
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Full Day — Wednesdays |
March 19 – June 18, 2025 |
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Full Day — Thursdays |
March 20 – June 19, 2025 (14 sessions) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
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Half Day — Fridays |
March 21 – June 20, 2025 (13 sessions- no program on Friday, April 18, 2025) 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
| Our Community Partners | ||||||
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Workshop: Headwater Drainage Feature Guideline Implementation: Practitioners Experiences — Eastern Ontario
Pay Machines
Pay machines are located at Foley Mountain, Baxter and Rideau Ferry conservation areas. You can purchase a day pass at all three sites or an annual pass at Foley Mountain using COIN or CREDIT CARD. Our machines DO NOT accept bills.
NOTE — credit card purchases are processed via cell networks. Some of our locations are remote and connections are sometimes slow. Please be patient!
A New Way to Pay at Conservation Areas
The new paybyphone service is going to make visits to conservation areas as easy as one, two, three!
No cash required, as long as you have your phone, you’re covered. There are three easy ways to use paybyphone. You chose what works best for you.
You can buy a day pass or you can opt to get an annual pass. (The advantage our annual passes is that it gives you access to all five conservation areas all year round.)
With paybyphone, you won’t need to keep track of a day pass ticket or an annual pass card.
Note: Have your licence plate number handy!
| Location Type | Location/Lot Number | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter Day Pass |
5200 | $8 |
| Foley Mountain Day Pass |
5204 | $8 |
| Perth Wildlife Reserve Day Pass |
5205 | $8 |
| Rideau Ferry Day Pass |
5203 | $8 |
| WA Taylor Day Pass |
5201 | $8 |
| Annual Pass | 5222 | $55 |
Three ways to pay!
1. Call
Call
1-866-234-7275
Respond to the prompts. Existing users will be prompted to enter the 4 digit location/lot number, and parking time required (1 DAY). New users will be guided through a registration process. Note: Have your licence plate number handy!
Wait for your parking to be confirmed Wait until you have heard the confirmation then your visit begins. You can extend your visit by calling the same number, your account will be recognized and you’ll have the option to extend your visit or start a new one.
2. Online
Visit the PayByPhone website First time users will have to register to create a PayByPhone account and use it to pay for parking. Note: Have your licence plate number handy!
Enter your parking requirements.Enter the LOCATION/LOT number (see on-street signage) and the DURATION (1 DAY).
Enter your security code Finalise your transaction by entering the 3 digit security code on the back of your payment card.
3. Use the App
Download the app now from the Blackberry, Google Play or iOS App Store.
Enter your location/lot number. (Location/lot numbers are listed on signs at each conservation area or at www.rvca.ca/paybyphone). Note: Have your licence plate number handy!
Enter your parking duration (enter 1 DAY)
Parking details will be sent to the handheld units the Parking Enforcement Officers patrol with.
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.
Tina Cohen
Outdoor recreation in a natural setting has proven physical, mental and spiritual health benefits. It’s important to ensure these special areas are being properly to protect the significant species found in our Conservation Areas, while allowing everyone to enjoy and benefit from them.
Conservation Area Rules include:
- No dogs on beach or in the water
- All dogs must be on leash
- Please clean up after your pet
- Closed dusk to dawn
- All garbage in cans and recycle containers
- All visitors must pay fee before using site facilities
- All group activities are by permit only
- Camping by permit only
- No motorized vehicles allowed on trails
- Authorized use of trail only (hiking/walking)
- Do not damage property
- Do not remove or destroy the wildlife/vegetation
- No Hunting
- Access to water in designated areas only
- Fires allowed by permit only
- Open year round but subject to winter conditions
- No overnight parking
Explore with confidence using Avenza Maps
Visitors to RVCA’s conservation areas can now navigate even our most remote trails with confidence thanks to a new partnership with Avenza Maps. The Toronto-based mobile app offers GPS-enabled maps that can be used offline and without cell service to help you keep your bearings even in the deepest woods.
