School Programs
Bow Habitat Station will be closed to the public December 24, 2024 through January 1, 2025. Public hours resume January 2, 2025.
Immersive, hands-on learning about fish, watersheds, wetlands and aquatic ecology
These curriculum-based school programs use specialized teaching tools and place-based resources to inspire curiosity and build students' connections with the world around them.
For the best possible learning experience:
- Programs are based on class sizes of:
- Preschool: Maximum of 30 people - including students and adult supervisors
- Kindergarten to Grade 6: Maximum of 36 people - including students and adult supervisors
- Grade 7-12: Maximum of 25 students
- Combining classes is not permitted.
- Program itineraries allow time for self-exploration of the Discovery Centre and Aquariums.
- Full-day programs include a space for lunch break.
2024-2025 School Year Programs
Select from half-day or ful-day school programs designed to meet the needs of specific grades and topics:
Preschool and Kindergarten
Program Theme: Fish & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 1.5 hr. (half-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 45 min.
- Self-guided exploration: 45 min.
Cost: $150 per class (up to three classes per day)
Journey through the life of Alberta's rainbow trout - from egg to adult - through a play-based activity that will captivate your imagination and activate your senses.
This program includes a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery.
Program Theme: Fish & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 2-2.5 hr. (half-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 1.5 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 0.5-1 hr.
Half-day Program Cost: $250 per class
Dive into life underwater and activate your senses to investigate Alberta's fish! Journey through the life cycle, learn about the habitat, and uncover the physical characteristics of the rainbow trout through play-based activities in the Discovery Centre.
This program includes a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery.
Optional: Make your Visit a Full Day
Full-day Program Cost: $350 per class (up to three classes per day)
Extending your visit to a full day includes a lunchroom, and additional time for exploration of the Discovery Centre or the Interpretive Wetlands.
Grades 1 to 3
Program Theme: Life Cycles, Food Chains & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Explore the life cycle of the rainbow trout through guided play-based activities and a whole lot of imagination! Every stage of this program is designed to give students room to engage and explore trout and their aquatic habitat.
This program includes a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery and guided exploration of the Aquariums.
Program Theme: Water Cycle, Watersheds & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Using hands-on science exploration, theatre, games, and outdoor learning, take a deep dive into the incredible substance that connects all living things: water.
This program includes a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery and guided outdoor exploration of the seasonal ecology of the Bow River watershed.
Program Theme: Wetlands, Aquatic Ecology & Biodiversity
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program)
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Using hands-on activities, exploration and outdoor learning, uncover the mysteries of marshes and the plants and animals that make their home in these ecosystems.
This program includes a marsh dipping experience and a guided trek in the Interpretive Wetlands to highlight the seasonal ecology and our connections to nature.
Grades 4 to 6
Program Theme: Fish & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Using the life cycle of the rainbow trout, explore the science of aquatic ecology, fish anatomy and adaptations through guided activities and hands-on games.
This program includes guided exploration of the Aquariums and a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery.
Program Theme: Watersheds & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program):
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Connect the movement of water with the habitats around us, identifying how plants and animals use water to meet their basic needs. Students will use hands-on science investigation, outdoor exploration and storytelling to follow the water cycle through the watershed, deepening ecological understanding of the Bow River.
This program includes a Fish Feeding experience in the Fish Hatchery and guided outdoor exploration through the seasonal ecology of the riverine forest.
Program Theme: Wetlands, Aquatic Ecology & Biodiversity
Recommended length of visit: 4.5 hr. (full-day program)
- Staff-led activities: 3 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 1.5 hr. (including lunch break)
Cost: $350 per class
Using outdoor exploration and hands-on science investigation, explore the biodiversity and the ways that plants, animals and humans interconnect and rely on each other in wetland ecosystems. Dip into a nutrient-rich marsh to uncover aquatic invertebrates and their role in these ecosystems.
This program includes a marsh dipping experience and highlights the seasonal ecology of a riverine forest through a guided trek in the Interpretive Wetlands.
Grades 7 - 12
Program Theme: Outdoor Recreation, Fish & Aquatic Ecology
Recommended length of visit: 2.0 hr. (half-day program)
- Staff-led activities: 1.5 hr.
- Self-guided exploration: 0.5 hr.
Cost: $200 per class of up to 25 students, plus maximum of 5 adult volunteers
Build fish ID skills and knowledge with live fish in the Aquariums. Learn how to use fish anatomy to identify Alberta’s sportfish, dive into the role of fishing regulations in protecting fish populations, and uncover the basic fishing gear to be a responsible angler. Gain hands-on experience with fish handling in the Fish Hatchery.
This program includes Fish Feeding, hands-on fish handling experience in the Fish Hatchery and guided exploration in the Aquariums.
Recommended for:
- Smaller group sizes
- Junior and Senior High Environmental and Outdoor Education classes
Book a Program
Bookings for the 2024-25 school year open August 28, 2024 at 9:00 AM.
When booking a program, be sure to have the following information ready:
- School name
- Grade of students
- Number of classes
- Estimated number of students per class
- Name of the program you wish to book
- Preferred dates
Notes on availability:
- Bow Habitat Station is closed Mondays.
- A maximum of two or three classes per day is possible, depending on the season.
- Half-day versions of full-day programs can be booked to accommodate early dismissals.
Program Policies
Program Supervision Policy
Adult supervisors are required for all school programs. Mandatory adult-to-child ratios are:
- 1:6 for Preschool, Kindergarten and Grades 1-5
- 1:8 for Grades 6-12
Payment Policy
Payment is required a minimum of 30 calendar days in advance of your program date.
Programs booked within 30 calendar days of their scheduled program date must make their payment in full within the next 48 hours to secure the booking.
Cancellation policy
Bow Habitat Station reserves the right to cancel or change program activities due to unexpected business interruptions and/or severe weather warnings issued by Environment Canada. This includes:
- Air Quality Health Index levels of 7 or above
- Extreme cold (-25 degrees or lower)
- Extreme heat (35 degrees or greater)
- Heavy rain
- Hail
- Thunderstorm of tornado warnings
- Wind gusts of 50 km/hr or greater
Cancellations requests received 30 calendar days in advance of their program date are eligible for a refund less a $50 per class cancellation fee.
Cancellations requests received 14-29 calendar days in advance of their program date are eligible for a refund less a $100 per class cancellation fee.
No refunds are available for cancellations made within 14 calendar days of their program date.
More Program Opportunities
In search of programs for a shorter visit or self-led learning? Check out programs and pricing for groups of all sizes:
Updated: Aug 26, 2024