School Programs

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.

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.

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.

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