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Species at Risk Workshops!

If you are between the ages of 7 & 12 and you want to have fun exploring nature and doing adventure activities, then with Out to Learn is the place to be! During this week long day camp at the Kinark Outdoor Centre in Minden, children will experience the natural environment and safely participate in outdoor adventure activities under the watchful eye of mature, outdoor educators. Every day will be filled with nature explorations, hikes, environmental activities, co-operative games, crafts and swimming! Fun group challenges and outdoor adventures such as high ropes, kayaking and wall climbing will be included in this amazing week of day camp. All programs are delivered by experienced educators with training in first aid, waterfront supervision and high ropes instruction.

Contact us for further information.

Nature Enthusiasts aged 7 - 10 can take part in a variety of activities that explore our natural world. Every session has nature based activities and crafts for participants to take home and enjoy. Programs are developed and led by an Out to Learn educator, assisted by a student and a volunteer from the Haliburton Highlands Field Naturalists.

Program Descriptions

Monday
Home is Where the Habitat Is!
Whether you are a moose, a frog, a pine tree or a person, all species need certain things to live, a home - habitat. What is habitat and why do we need it? These are some of the questions we will explore through games and other fun activities. Join us and discover that home is where the habitat is!

Tuesday
Oh Beaver!
Why are beaver’s teeth orange? Where do they keep their comb? Are they really busy? There are so many wonderful questions about these industrious little rodents. Come and explore Canada’s national animal through hands on investigations, games and more.

Wednesday
Treemendous!
Trees, trees, wonderful trees … they provide shade, food and resources. But what does a tree do? Are all trees the same? Come and get up close and personal with a tree and learn that one tree is, and is not, just like another. You will have fun discovering that trees are truly treemendous!

Thursday
Hootly Delicious!
They are the silent hunters of our skies, flying predators that live very secret lives in our forests. Whooooooooo are they? ... Owls! Put on your naturalist hat and join us as we learn about these silent predators through games and pellet dissection. That’s right, you will see firsthand what an owl ate and re-construct its prey! It’s hootly delicious! *all owl pellets are sterilized!

Friday
Let’s Wolf Around!
Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? … Little Red Riding Hood, of course. During this program we will have fun learning the truth about this misunderstood animal and that Little Red Riding Hood may have misjudged the wolf. Through various activities and games we will come to understand the “real” wolf and have fun just wolfing around! 

Contact us for further information.

Out to Learn develops and facilitates the  Discovery Days program in partnership with the Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council. Families and individuals are invited to participate in these fun and informative sessions that focus on exploring the ecosystems and natural wonders of Haliburton County. Insect repellent, long pants, and sturdy footwear are recommended for most  programs. Programs are typically 3-4 hours in length. Please allow adequate travel time as participants are asked to arrive at the program location at least 15 minutes before the start. 

Program Descriptions

Wildlife CSI

Welcome to the world of Wildlife Forensics! This family oriented program is filled with hands on activities which will familiarize participants with various aspects of wildlife identification using DNA, tracks, furs, skulls and much more! Professionals in the field of Wildlife Forensics will share their knowledge and experiences to help you become the expert. Participants will become the investigators, examining clues and following evidence to determine the “who done it” in a wildlife crime scene. An OPP officer will be leading an exciting K-9 Unit demonstration, showing how dogs help solve crimes.

• Date: Wednesday July 14th, 2010 12:30pm – 4:30pm
• Location: Miner’s Bay Lodge: 9 miles south of Minden on Hwy. #35
• Presenters: Dina Abdelhakim, Forensic Scientist; Kevin Hoare, Conservation Officer; Craig Smith, Conservation Officer; Brent Stewart, Deputy Conservation Officer

Wings Over the Highlands

Colourful butterflies are a common part of summer in Haliburton but did you know that there are over 80 species in this area? While most of us admire their beauty as they flit from flower to flower and glide past our cottages, how often do we take the time to stop and observe what they are actually doing? Join Colin Jones as he introduces us to the diversity of butterflies and to their fascinating life histories – from camouflage to mimicry to migration. Open areas covered in wildflowers and surrounded by a variety of habitats (forest, swamp, marsh) are particularly rich sites for butterflies and the Dahl Forest promises to be an excellent site for this outing. Come on out and explore with us! Some nets and collection containers will be provided but if you have your own, be sure to bring them along!

