| Membership | Price |
|---|---|
| Student | $55/year |
| Single | $85/year |
| Single Plus | $120/year |
| Family | $130/year |
| Family Plus | $175/year |
| Contributing | $250/year |
| Supporting | $500/year |
| Sustaining | $1,000/year |
| Benefactor's Circle | $2,500/year |
| Director's Circle | $5,000/year |
| President's Circle | $10,000/year |
School Programs: Grades 1 – 8
Our Elementary programs aim to inspire curiosity, discovery, and connection in a natural setting. Through games, explorations, and discussions, students learn about the importance of healthy natural spaces, and their place within them!
- Two-hour outdoor programs
- Up to 30 students per group
- Grades 1 to 3: 1 free adult per 4 students
- Grades 4 to 8: 1 free adult per 5 students
Program Types
We offer programs that specialize in many different areas:
The RBG Arboretum has natural surprises around every corner, every week of the year! Whether taking in the fall colours, tracking deer through the snow, or discovering spring flowers, this general nature tour will allow students to connect with the forests, fields, and fauna in RBG’s forests and gardens. This half-day program can be tailored to complement desired curricula upon request.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
The RBG Fishway is a sight to see! Students will see this amazing conservation tool in action with an up-close look at the fish that pass through. Our biologists explain the function of the Fishway, and our interpreters help students understand the history and importance of Cootes Paradise Marsh. This program takes place at our Princess Point location.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Time slots for this program are limited. RBG education staff will connect about your needs after your request is sent.
*Special Program
Bright, noisy and active, birds are a great way to get students excited about the wonders of nature. This hike-based program takes kids outside to encounter some of RBG’s feathered inhabitants, and learn about their biology and natural history.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Out on the trails, we are surrounded by living things! Through games and open explorations, students will discover the ways in which organisms survive in nature and how humans fit into the natural world. Students learn what defines a living thing and what all life needs to survive.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 1 Strand B, Life Systems: Characteristics and Needs of Living Things.
RBG is home to incredible animals of all kinds! Though they may be different, they all share some important things in common. This program explores what defines an animal, and how they grow and survive. Lots of time is spent outside in search of wild creatures and the signs they leave behind!
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 2 Strand B, Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Animals.
RBG’s natural spaces are home to hundreds of plant and animal species, all of which depend on clean air and water to survive. Students will meet pond and forest life face-to-face during an exploration hike, and learn about the importance of air and water to all living things.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 2 Strand E. Earth and Space System: Air and Water in the Environment.
All around the world plants grow, change and are affected by the environment around them. This program uses interactive instruction, games, a hike and a seed-planting activity to help students learn about the characteristics of plants and our dependence upon them.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 3 Strand B, Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants.
Soil is the foundation of nearly all terrestrial ecosystems. Students should be ready to get their hands dirty as they delve into the world beneath their feet! During this outdoor program, they will explore the properties of soil, search for tiny soil-dwellers, and learn about the important role healthy soil plays as part of the natural environment.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 3 Strand E. Earth and Space System: Soils in the Environment.
The Niagara Escarpment provides a wealth of opportunities to learn about rocks, minerals, and the natural processes that shape our landscape. Indoors, students conduct a series of short experiments to determine the identity of unknown rock samples. Outdoors, they observe the effects of time and weather on the rocks that make up our local environment.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 4 Strand E. Earth and Space System: Rocks, Minerals, and Geological Processes.
A habitat is much more than just where an organism lives. In this program, students explore various plant and animal habitats here at RBG, their components, and how the organisms depend on each other. Students also consider their own habitat needs, and how they compare to those of other living things.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 4 Strand B. Life Systems: Habitats and Communities.
RBG provides critical habitat for many species at risk, and this program examines why they are in danger and what RBG is doing to help. Through active simulations and investigation, students gain an appreciation of these precious organisms and learn how they can help. Students may even encounter some of these rare plants and animals as we explore the trails and wetlands of RBG!
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum for Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
It’s hard to imagine a better place to explore biodiversity than here at RBG! Through hands-on exploration, students study the biodiversity of a local forest, field, or wetland, and relate it to ecosystem health and examine the impacts that humans can have on the environment.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 6 Strand B. Life Systems: Biodiversity.
Everything in nature is connected, and in this program students take a close look at those connections. By exploring food webs, cycles, mutualism, parasitism and other local examples, students examine interactions in nature and how human interactions can be both negative and positive.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 7 Strand B. Life Systems: Interactions in the Environment.
What better way to learn about animal survival than to become one? With our Arboretum as their playing field, students are challenged to think strategically as they take on the role of an animal seeking the basic necessities for survival. Students will run, hide, and learn first-hand about the natural and human obstacles which animals face every day.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 6 and 7 Strand B. Life Systems.
Nature in winter may seem quiet, but there is more going on than you think! Put on your toque and mitts and head out for an exploration of RBG’s winter world. Explore the trails of the Arboretum to find out how plants and animals adapt and survive during Canada’s coldest months, then come sit by a campfire to end your adventure!
