Branch Out!
The Conservation Youth Corps “Branch Out!” Program enhances the secondary science and geography curriculum and raises students’ awareness about local climate change issues. Students are inspired to discover nature in their community and participate in a community stewardship project.
The “Branch Out!” program package involves:
1. An interactive in-school presentation – a half-hour presentation filled with engaging visuals to enhance the students’ understanding of the local environment and climate change. This presentation is mandatory since a health and safety discussion will be included in the presentation material.
2. A FULL-DAY local field study and tree planting – building on the in-school presentation, students visit a local natural area for a full day field experience. The students will plant trees with expert CVC staff and participate in two ecosystem-based field studies.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The program is designed as a full day field trip, and can accommodate up to 90 students per day from the same school (approximately 2-4 classes). Teachers are encouraged to register as a group or department. Ideally, we would like to fill 2 buses for each Branch Out field trip. Accommodations can be made for variable groups sizes, program times (half-day option), and the activities delivered, which can be negotiated on a case by case basis.
There is no cost to participate in the program. Busing costs can be reimbursed up to 50%.
Branch Out! will be offering programming to secondary schools within the Credit Valley Watershed (see map) from April 2, 2012 – June 21, 2012.
We will begin booking in-class presentations immediately.
Registration is based on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For more information or to register your class please contact Cameron Parrack, Branch Out! Coordinator at cparrack@creditvalleyca.ca.
Branch Out FAQ’s
1. What is the cost of the trip?
There is no cost to participate in the field trip however the school is responsible for booking and covering the cost of the buses to and from the field trip site.
2. Where is the location of the trip?
We have several different field trip sites depending on where your school is located in the watershed. The sites are often in a community park or public green space. We do our best to choose a location closest to your school to reduce travel time.
3. How do we take part in the 50% busing reimbursement?
After the field trip please submit a record of the total cost of the bus to CVC via fax. Indicate that you wish to be reimbursed for 50% of the total busing cost. A cheque will be mailed to your school shortly thereafter. To receive your 50% reimbursement you must have a minimum of 25 students on-board the bus.
4. How long is the trip?
The program generally will run for a full day. Start and finish times will be variable depending on bus availability. There will be a 90min activity in the morning, a 60min lunch break and a 90min activity in the afternoon. The field trip will run for approximately 4 hours (not including bus travel time to and from the site) depending on the location and the dynamics of the field trip site.
5. What type of activities will students be participating in?
Students will be participating in 3 different activities:
1. Tree planting (90min): Not only will students get their hands dirty planting trees, they will learn how to identify common native tree species, understand how tree planting contributes to the health of the local ecosystem and how planting trees helps to mitigate climate change.
2. Forest Ecosystem Study (45min): A math lesson in the forest! Students will use tools to measure trees and identify signs of tree disease and stress.
3. Water Quality Monitoring (45min): Students learn about the connections between land-use change (urbanization of the landscape) and storm water management. By testing the water chemistry we can determine the health of the river and identify possible impacts on aquatic species.
6. Is there a lunch/snack break?
There will be a scheduled lunch break during the program. Students will need to bring a litter-less lunch.
7. How many students can I bring?
There must be a minimum of 25 students and a maximum of 90 students in order for the program to run. Ideally, we would like to fill 2 busses for each Branch Out field trip. This is a general guideline, but the program can be altered based on the specific needs of the participant school or class.
Sign Up
Please contact Cameron Parrack, Branch Out Coordinator (cparrack@creditvalleyca.ca), if you have any additional questions or comments. Our aim is to deliver the Branch Out program to as many students as possible. The program can be flexible to meet the specific needs of your group.
