More than 3,000 Kindergarten to Grade 3 students learn about the magic of winter ecology

Now in its seventh year, Wildsight’s Winter Wonder program continues to educate, amaze, and connect students across the Columbia Basin, as they learn about the joys, secrets, and wonders of our winters.

Nearly 160 field trips are booked this year, up from 140 last winter. The program takes almost 3,100 students between Kindergarten and Grade 3 on a half-day field trip to explore winter wildlife ecology, snow science, and weather – all concepts embedded in the current BC education curriculum for these grades.

“Requests for these popular programs always seem to increase,” explains Monica Nissen, Wildsight’s Education in the Wild Program Manager. “This year, sadly, we had to turn away classes. Despite adding an additional 20 field trips this year, we have more demand than we can accommodate.

“Across Canada, kids are spending less and less time outside. Winter Wonder gets kids outside, connecting them with the magic of winter ecology and their backyards. Our team of twelve professional outdoor educators bring the curriculum to life for students.”

Winter Wonder educators show up in costume, and ‘Frosty Flake’, ‘Jill Frost’ or other magical characters lead the class through a range of hands-on activities, both in and out of the class.

“Textbook versus our own backyard – where do we learn best? Our own backyard, of course. That is what this program provides,” says teacher S. Faucher from Fernie’s Isabella Dicken Elementary School.

Wildsight gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Columbia Basin Trust, Fortis BC, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the North Face Explore Fund and the BC Gaming Commission.

Wildsight

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