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Exploring Nature With Your Grandkids!

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By Environmental Educator Kirsten Dallimore

Originally published in Island Parent April 2018 (pg.68-69)

There is a special generation of people that might just hold a magical key in helping to get kids connected with nature. The people I’m thinking about are grandparents.

Yes, that’s right—a grandparent has a unique opportunity to be that amazing person in a child’s life that enables them to get out into the natural world. Recognizing the role that our older generation plays in mentoring deep nature connection within our communities is something I think we need to place greater value on.

For some families, it is the time that children spend with their grandparents that provides them the space to explore in a less structured free play environment. Free play in nature is where deep nature connection is rooted. Free play allows for greater opportunities to explore and experience on our own the things that interest us in nature. A child can form a significant connection to a place during free nature play.

When children visit the home of a grandparent, they often find themselves without their usual weekly activities and with fewer distractions from the types of technology devices they access at home. Some kids may say they are bored, but little do they  know what is waiting for them in the garden or down a nearby trail.

There is a world of adventure outside waiting to be explored and that sometimes requires inter-generational support to find. Wisdom, patience and time to play in nature is what children need for full nature connection, and grandparents can often play that role.

Grandparents, why not start by creating a special place in the garden for your grandchildren to start exploring? A new nature nook could be anything from a small garden to some new bird feeders in the backyard that will invite some feathered creatures in for bird watching opportunities. Planting a garden or digging a hole for a new tree in the yard provides a chance for kids to become active and immersed in a project that is natural and in a familiar place.

Taking the grandkids to a local park or the beach for exploration and play is always fun and exciting. If you are looking for an organized event, I recommend attending a CRD Regional Parks event for an educational guided outing. Taking your grandkids outside might just be the key to unlocking a new passion.

Growing up, I had a wonderful opportunity to connect to a special nature spot with my Nana. I don’t think she ever considered herself be much of a nature person, but she undoubtedly was. Although my Nana was not by any means a seasoned camper, she loved going for walks along the river where she lived. I always loved going for walks and swimming in wild places, and so did my dog. Our deep nature connection grew in that place we shared along the banks of the Credit River in Glen Williams, Ontario. Many hot summer days were spent splashing around in the river and climbing over rocks.

A few years ago when I returned home after a long journey away, we went to our nature spot along the river together one more time. My Nana sat on a bench by the bank and watched as my golden retriever and I ran into the cold rushing water. I always loved sitting on the rocks in the middle of the river and letting the rapids come up and swirl all around me, imagining they might just carry me away.

The role of elders in a community is to take on the role of storyteller and guide for the younger generation. Nature often sparks stories of our own time spent out in the wild that can be shared with the younger generation.

One of the best places to share your own nature stories is when you are out together embracing and creating a new nature adventure story. I encourage you to share with your children and grandchildren your own stories about spending time in nature when you were younger. This is a wonderful way to bond and develop a common interest while inspiring kids to create their own adventures.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or take place far away. Just be ready to go out and discover something new and exciting together with your grandkids.

So, what are you waiting for? This spring could be the perfect time for grandparents to invite their grandchildren out for an adventure into the wild.

Get outside this spring break!

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By Environmental Educator Kirsten Dallimore

March 2018

This spring, I invite you to take the opportunity to embrace all the scenery, smells and sounds of nature. It’s time to start thinking about how you might spend your time outdoors during spring break.

I’ve often found that the best adventures in nature can be the ones that bring you a surprise.

East Sooke Regional Park

I once went for a hike at East Sooke Regional Park. My intention was to do some bird watching and observe the fall migration. When it turned out to be a foggy day and I wasn’t seeing many birds in the sky, I thought, “Well, I guess it’s time to head back on the trail and see what else there is to explore.” Just then, my magical nature moment happened.

I found myself on top of a hill with an amazing view of the ocean as the fog cleared. I spotted two orca whales who decided to put on a show very close to shore. Up in the sky a juvenile golden eagle flew overhead. I couldn’t have planned that moment any better. I was in the right spot at the right time.

What I remember each time I go out into nature is that I wouldn’t be able to access magical moments like this if I wasn’t open to new experiences and adventure.

I truly admire those who go into nature with an open heart and an open mind. This spring break I encourage you to gather the kids, dress appropriately for the weather, pack a backpack full of snacks and water, and get out there to explore nature in your own community. Experience nature with an open mind ready to see something new—and an open heart ready to embrace those unexpected moments that nature has in store for all of us to enjoy.

