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SCIENCE IN THE SUBALPINE

Our Junior Rangers program takes students on a thrilling ride up to our unique subalpine environment, 885 meters above sea level! We help teachers meet curriculum requirements with a dynamic and hands-on approach to learning. These courses are designed to engage students and connect them with nature and wildlife in an interactive way that encourages an inquiry-based method of learning.

GRADE K - 1: SEASONAL CHANGES AND THE NEEDS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

In this course, students learn about the unique ecosystem of the subalpine environment, how that environment changes throughout the year, and how our native plants and animals adjust to the seasons. We explore this vibrant mountain-top setting through hiking and group activities.

GRADE 2-3: THE FOOD WEB OF A SUBALPINE ECOSYSTEM

There is so much biodiversity and interconnected life in the subalpine! Grade 2 and 3 students will investigate the lifecycles, food webs and food chains found in this unique habitat. They will explore the Summit and take part in a team activity which demonstrates the sensitive relationships within a food web at this altitude.

GRADE 4: THE SUBALPINE BIOME AND ANIMALS WITH SUPER SENSES

In this course, we look into local wildlife biodiversity and discuss the topic of biomes. Together we learn about the delicate balance in the subalpine environment and what sustains a healthy ecosystem. We examine how animals, birds and reptiles use their senses to respond to other creatures and their environment. Students will discover just how vital these super senses are to some of our most familiar mountain residents.

GRADE 5-6: THE ROCK CYCLE

It is easy to see how amazing the local landscape is! From our Summit, each direction you look there is a rock feature of some kind. How did they get there and how did they form? Hiking our trails, students will discover how rocks transform from one type to another, and what forces build up the landscape and wear it down.

GRADE 7-8: ADAPTABILITY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE SUBALPINE

The subalpine is home to some of British Columbia’s most fascinating wildlife and interesting plants. With specific reference to natural selection and the characteristics of life, students will discover the ways in which these plants and animals adapt to meet the challenges of finding food, avoiding predators, and surviving the changes of the seasons.

In the Sea to Sky corridor, we are fortunate to be surrounded by mountains and a vast amount of backcountry to explore. Take advantage of the wilderness we're lucky enough to call our backyard and hike off-trail to experience our backcountry under the expertise of our education guides.

Students will cover a selection of the topics below. The Sea to Sky Gondola Education Guide leading your group will decide which of the topics will be taught depending on the weather, size and age of the group.

Hiking 101

Imagine you are heading out for a hike in the backcountry. How to prepare? Learn about planning and packing for a safe day hike in the backcountry.

Avalanche Awareness

Another essential part of planning a safe day out includes route planning and weather. We examine types of snow, types of hazards, and risk assessments in planning outdoor adventures.

Wilderness First Aid

Your day in the backcountry has been going great until one member of the group falls and is now injured! Learn to treat a medical emergency in the outdoors. Build and use an improvised stretcher to carry your friend to safety.

Shelter Building

Even with the best intentions things in the backcountry don’t always go to plan! Explore the skills and techniques needed to build a good shelter. Will your shelter keep you warm and dry, or will you be wet and cold as the rain comes in?

The River Champions outreach program is available for students in grades 3-12, located in schools within the Fraser River Basin boundary. 

Grades 3-5  

Students explore the basics of climate science and river processes. Using a stream table model, students model different climate change scenarios and design infrastructure that could mitigate the damage caused by climate change. 

Grades 6-12  

Students discuss connections between climate change and land management practices, both traditional Indigenous and current industrial. Using a stream table model, students model different climate change scenarios and design infrastructure that could mitigate the damage caused by climate change. For the optional action project, students research how their communities may be susceptible to extreme weather events and climate change, and present their findings using ArcGIS Story Maps. A follow-up online workshop connects students to knowledge holders.

We’re a proud partner of GenAction; a national initiative designed to inspire youth to become innovative leaders in climate action now, and into the future. Visit GenAction for details.

Click here to book!

Join OWL (Orphaned Wildlife) Rehabilitation Society in this unique virtual experience to learn about the amazing species of raptors that call BC home, the features and adaptations that make them unique, how they respond to their environment, and about the dangers they face and how you can help. You also get the chance to meet some of OWL’s Raptor Ambassadors up close on camera! Each program will be focused to each grade level that is participating.