The app is supported by Android and iOS. Instructions on how to get started and use the mobile app can be found at https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/how-it-works.html. QR codes for the RVCA’s Avenza maps can be found at the trailheads of eight conservation areas, and can also be found on their property-specific webpages. Scanning these QR codes will download RVCA’s maps to your phone to take out onto the trail. If you don't have Avenza Maps, you will be guided through the installation process. To avoid installation issues, the RVCA encourages visitors to download the free app before leaving home.
Traditional trailhead maps and printed brochures will continue to be available, as well as downloadable PDF maps.
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
More...
Getting outside doesn't have to be complicated: there's tons of fun and learning just waiting to be discovered in your backyard, around your block or at your local conservation area. To get you started, RVCA's Outdoor Educators have compiled some awesome activities to help you maximize your outdoor adventures!
Spring Resources |
Winter Resources |
| Elementary School Activities: | |
 Natural Art — Hey kids! Why not get outside and collect little pieces of “nature” and create a work of art? What can you use from your backyard to make your own unique masterpiece? A few blades of grass? Maybe a few twigs will help? How about those pinecones? There are treasures to be found! Build your design outside, take a snap and leave it behind. |
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 Alphabet Walk — Hey parents, here’s today’s RVCA Fresh Air Fun tip! Take the little ones for an “alphabet walk.” Can you see letters in shapes around you? Or find objects for every letter of the alphabet. Access our ABC check list here (download PDF) |
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 Scavenger Hunt — Hey kids! It’s a spring scavenger hunt! Get outside see what you can spy during your outdoor adventure. Get your scavenger hunt here (download PDF). |
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 Booklist — Hey parents! Pair a fun children’s story with your next walk outside. Make connections from the book to nature while watching the squirrels, jumping in puddles or sitting under a magic tree! Check out Interpreter Andrea and Rebecca’s recommended reading list! Reading List (download PDF) |
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 Photography fun! What a better way to capture your backyard fresh air fun than with your camera! Whether spring is blooming or the snow is blowing, what beautiful outdoor image can you freeze in time? The flight of a feathered friend, the unique patterns of a frosty leaf, the buds about to burst? |
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 Ready to read — Weave literacy skills into your next bit of fresh air fun! Make a list of all the things you see on your walk while encouraging literacy skills. Younger children can guess the first letter based or draw pictures, while older kids can try to spell the words. You can help them fill in the blanks later! |
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Why is this type of play beneficial for kids? Loose parts encourage kids to be physically active and creative. The learning is hands on, engaging, and encourages children to communicate and be cooperative along with developing great problem-solving skills. |
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Rainy Day Play — Water is a wonderful in Parents, be sure to watch your kids near deep or fast flowing water! Dry off and pair your experience with a fun story. Check out “Over and Under the Pond" by Kate Messner or "In the Small, Small Pond" by Denise Fleming. If you have a library card, many books can be accessed through digital library connections like OverDrive Tumble Books for free. |
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The messiness of play and learning can take its tole on your indoor space and patience! Try taking it outside for some fresh air fun. Grab some containers from your recycling, buckets, old kitchen utensils, bowls, pots, pans, etc. that you have lying around and set up a mud kitchen in your backyard. Find a spot where your children can dig in the soil or sand and collect ingredients from nature. Fill some containers with water and watch their imaginations go! Although you may see lots of fancy set-ups for mud kitchens online, we have found that children are more than happy to sit on the ground or work with their tools on a stump, bench, board, or picnic table. When the play is finished, you can throw everything in a plastic bin or sturdy reusable shopping bag. Washing things off is totally optional! How can this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
Have fun! Don’t for get to check out our blog at https://www.rvca.ca/blog. |
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How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
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How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
Resources:
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Loose Parts Play — Loose parts are random items that children use to build, play, create and more. Look through your home and think like a kid: boards, tires, fabric, boxes, old kitchen items, buckets, sticks, tubes, pipes, logs, rocks, recycling items and more can all become loose parts. And there is no better place to play with them than outside!
vitation for play and exploration! A puddle, a ditch, a stream, or a pond in your neighbourhood or backyard can all lead to some excellent fresh air fun. Raid your recycling bin for containers that you can use as scoops. Use an old kitchen strainer as a net. Find a pail, bowl, or basin to collect water and any creatures you might find. Don’t forget your rubber boots! Want to know what creatures you found? Make observations about sie, number of legs, antennae and how it swims. Then look it up later using our 
Toad House — Hop to it and try your hand at creating toad habitat in your own backyard! Toads are great neighbours because they love to eat bugs and slugs. Learn more from Ranger Rebecca as she gives tips on how to build a toad house with your little ones. Don’t forget to post and tag us in your creation! 