• Date: Wednesday July 21st, 2010 9:30am – 12:30pm
• Location: Dahl forest, 1307 Geeza Road off of County Rd. 121, Minden Hills
• Presenter: Colin Jones, Natural Heritage Project Zoologist, Natural Heritage Information Centre

Geocaching: A GPS Treasure Hunt

“Geocaching” is an outdoor treasure hunt and is becoming popular around the world. Learn the basics of GPS (Global Positioning System) beginning with map and compass foundations. Every participant will have a GPS unit in their hand and will learn the basics of saving and retrieving waypoints as well as other GPS functions. The culminating experience will be participating in a fun GPS treasure hunt. This program is for anyone who wants to have a modern day adventure while exploring their natural world. GPS units will be provided and no experience is necessary.

• Date: Wednesday July 28th, 2010 9:30am – 12:30pm(Family Fun Introduction) & 1:30pm – 4:30pm(Advanced Skills)
• Location: Kinark Outdoor Centre, 1766 Queen’s Line Rd., Minden Hills
• Presenter: Mike Anderson, Kinark Outdoor Centre Program Coordinator

Traditional Native Stories of the Land

The art of storytelling is traditionally how legends and stories have been handed down from generation to generation throughout First Nations people. Tales of Mother Nature and her relatives (the Earth’s species) have been the focus of oral translations for centuries but this skill of oral history is being lost in today’s world. Come and join Curve Lake First Nation’s Elder, Ned Benson, and experience our natural backyard through traditional storytelling and drumming. Participate in creating a traditional craft and learn more about the First Nation’s culture and why it is important to revitalize this art form.

• Date: Wednesday August 4th, 2010 1:30pm – 4:30pm
• Location: Haliburton Highlands Museum, Haliburton
• Presenters: Elder Ned Benson and Curve lake First Nation Culture Centre Staff

In Search of Haliburton Gold

There’s gold in the lakes of Haliburton … but this gold doesn’t go on your finger or around your neck, it swims in our waters! Haliburton’s Gold is a unique lake trout that only inhabits lakes of this area. Join MNR Fisheries Biologist, David Flowers, and explore the world of these home grown gems as well as other fish that live in our treasured lakes. Hands on activities will help you become familiar with fish identification, preparing you for your role as a hatchery technician where you will be helping to identify, measure and count fish during a hatchery inventory! Come on out and take a tour of the HOA Fish Hatchery and discover Haliburton Gold!

• Date: Wednesday August 11th, 2010 9:30am – 12:30pm
• Location: Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association Fish Hatchery, 6721 County Rd. 1, Haliburton
• Presenter: David Flowers, Fisheries Extension Biologist, Ministry of Natural Resources

Why Wetlands?

What does a 10,000 year old glacier have to do with today’s wetlands? Let Wildlife Biologist, Paul Heaven, lead you on a 4 km hike through time as you visit a succession of wetlands ranging from a marsh to a Black Spruce bog. Get up close and personal with an esker and view the wetlands from this ancient river bed. Come and join us for some soggy boot fun, enjoying the beauty that this area has to offer while learning about various wetland inhabitants including beavers, pitcher plants and bogey men!

• Date: Wednesday August 18th, 2010 1:30pm – 4:30pm
• Location: 1126 Warder Rd., Lochlin
• Presenter: Paul Heaven, Wildlife Biologist and President of Glenside Ecological Services Ltd.

The Haliburton-Muskoka Children’s Water Festival (HMCWF) is a fun filled annual event that motivates students in becoming water stewards in their homes, classrooms and communities.  Since 2005, the HMCWF has been bringing together the expertise of educators, water quality and quantity specialists, community volunteers, conservation groups, industry and government to provide elementary students the opportunity to discover the many ways we use water and the importance of conservation.  The festival hosts hundreds of students over its two day run and each day is filled with interactive, stimulating hands-on activities which relay messages on water conservation, technology, ecology, protection and science.  Participating students “soak up” these messages and take them home.   Through this experience the children come to understand that their attitude towards water does matter and that their actions do make a difference and ultimately, we are all responsible for maintaining healthy water systems for healthy living.

Out to Learn coordinates this event for the HMCWF steering committee. For mor information visit the HMCWF website: www.hmwaterfestival.ca

Experiential learning that lasts a lifetime!