Visiting East Sooke Regional Park

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite activities and places to visit this spring break around southern Vancouver Island:

  1. Head out to Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew for tide pool and beach exploration. Remember to wear your gum boots and bring an extra pair of socks in case you get wet!
  2. Hike at East Sooke Regional Park. The Coast Trail allows you to explore local plants found in the coastal temperate rainforest such as salal, Oregon grape and sword fern. Discover new plants such as the ferns popping up on the forest floor.
  3. Ride your bikes along the Galloping Goose trail through Sooke Potholes Provincial Park and visit the site of Leechtown, an old gold mining community. Stop along the trail for great views and exploring the potholes.
  4. Kayak along the Gorge Waterway to explore the home of seals, herons, sea birds, otters and more.
  5. Have a picnic at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. First, take a walk through the forest and check out the beautiful Sitting Lady Falls and then head down the trail to enjoy an afternoon picnic and nature play down near the water.
  6. Create your own adventure! Go for a walk in your own community to see what’s new. Bring along a clipboard, some paper and pencil crayons and draw what you see as you travel along your route.
  7. Walk up to the top of PKOLS (Mount Douglas) and take nature photos from the amazing lookout point.
  8. Visit a local library to pick up a nature themed book and take it with you when you visit a local neighborhood park. Sit under the trees, relax and sink your imagination into a new world. I highly recommend “The Curious Garden” by Peter Brown.
  9. Go on a nature scavenger hunt around Beacon Hill Park. Find scavenger hunt ideas here.
  10. Learn about slugs, bears and salmon during a guided walk with a CRD Park Naturalist. Check out their list of event outings. 

Teacher mentorship and French-language workshops

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By James Davis, Education Program Manager

February 2018

I hope 2018 is treating you well so far!  I’ve settled back in to life in Victoria and have been busy getting ready for us to launch a couple of new education programs.

As part of our new Mentorship and Support program for teachers in the Capital Region District, Kirsten and I are thrilled to be taking part in the Tapestry Conference on February 23rd at Esquimalt Secondary School.

This annual tri-district Pro-D conference for School Districts 61, 62 and 63 will feature a keynote address by Carey Newman (the Indigenous artist who created the Witness Blanket). We are offering a full-day Get Outside and Learn workshop for K-8 teachers that will cover topics such as building a routine to take students outside, conducting a risk/benefit analysis, and connections to the new curriculum.

Teachers will also have the opportunity to head outside and participate in hands-on activities that they can lead for their students.

Find out more about our workshop on page 7 of the registration brochure and register for the conference today!

In other news, we have received funding to run a pilot project offering our Nature & Play (Kindergarten) and Lifecycles & Ecosystems (Grades 1 and 2) workshops to students in French.

If you are in the Lower Mainland or Capital Regional District and are interested in having our Environmental Educator Amira Madison facilitate a French-language nature workshop for your class, please fill out our online workshop request form and make a note in the “Other Information” field that you are requesting a workshop in French.

Learn more about our free nature-based environmental education workshops.

Feature image by Craig Janzen.

Nature stories

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By Environmental Educator Kirsten Dallimore

February 2018

One year in early spring, my friends and I headed out for a camping trip in Algonquin Provincial Park in northern Ontario. This park is a great place to find a vast wilderness of lakes, hills and trees.

After arriving one evening we quickly set up camp, ate dinner and then headed out for a hike before it got too dark. This hike took us to a great lookout point where we could sit on the rocks and look out over this vast wild place and watch the sun set over the horizon. Dusk set in and we started out for home. All of a sudden, we came face to face with a big mama moose and her baby. This was my first time standing so close to such a big animal. In that moment I knew we had to quietly sneak away before the mama moose decided to charge.

A student at South Park Family School in Victoria takes part in a Sierra Club BC nature workshop. Photo by Brynne Morrice

What is your nature story? Everyone has a story to share about an experience they’ve had in the natural world. Maybe it is a story about a camping trip and an encounter with a wild animal. Or perhaps it’s that time you got turned around on a hiking trail and soon your short walk turned into a much longer and more epic adventure.

We’ve all had adventures out there in nature and our stories are just waiting to be shared. Stories are what help us share our experiences and form a connection to those experiences. Nature has a way of enhancing stories by setting an exciting scene for our stories to take place in.

Children especially love sharing their nature stories. I’ve never visited a class in which I didn’t hear a handful of stories all somehow related to our topic of conversation—spending time in nature.

Sometimes all I have to do is ask the question: what do you love about nature? The hands start shooting up with stories of camping adventures, the first time they saw a bear, the time they caught a frog with their bare hands, or how they built their first fort in the forest and then went looking for wild berries. Each child has a story of adventure in the wild that they are eager to share. Some are factual and some are full of imagination. All are a reflection of what they experience and dream about in the natural world.

