Last week my UBC teacher education cohort, FLAGS, along with the French Education Specialists, were fortunate to travel up to the Cheakamus Outdoor Centre in Paradise Valley, formerly known as the North Vancouver Outdoor School.

Even more fortunate in my opinion were the multiple classes that were there for a variety of on-site overnight programs.

We saw students in hip waders in the river, trying out what it would feel like to be spawning salmon (I have so much to say about spawning salmon that you can expect an additional post!). Next the same students had the opportunity to help extract eggs and milt from the salmon in the small on-site hatchery. Another group were doing pond studies. They were catching various invertebrates from the pond, and perhaps a few stickleback as well, and taking them back to the lab to view them under a microscope. Over on the farm pigs were rooting around in the mud, and students were interacting with goats.

 In a outdoor covered space we saw children working on art projects. As our class left the big house, a group of grade four students arrived and were welcomed to where they would be spending the night.

The property was a hub of activity, and so large that there was space for so many groups and different activities. Many of the activities reminded me of my time working with the Nature School program at the Iris Griffith Nature Interpretive Centre. Additionally our class had the opportunity to try out the team building challenge area. It was a challenge but a lot of fun. We weren’t very successful at getting many people on the “all a board” plank, but my classmates did manage to get me up over a ten for wall!

I myself was so content to be out at the Centre for the day. As soon as we arrived I wasn’t inside for more than five minutes to drop off my backpack before I was outside to walk the boardwalk through the pond, climb the little bridge across the stream and watch spawning salmon, then scramble up the dyke to see the Cheakamus River alive with salmon and seagulls.

A good proportion of our day was spent outside, however we also spent time indoors to debrief our two-week practicum session, and to talk about teaching core French in schools. The lunch the centre served us was terrific. I can certainly confirm, as the North Vancouver School District claims as its slogan: “Nature is in session” because as we were eating lunch we saw out in the distance, across the parking lot, a black beat saunter by.
I left the centre sad to be leaving but so inspired after a great day outdoors. The site was a wonderful place, and I wish all students had the opportunity to take part in something  outdoors similar to this.
Currently one of my friends, a teacher candidate in Toronto, is attending Island Natural Science School with her students. I can’t wait to her about her experience, I have seen the school from the outside myself, and was very curious about it. It is located on Centre Island, a beautiful park-like natural setting just a ferry ride away from downtown Toronto. In the summer it is a great tourist attraction. It would be great if I could even have her write a blog post about the school to share about it!
Have you ever been the Cheakamus Centre as a student or a teacher? What other outdoor programs have you been a part of?

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