School Programs
Grades K-12
Wake your students up! Get them outdoors and up close and personal with nature.
Scout Island Nature Centre offers nature programs for grades K-12 from September through June. The programs always offer direct experience with nature and may take place at the Nature Centre, at or near a school, or in other locations such as the Community Forest, Dairy Fields and Minton Creek.
The programs offered change with the season and with staff availability. All our programs are linked to Prescribed Learning Outcomes for each grade. Depending on the time of year, the programs are led by our Education Coordinator and Nature Educators, or student naturalists (university students on staff from May-August).
Our educators will work with elementary schools to develop activities that include outdoor nature exploration throughout the year in a variety of ways. They will help you explore the areas on your school grounds and nearby forest or wetland – to study, enjoy, and take care of the natural world. We encourage teachers to contact us to discuss specifics of your outdoor exploration.
Examples of Program Themes
- Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
- Salmon
- Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates
- Climate change
General Information
Cost
Programs are free to classes from School District #27. Other schools pay $5 per student, with a minimum cost of $30 for a program, plus mileage if out-of-town travel is required.
Sponsors
Our programs receive generous support from:
- School District 27
- City of Williams Lake
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Community members and businesses
- Volunteer time from the Williams Lake Field Naturalists
BE PREPARED FOR THE OUTDOORS
- Dress in layers for the weather
- Wear good walking shoes, or boots for wet weather
- Bring water, sun hats, sun block as needed
NATURE ETIQUETTE
We are guests in the home of the plants and animals living at the Nature Centre. We admire and observe them and then leave them as found.
- Please stay on trails
- We encourage “No Garbage” lunches and snacks
- Use of electronic devices is discouraged
Primary & Intermediate School Programs
Spring school programs (May and June)
Typically, half day sessions for grades K-7, led by student naturalists on a variety of nature topics. Programs can either be at the Nature Centre or at your school. Details are available by May 1.
Fall / Winter (September – April)
Half or full day sessions at the Nature Centre or at your school. Led by our Education Coordinator or Nature Educators on a variety of nature topics.
For more information about this season’s programs or to book a program call 250-398-8532 or contact Martin at ed.coordinator@scoutisland.ca.
High school Programs
Grades 9-12 Salmon Trip
Individual students can apply to take part in the three-day September “Salmon Trip” at Gavin Lake and Quesnel River Research Centre. This trip offers a variety of activities including brood stock collection, aquatic insect research, stream surveys, salmon habitat investigation and more hands-on salmon related activities.
Environmental Experience Exposure for grades 10-12
Scout Island staff lead a series of environmental field trips designed to give students hands on experience and knowledge about the local environment and to learn about careers in this field. Typically, 3-5 day-long field trips are offered during the school year.
Student participation
- Each day trip will require students to attend a lunch hour meeting a week ahead of the field trip in order to be prepared.
- The field trips will take place at a variety of sites close to the high school including; Scout Island Nature Centre, Gavin Lake Forestry Camp, and UBC Research Forest. Except for the Salmon Trip, these will be school day trips with most trips taking place within school hours.
For more information about this season’s programs or to book a program call 250-398-8532 or contact Martin at ed.coordinator@scoutisland.ca.
Salmonids in the Classroom Program
Scout Island Nature Centre provides this program for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This program is open to grades K-12 at no cost to schools (both SD #27 and private schools).
Each classroom/school will have a tank and all the equipment necessary to raise Chinook fry from the eyed egg stage through to the fry stage. We provide support to the teacher and class through advice, help with maintenance, and in-class lessons related to each life stage.
Classes that do not want to host a tank can also follow the salmon using the tank at the Nature House and using the excellent materials listed below. We will provide the same lessons when the class visits the Nature House.
In late spring, all the classes are invited to Scout Island to release fry and take part in a variety of related activities.
Contact the Nature Centre to join this program. This is a great program for integrating environmental learning into all curriculum areas.
Resources
There are easy-to-use resource materials for grades K-12 available online.
Outreach and Education – Resilient Coasts for Salmon
Learning resources | Pacific Region | Fisheries and Oceans Canada
K-12 education: Stream to Sea | Pacific Region | Fisheries and Oceans Canada
scout island school report 2025
As the school year comes to a close, we are reflecting on our time with the students who visited Scout Island, and looking forward to the beginning of summer programs. It was quite a busy two months at the Nature Centre! Our summer staff this year consisted of three students from Williams Lake.
This year’s returning staff member is Adrien Zimmerman who is studying Integrated Science at UNBC. Our new staff this year are Timu Kruus, who is studying Conservation Biology at UofA, and Addyson Cullum, who is beginning studies at TRU this fall.