When others take the time to listen to our stories, we are grateful. I want to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to listen to these nature tales. It is very fun to hear about children’s experiences of searching for wild animals and exploring unknown places.

When children express themselves through creating their own stories, they build on their knowledge of their experiences with the natural world. Sharing our experiences through a short story at the end of an outdoor exploration session is one of the best ways I’ve found to consolidate the learning and provide time for reflection.

Kirsten with students from Willows Elementary in Oak Bay. Photo by K. Zolotas

Often we gather everyone together in a circle and pass around a talking stick. Students take turns sharing something about the time they spent in nature. I usually prompt them with a question to get them started. What did you see? What was something new that you experienced? How did you feel when you were out exploring? The seed has been planted here and this is just the beginning of a story forming in each student.

I encourage teachers to continue exploring ways of sharing these experiences and facilitating the development of new stories that can be shared in the future. Taking your students outside helps spark their interest and curiosity about the natural world. This in turn can lead to storytelling as a form of expression and reflection about nature.

Creating new and exciting experiences among the trees in a forest or visiting the beach and being able to observe, play and explore in nature are all great starting places for supporting creativity and language development. I encourage you all to take your kids outside and then invite them to share their nature stories with others.

You never know how much a story can make an impact and leave a lasting impression.

Kids and nature: Looking ahead to 2018

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By James Davis, Education Program Manager

January 2017

I hope you enjoyed the winter holidays and are adjusting to being back at school!  I had a fantastic time visiting the landscapes of my childhood in Malaysia and spent Christmas in Australia, where my dad grew up. We’re now ramping up for the second half of the school year and are excited about what’s in store for our environmental education team in the coming months.

Kids at Ecole Quadra Elementary enjoy a Sierra Club BC workshop. Photo by Craig Janzen.

Amira Maddison (our Environmental Educator for the Lower Mainland) is returning from her own adventures and will be visiting schools in the Metro Vancouver area and beyond starting in late-February.  Thanks to all of the classes that have been patiently waiting for their chance to participate in one of our workshops with Amira!

We are also excited to announce that we have received funding from the Victoria Foundation to pilot a mentorship and support program for teachers in the CRD.  If you are a teacher in School District 61, 62 or 63 and are interested in participating in monthly gatherings with fellow teachers who want to learn how they can provide more outdoor learning opportunities for their students – and in receiving some one-on-one mentorship from Kirsten Dallimore, our Environmental Educator – then you’ll be excited to hear more about what we are cooking up.  Stay tuned for more details about this program, which will be launching at the Tapestry Conference in February.

Whichever part of the province you live in, we hope that you enjoy the winter … and don’t forget to GET OUTSIDE AND LEARN!

Feature image by Craig Janzen.

Environmental education: Looking back on 2017

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By Education Program Manager James Davis

December 2017

By the time you read this blog, I’ll be on my way to Malaysia to visit some of the formative landscapes where I grew up.  You can hear more about the jungle that I spent hours exploring as a child and the impact that it had on me here.

Kirsten Dallimore with students at Quadra Elementary. Photo by Craig Janzen.

The winter holidays mark the end of our programming for 2017 and serve as an opportunity to look back on all that I’ve experienced in my role as Education Program Manager since joining Sierra Club BC in January.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be part a non-profit that is doing such important work to help protect B.C.’s wild places, species and ecosystems. I am honoured to work with such an amazing group of people.

Our team of environmental educators – Kirsten Dallimore (who is in the midst of her fourth school year delivering Sierra Club BC’s free workshops) and Amira Maddison (who joined us in March and will be returning in February to continue facilitating workshops in the Lower Mainland) – worked hard this year to provide hands-on learning opportunities to students across the province.  They facilitated 251 workshops for over 5800 students at 80 schools in 21 school districts!

Kirsten and I also had the opportunity to lead professional development workshops for teachers in Fort St. John, Surrey, Victoria and Vanderhoof.  For me, these were excellent opportunities to get out from behind my computer and connect with teachers… and also to visit some beautiful parts of Northern B.C.

As the days get even shorter and the winter solstice approaches, I hope that you will be able to take some time to slow down over the holidays, connect with your natural surroundings, and think about what is important to you.  I know that for me, reconciliation with Indigenous communities and protection of the forests, rivers and ocean are near the top of the list.  From myself and the rest of the Education Team at Sierra Club BC, happy holidays and thanks for all you do to help kids get outside and learn!

Here’s a little year-end message from me:

Feature image by Louis Bockner

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