Keeping It Living Field Trip Program
Contact
caila.holbrook@projectwatershed.ca
250 703 2871
Example Field Trip Map
Educators are invited to book our program, which includes a comprehensive three-part education and engagement experience. Bookings can be made with Caila.Holbrook@projectwatershed.ca. If our program doesn’t fit with your needs, we may be able to modify it so that it does.
Educators may also download any of the materials for use in their classrooms.
Program components:
- Interactive in-class Powerpoint presentation (40 mins)
- Field Trip ~ including stewardship, knowledge and gamedbased activities (average 2 hours)
- In-class art and writting reflection activity (30 mins)
We prefer to do each component on a seperate day in the order listed. Classes are required to orgaize their own transportation to the field trip location.
Curriculum Connections:
This program supports all BC Curriculum Core Competencies, including communication, creative and critical thinking, personal and cultural identity, and social responsibility. Students develop key science skills such as questioning, investigating, analyzing data, and communicating findings. It also strengthens social studies competencies by exploring local significance, continuity and change, cause and consequence, and ethical decision-making. Through the arts, students connect with ideas presented to them and creatively express their reflections and learning.
Field Trip Locations:
Kus-kus-sum, Glen Urquhart, Rotary Playpark, Goose Spit, Little River
Depending on number of students they will be split into groups up to a minimum of four and a maximum of 17-18 students in each group. Each group will need to have at least 1 teacher and 1 parent accompany them. There will be up to three stations and the groups will rotate between them.
PLEASE NOTE: Project Watershed does not arrange for transportation to or from our field trip locations. Teachers can arrange a bus, parent drivers or take public transportation.
Possible Stations
Scavenger Hunt/Naturists Walk
All field trips include this activity, adapted to be grade-appropriate: a guided walk led by a local naturalist through multiple habitats — from upland forest to estuary — where students compare and contrast ecosystems and explore their importance to various species, with a particular focus on salmon.
Planting, mulching and invasive species removal
Students will either plant native species, mulch those already planted or be engaged in invasive species removal. The ecological needs of the plants and function in the ecosystem will be explained during the activity. Students to pair up and be assisted by volunteers. List of plants to be planted to be included and sent to teacher prior to field trip.
Salmon and Seal Tag
Only at Kus-kus-sum. A game of tag where most students are salmon and a few are seals. The game is played on a blue tarp to indicate a river and hoola hoops are used as habitat. The game is to be played in two parts – first with the hoola hoops to illustrate fish going through or by Holly Hock Marsh and after with no hoola hoops to illustrate the steel wall in front of Kus-kus-sum.
Garbage Pick Up
Students will assist in picking up garbage which may be used in the Watershed Demonstration. They will be give garbage gabbers and instructed on which tyoes of garbage to pick up and which to leave for an adult to deal with.
Watershed Demonstration
Students will help create a watershed out of flowerpots and a tarp, which will drain into a bucket illustrating an estuary. They will help spread trash on the tarp. They will then participate in making it rain using watering cans and see what happens to the trash.
Water Quality Monitoring Actvity
Saltwater Wedge Activity
Fish Monitoring Beach Seine
To be lead by DFO Community Advisor (Dave Davies). Catch fish with seine nets, identify, count and record species. List of fish and photos to be included and sent to teacher prior to field trip (each location to have different list Airpark/Simms).
Bird Monitoring
To be lead by a local naturalist. The students will count the number of birds by species at three locations (i.e. estuary, lagoon, river). List of birds and photos to be included and sent to teacher prior to field trip . At Kus-kus-sum and Holly hock flats we will compare and contrast the birds seen.
Native Plant Identification
To be lead by a local naturalist. Students to find two or three native species and draw identifying features – flower, bud, leaf, stem. Better for older students grades 4-7. List of native species with photos to be included and sent to teacher prior to field trip. At Kus-kus-sum and Holly hock flats we will compare and contrast the plants seen.
Story
Depending on the age of the children this could be used as a downtime station. Story to be read is “The Great Plastic Round Up”. The story will be read aloud and there is a follow up activity.
Fish Traps
Only at Airpark. There are 2 activities at this location. A) Is to look for and if time allows flag the remnant stakes on the mudflats B) is to build the wooden model and put fish in.
Fish Traps Pre-teaching and Lesson Materials
Example Itenerary
| Time | Salmon v Seals | Naturalist Walk | Fish Traps |
| 9:15 – 9:30 | ———–Groups move to their Station———– | ||
| 9:30-10:00 | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 |
| 10:00-10:05 | Move to next Station | ||
| 10:05-10:15 | Recess | ||
| 10:15-10:45 | Group 3 | Group 1 | Group 2 |
| 10:45-10:50 | Move to next Station | ||
| 10:50-11:20 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 1 |
| 11:20-11:30 | Move to trasportation/lunch | ||
| 11:30-12:00 | Lunch*optional | ||