Community Programs

Adrien Zimmerman runs a skull and animal tracks lesson for children during a Summer Day Camp.

Community Programs

Scout Island Nature Centre offers summer day camps, talks, outdoor explorations and other nature-centred programs offered by partners in the community.

Spring Break Nature Camp

March 23-27, 2026. Ages 7-11

Spring Break Nature Camp is now open for registration. This spring break our small group will dive into the wonderful world of nature as creatures being to wake from their winter slumber.

Spring Break Camp is a week long program offered at Scout Island Nature Centre led by educator Mark Gill. Children, aged 7-11, can register for the week and participate in child-led creative projects/games, form friendships and explore nature. As creatures begin to wake from their winter slumber, we’ll lean into the opportunities that variable spring weather presents and get curious about birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians; rocks and water.

Monday to Friday March 23-27, 2026

Drop off 8:30-9:00 (Program 9:00-3:00) | Pick up 3:00-3:30

Please follow the Facebook page to stay up to date with current programming.

Summer Day Camp

Ages 4-13

These fun programs, offered in July and August each summer, are led by enthusiastic student naturalists. Weekly themes keep the activities varied and lively. You need to register ahead of time. Once registration is open, the programs below will have links to EventBrite for registration and payment.

Note: Four-year-olds must be entering Kindergarten.

We aim to have information available by mid May for summer 2026 programs. Here are the programs from summer 2025:

Art in Nature: A single day program for ages 9-13. Runs in July and August. 8:30-4:30, $35/day
Nature Fun: A single day program for ages 4-8. Runs in July and August. 9:30-2:30, $30/day
Wild Week Junior: A four-day program for ages 6-9. Runs July 21-24. 9:30-2:30, $110/week
Wild Week Senior: A four-day program for ages 10-13. Runs August 5-8. 8:30-4:30, $130/week

The costs of these programs are kept low, thanks to generous donations from:

City of Williams Lake
BC Community Gaming grant
Federal Summer Jobs Program subsidy
Community members and businesses
Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake through the Central Cariboo Arts & Culture Society
Volunteer time from the Williams Lake Field Naturalists.

Nature Fun participants feed each other honey while blindfolded to simulate the darkness of a beehive.

Nature Fun participant digs up an animal bone during a lesson on dinosaurs.

For more information and times call 250-398-8532 or email ed.coordinator@scoutisland.ca.

Public Programs

All Ages

Scout Island Nature Centre offers a variety of public programs year-round (some free and some for a fee). Talks and outdoor explorations cover a wide range of nature-related topics.

The Williams Lake Field Naturalists offer a number of evening presentations open to members and the public throughout the year. These are hosted at the Nature House.

These members of a seniors group are enjoying a break outside the nature house.

Please follow our Facebook page to stay up to date with current programming or visit What’s New.

Tales & Trails

Ages 0-5

Tales and Trails is an adult/child program for children ages 0-5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This program is a partnership between Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy and Scout Island Nature Center. The program is free and all are welcome to attend.

Every Wednesday at 10:30 we meet under the outdoor learning structure for songs and stories. We then head off to dawdle and explore a chosen trail. The program does not run for the month of September or December. It re-starts in January, meeting inside the Nature House for songs, stories and a chance to properly dress for our winter walk. (Except in extreme cold temperatures) We run through Spring Break, welcoming older siblings to join along. After the break we begin our sessions back outside until the end of June.

Please follow the Facebook page to stay up to date with current programming.

Get Outside!

Nature programs are available for community groups of all ages (children to adult). Programs are generally 2-4 hours long and change according to the season. The cost for each program depends on the number of participants and length of time requested. It is generally $5 per participant or a minimum of $30 for the 2-hour program.

Please contact Scout Island at 250-398-8532 or by email manager@scoutisland.ca.

Photo credits: Marianne Piller

Nature Fun Birthday Parties

Book your child’s birthday party at Scout Island. We will supply a 1½ hour nature program (walk, games, and activities) for the children, and you will supply the cake and goodies. Cost is $75 for 1-8 children, $5 for each additional child.

Please contact Scout Island at 250-398-8532 or by email manager@scoutisland.ca.

Exploring the Puddle Preschool

As of 2025, Scout Island Nature Centre is hosting the Puddle Explorers, an intrepid group of preschool children who can be found exploring the trails at the Scout Island, and enjoying nature in all seasons. This Nature Preschool Program is open to children aged 2.5-5 years. This program is brimming with engaging activities and provocations, and our learning space embraces exploration, curiosities and discovery.

The children are nurtured as capable learners, expressing their self-identity through their creative processes and projects. Keeping the importance of play-based learning in mind, our educators encourage discussion and critical thinking through the children’s activities. Recognizing the importance of outdoor play, the children go for daily outings on the trails.