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum for Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Designed in collaboration with Anishinaabe elders, this program takes students on an interpretive hike that highlights the traditional and current uses of a variety of native plants. A cross-curricular and authentic experience that will make you see the forest in a completely new way!
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Social Studies, History and Geography 2018 curriculum elements for Grade 7 History Strand A. New France and British North America, 1713-800.
Let nature inspire your creative side! By using skills such as listening, observing, imaging, and exploring, students will learn and employ strategies for writing using nature as their muse. Whether it is for poetry, non-fiction, or narratives, RBG’s gardens and natural lands can unlock the power of literature from within your students.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Language curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Using nature as both muse and medium, students unleash their creativity in this visual arts program. Following an inspirational walk on the trails, students will apply the Creative Process to create artwork which represents grade-appropriate connections to the Life Systems strand of Science. A hands-on, collaborative program that encourages students to build personal connections to the natural world.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 The Arts 2009 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
From cave paintings to oil on canvas, nature has provided inspiration to artists for millennia. Using the gardens and natural lands of RBG, students receive classroom instruction and use our watercolour kits to create their own works of art. A plein-air painting session (weather-dependent) caps off the program.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 The Arts 2009 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
*Special Program
Working together, a small group of people can achieve anything they put their minds to. Led by our facilitators, our teambuilding activities are designed to build communication skills and develop trust, all the while being challenged to think as a unit. This is a fun and exciting way to bring your class together at any point in the school year!
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Health and Physical Education (2019) curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Looking for a way to get your class or group thinking and working as a team? These challenges help students develop leadership, communication, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. Challenges involve simulations and role-playing both on and off the ground. Warm-up activities prepare the group for the challenges and debriefing discussions help students apply the outcomes to everyday life.
This program connects to Ontario Curriculum Health and Physical Education (2019) curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
*Special Program
What lives in a wetland? This program introduces students to characteristics of wetland animals through games, activities, and exploration of our Frogs! exhibit. Students will discover the basic needs and adaptations that animals use to survive in wetlands.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Grades 1 and 2 Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements and considers the age and stage of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Wetlands are critical habitats for many species, yet these habitats are disappearing. What happens when humans interfere with wetlands? Students will explore the components of a healthy wetland habitat and what organisms complete this community while exploring the Frogs! exhibit.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 4 Strand B, Habitats and Communities.
Students will explore the diversity of wetland plants and animals while viewing our Frogs! exhibit. Through simulations, students will uncover why biodiversity is important to a wetland, what happens when that diversity is impeded, and how disease affects a population. Students will learn about the challenges faced by RBG’s wetlands, what we are doing to restore them, and how they can help.
This program aligns with expectations to Ontario Curriculum Science and Technology 2022 curriculum elements for Grade 6 Strand B, Life Systems: Biodiversity.
Wetlands are beautiful places! Students will examine colour, shape, texture, and form while exploring our Frogs! exhibit. Through the creative process, students will create a piece of art based on inspiration from amphibians and wetlands.
This program aligns with expectations to various Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 The Arts 2009 curriculum elements for various grade levels and considers the age and stage of participating students as well as your individual classroom learnings.
Discover the world of wetlands while exploring our winter exhibit Frogs! Your self-guided visit grants you access to Frogs! exhibit, indoor Mediterranean Garden, and Hendrie Park.
Cost: $12.00 per person and includes an indoor classroom.
Come explore the gardens or trails with your class. The Arboretum offers trails through the forest down to the shoreline of Coote’s Paradise Marsh with great opportunities for bird watching.
Come explore the gardens with your class. Hendrie Park has beautiful flower beds, a Natural Playground, and a vegetable village for your students to explore.
Discover the world of wetlands while exploring our winter exhibit Frogs! Your self-guided visit grants you access to Frogs! exhibit, indoor Mediterranean Garden, and Hendrie Park.
Cost: $12.00 per person and includes an indoor classroom
2022–2023 School Program Fees
RBG accepts cash, cheque, debit, VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. Invoicing is available upon request.
ECE and Kindergarten
Combining interactive hikes, sensory activities, and play-based learning, RBG’s ECE and Kindergarten programming provides positive experiences for the youngest students. Walking, hiking, and observing together, students develop a new appreciation for the natural world. Our programs give students the chance to develop as healthy, confident explorers of the outdoors!
Grade 9-12
Our Secondary programs combine an inquiry-based approach with authentic learning opportunities situated in RBG’s gardens and natural spaces. RBG is an active research site, and students are challenged to learn through hands-on investigation and observation, analyze relevant data, and discuss environmental concerns that have a real impact on their lives.
Virtual Field Trips
No matter where you are, your class can interact with our educators and scientists and explore topics like biodiversity, conservation, botany, plant ecology and the environment.