Mud Kitchen — How about building a mud kitchen?
Map & Compass — Get back to basics with this edition of fresh air fun! GPS technology is amazing but it doesn’t always work the way we expect it. Traditional map and compass work is a great way to explore outside. Break out your old compass and see if you can figure out how to find north and the other cardinal directions. Grab some paper, pencils, and colouring tools to make a map of your backyard or neighbourhood. See if you can match north on your map to magnetic north and see how that can help you navigate on your adventure. Ranger Rebecca explains more at 
Tiny Habitats — Did you know you might have some tiny habitats hiding right in your backyard? Do you have a rock sitting in your garden? How about a big stick or log sitting on the grass by your shed? Try lifting it up and looking underneath: you might be surprised what you find. When you're finished, be sure to put the rock or log back so the things living underneath stay safe. 
Pretend to be an animal — Classic fresh air fun: pretend to be an animal! Try hide and seek with a forest friend twist – the little owls fly out into the forest and hide from one of their owl friends. When everyone is ready, the owls start to hoot and their friend listens to try and find them. | Middle and High School Activities: |
Pond Study: Using bugs to test for pollutionSome bugs are more sensitive to poor water quality than others. In this hands-on science experiment, get up close and personal with the benthic invertebrates that live in your local pond or stream to determine whether or not its polluted. Instructions here! |
Join the world’s largest treasure hunt!Just you and your phone, chasing a secret — if you have to be outside, this is how to do it! The global geocaching movement is all around us, including at Baxter Conservation Area. Use your phone to track down the secret treasures tucked into our trees. Download the Geocaching app for iPhone or Android to get started. Bring a friend! |
Trail JournalingForest therapy is great for your mental health. Next time you're on a hike, at the cottage or even at a local park, tune into your wild side for a few minutes. Put away your phone, find a comfy spot to sit and just watch and listen. What do you see? What can you hear? Print your trail journal here! |
Five Senses in the ForestTake a nature break! Harness the restorative power of nature to help you stay grounded and able to cope with the stress all around us. Try our Five Senses in the Forest mindfulness activity here. |
Naturally Artistic ChallengeCreate your own outdoor masterpiece using nature’s gifts. Using rocks, twigs, leaves and any other natural materials you find, build your design outside, take a snap and leave it behind. Post it on your socials and tag us with #RVCAFreshAirFun! Find instructions here! |
Photo challengeForget the selfies! Put your phone to the test: What beautiful nature photo can you freeze in time? The flight of a feathered friend, the unique bend of a tree branch, the buds about to burst? Filters allowed! Be sure to post to your socials and tag us with #RVCAFreshAirFun. |
Baxter will be offering PD Day programs this school year! The days will be themed by our outdoor education staff depending on the season and time of year such as Outdoor Survival Skills, Navigation, Winter Wonderland, Animals and Habitats.
Come join us for a day in the Forest!
Please submit your request for Baxter PD Day Programs using our Registration Request Form. We are looking forward to welcoming your child(ren) to Baxter for days of exploration, outdoor learning, 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.
PD Day Program Details:
- We are excited to offer programming for the following age groups: 6-12.
- Children are eligible for a session if they are six years old by December 31, 2024.
- Cost per child is $55/full day.
- The program will run from 9 AM to 4 PM each day.
- You can register for all sessions for your school board or one at a time.
- Our PD Program days will be run out of Baxter’s Interpretive Centre.
- There are no before or after care options for our PD Day Program.
