Nature Guelph Young Naturalists

Connect Kids to Nature Are you a young nature lover between the ages of 6 and 10? Join Nature Guelph Young Naturalists, an immersive hands-on education program that connects kids to nature. Explore the outdoors and grow your nature knowledge with naturalists from the GRCA and Nature Guelph. Nature Guelph, in partnership with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), is offering this program in and around the new Guelph Lake Nature Centre. Participants: Elementary school students between ages 6 and 10 Schedule: One Saturday a month, September through June, 10:00 am–12:00 pm with the exception of December’s Bird Banding and Christmas Bird Count for Kids, February’s Owl Prowl and April’s Frog Frolic. See details below. Location: Guelph Lake Nature Centre, 7743 Conservation Rd., Guelph (located in the Guelph Lake Conservation Area) Please email youthprograms@natureguelph.ca if you have any questions. Program Overview 2026–27 September 12 Incredible Insects Join us for The Great Bug Hunt. We will be using sweep nets to catch and release insects, spiders and other spineless wonders. October 17 Wildcrafting with Plants Did you know that the earth without art is just “eh”? We will be celebrating plants by creating natural dyes, eco-printing and making cordage with plant fibres. November 14 The Grand Escape We have merged two passions: escape rooms and nature for this program. Your young naturalist will be working with a team to solve a series of outdoor, nature-based puzzles about wildlife in the Grand River Watershed. Oh, to be a child again! December 5 – 9:00–11:00 am Bird Banding/Winter Birds with The Arboretum Naturalist Chris Earley Chris Earley will be leading this citizen science session about winter birds. If weather permits, we will be participating in bird-banding to help monitor bird populations. The early bird gets the worm, so we will be starting this program at 9:00 am. Program Location: Meet at the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre, The Arboretum, University of Guelph. December 19 – 9:00 am–12:00 pm Christmas Bird Count for Kids Please visit the Guelph Christmas Bird Count for Kids web page to sign up for this program. With your family, join Nature Guelph for an annual tradition. There will be a short introduction to bird identification and binocular use before we head out for a bird counting hike. After the hike, enjoy a hot drink and snacks at the tally rally. Please bring your own mug. Nature Guelph Young Naturalists must be accompanied by an adult. January 16 Animal Tracking/Snowshoeing Who made those tracks in the snow? Using clues that the animals leave behind, we will investigate what winter is like for wildlife. If there is enough snow, nature detectives will have an opportunity to explore on snowshoes. February 13 – 6:00–8:00 pm Owl Prowl with an introduction by Wild Ontario WHOOOO goes there? Let your eyes adjust to the dim light and keep your ears open as we explore the exciting world of owls and other night wonders. An introduction led by Wild Ontario includes close-up encounters with bird ambassadors. March 20 Journey North Monarch Migration Adventure and Campfire Social Journey North Monarch Migration Adventure 10:00–11:00 am; Campfire Social 11:00 am–12:00 pm What is life like for a migrating monarch butterfly? In this session, YOU are a monarch butterfly. Choose the safest migration route to Mexico where you will spend the winter months in the oyamel fir trees. A map will help guide your journey. Please bring your own mug, hotdogs and/or snack to cook over the fire for you and your family to enjoy during the Campfire Social. April 24 – 6:30–8:30 pm Frog Frolic What is one of the loudest creatures on earth? If you guessed a spring peeper, you are right! During this evening program, we will be dip-netting in the pond, looking for frogs. Bring rubber boots and a flashlight. May 15 Herptile Search at Sudden Tract Sudden Tract is one of the most biodiverse locations for herptiles in Southwestern Ontario. Nature Guelph Naturalists will be guiding this exploration as we search for snakes, frogs and salamanders. Nature Guelph Young Naturalists must be accompanied by an adult for this program. Program Location: Sudden Tract, Waterloo Regional Forest, 1841 Spragues Road, Cambridge, ON June 12 Pond Creatures We will use nets to “dip” in the pond to find out who makes this habitat their home. We will search for creatures like dragonfly nymphs, damsel fly nymphs, water scorpions, frogs, turtles and more. There will also be an opportunity to look at some of the smaller creatures up close using a digital microscope. Bring boots or shoes that you can get wet.