Have a specific topic in mind? We are more than happy to work with you to make the program you are looking for. Some popular requests include focusing on a specific species, such as owls or just hawks, life cycles, or food chains.

For more information or to book, please visit: https://www.owlrehab.org/education/virtual/

Can’t come to the Fraser River Discovery Centre? No problem! We can come to you! Two FRDC staff will bring all the materials necessary to run some of our most popular River School Programs right in your own classroom!

All materials will be fully sanitized between use, and the staff will wear masks. If there are additional safety protocols we need to follow, please contact us. Please note, small group work is part of each program, with frequent sanitation of touched objects.

Cost: $9 per student, plus $0.90 per kilometer between FRDC and your school.

Programs:

• Nature Walk (Grades 2-7)
  • On your last walk through nature, what did you notice? What did you wonder? In this program students will explore the connections between living things within their local environment (Kingdom Plantae). They will learn the connection between science and our communities and how they can begin to identify plants in their everyday lives. Students will learn some of the key identifiers of each sub-category in the Kingdom Plantae and use these skills on a nature walk. This information can then be used in the classroom to further investigate plants and find connections between plants, and between people and nature.
• Our Bones are Made of Salmon (Grades 4-7)
  • Indigenous people have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. This program explores the connection between Indigenous people and salmon on the Fraser River. Students get hands-on experience with fishing technology, learn about wind-drying salmon, and discover that salmon is in the hearts of Indigenous people living along the Fraser River today.
• Living Dinosaurs (Grades K-7)
  • Sturgeon are amazing fish that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Human influences over the past 150 years have threatened their existence. In this program, students will learn about the sturgeon lifecycle, survival needs, and what we can do to protect this remarkable species.
• Trading Trail (Grades 2-5)
  • The Fraser River is one of the world’s great rivers not only in its contribution to the environmental, cultural, and historical wealth of British Columbia, but because of its current pivotal role in the economy of BC. We are going to explore how people have used and shared the resources of the Fraser River, focusing on the tumultuous time when First Nations and Fur traders shared the river.
• Welcomed by the Water (K-3)
  • Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous peoples have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. They used native plants for food, medicine, building materials and more. This program explores the connection between Indigenous peoples, salmon, and the broader Fraser River Basin. Students experience the movement of salmon, storytelling and oral histories, and the many uses of native plants through an Indigenous perspective.
  • PLEASE NOTE: This program requires a large open space, like a covered play area or gymnasium.
• River of Stories (Grades K-2)
  • Join us as we journey down the river of stories from the headwaters to the mouth of the Fraser. Travelling along an interactive map, students will learn all about the Fraser River Basin through stories from the near and distant past. The program ends with a reflection on our place in this landscape, as students add their own story to the map. 
• Complexities and Compromises (Grades 8-12)
  • Many of the big decisions we face as individuals, communities, or nations don't have a correct answer. Making these decisions can be extremely challenging, as we grapple with information and misinformation, our own conscience, and strong opposing opinions. In the face of climate change, many of these decisions become even more challenging. In this program, students are sasked with deciding whether or not to approve a project that would have impacts on a global scale. We go step by step through the process, conducting research, mapping out consequences, and ultimately: deciding. 

For more information, visit our website or email us. 

Online booking form here. 

Bring the joy of discovery into your classroom with one of our brand new Education Kits! It’s all the hands-on learning you expect from the Fraser River Discovery Centre, conveniently packed into one easily transportable package. Our Kits include all the materials you’ll need, as well as detailed lesson plans, for inquiry-based learning about life right here in the Fraser River Basin. The Kits are fully sanitized between uses.

We currently have one on offer, but check-back soon, as more are in development!

138 Reasons We all know that salmon are important for people, both culturally and economically, but did you know that there are 138 other species that rely on salmon for their survival? Learn all about them through hands-on or eyes-on materials, interactive lessons, as well as a scientific experiment!

• Kit includes:
  • Detailed lesson plans
  • Salmon life-cycle refresher (video or narrated storybook available, based on age)
  • Salmon-arch building sets
  • Replica skulls of some of the 138 species
  • Water quality testing kits, including a Fraser River water sample

For more information, visit our website or email us. 

Online booking form here. 

Want something different in an outreach kit? Please fill in our educator survey to tell us what you need from an outreach kit, or email us your comments to programs@fraserriverdiscovery.org.