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Field Trip Information

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Successful Trips
• Field Trip Checklist
• Visitor Rules

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Schedule a Field Trip?
Register your group by calling the Allan Brooks Nature Centre, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. To avoid disappointment, please schedule as far in advance as possible. Guided trail walks and programs are available in the mornings, Monday through Friday from May through October, weather permitting.

What Are the Admission Fees?
Students are $3.00 each
Teachers and field trip aides are no charge with the ratio of 1 adult per 10 children.

How Many of Us Can Visit?
The capacity at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre for each field trip session is 30 participants, with an approximate group size of 10 students for each station. Sessions are usually one and a half to two hours in length.

What is the Recommended Adult-to-Student Ratio?
The ideal ratio is one adult or nature interpreter for every group of 10 students, for grades one and up. The preferred ratio for preschool and kindergarten is one adult for every group of 4-6 children. The number of guides available for your group is based on the number of students quoted at the time of reservation.

What About Rain?
Canceling grassland trail walks and outside activities due to rain is rare but will occur if the weather is too severe. We will do our best to find fun activities to do inside.

What Else Should I Know?
Your program date will be confirmed by phone. If you are not contacted, please call us to confirm your registration at least a week in advance. Picnic tables and a restroom facility are available. No food service or water fountains are provided but there is a vending machine on site with water, juice, and pop.

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For a Successful Field Trip

• Arrive On Time!
• Please arrive on schedule. Notify us if buses are running late! Groups who are more than 20 minutes late may not have the opportunity to experience a full learning program.
• Depart on Time Also! We often have tours booked back to back - we need your cooperation to make the transition from one group to another as smooth as possible.
• Students should be divided into their groups before visiting us. This will optimize your time and the student learning experience.
• There are male and female bathrooms located inside the building. Picnic tables are located outside. Please remind students that there is no water fountain and ensure that each child has enough drinking water! A First Aid kit and Bee Sting kit are available inside the building. Please note: There is a live bee display on the grounds!
• Remind students and chaperones of the importance of staying on the trails with their guide.

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Field Trip Checklist

1. Call one to two months in advance to schedule a specific date.
2. Notify the Nature Centre of final group size one week before your field trip. The fee will be assessed on that number of participants.
3. Payment in full is required on your arrival. You may also mail or hand deliver a cheque in advance.
4. The fee is $3.00 per person.
5. Please let us know in advance of any participants with special needs.
6. Divide your students into groups of 10 students before visiting.
7. Teachers and adult chaperones are admitted free. One adult chaperone is required for each group of children up to 10.
8. Wear appropriate clothing, and bring hats, jackets, and hiking shoes.
9. Familiarize students with the Visitor Rules and Guidelines (see below).
10. Questions? Call (250) 260-4227
11. Teachers are encouraged to visit the ABNC to pre-plan field trip. Contact the Nature Centre at 260-4227 to customize the program for your class.
12. Check out the recommended resources in preparation for your field trip.

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Visitor Rules and Guidelines

1. Supervision: We strongly recommend that all children be under adult supervision at all times and kindly ask all visitors to respect the facilities we have worked so hard to create. We have noticed that unsupervised students have a tendency to climb on fences, railings, rocks, and on the naturescape garden beds.
2. The trail is for pedestrian traffic only so please be considerate of others on the trail. Walking allows visitors to see and discover the wonders of nature more fully. The trail is wheelchair accessible, but requires assistance.
3. Please - no pets. We are just beginning to restore the grasslands for populations of Marmots, Spadefoot Toads, Bull Snakes and Bluebirds. Domestic animals disrupt this delicate environment.
4. Put trash in its place: Trash receptacles are located both inside and outside the Nature Centre. We also have recycling bins.
5. The whole site is a non-smoking environment.
6. Please, do not remove any material from the site.
7. Field guides are well trained and equipped to handle a variety of situations. Let them guide and follow their lead. They know best about the hazards of plant and animal life, terrain, and weather conditions. Their decisions to touch or not to touch, capture a critter or not, and so on, are to be followed by all visitors.
8. Collection: Please, do not remove any material from the site. In this environment, we are all visitors. We are guests in the home of the plants and animals living around the Nature Centre. As guests we are welcome to admire this home and study it-however, we try to leave it as we found it.

   Please remember this motto:
   TAKE NOTHING BUT MEMORIES. LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS.

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