Canadian Wildlife Federation cover photo

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Workshop Series

Ready to make education a little more WILD? Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation for an interactive exploration of environmental education! Through this series of workshops, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of environmental and conservation education, while filling your educational toolbox with interdisciplinary resources, activities, and teaching practices that can each be adapted for any age, grade level or subject. 


CWF Workshop image of youth

Environmental Education 101

Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation as we introduce you to the core aspects of environmental education and share some interdisciplinary tools and techniques you can use in your teaching practice to inspire students to learn about and connect with nature! Through this free introductory session, we’ll touch on key learning theories and talk about the many benefits of environmental education to student health and development. By the end, you’ll leave with ideas that you can easily implement in your own classroom. 

*Limited to 25 people

Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location:  University of Calgary campus
Cost: Free

Project WILD

Project WILD

Ready to dig a little deeper into environmental education but don’t have the tools to get started? Project WILD – a stable in environmental education – is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that helps learners develop the awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment needed to make informed decisions and take action for the environment. Throughout this hands-on workshop, we’ll demonstrate a variety of lesson plans, activities, and tools that you can use to teach about wildlife, habitat, and water.

*Limited to 25 people.

This is a 3-part workshop. Attendance at all three sessions is required to qualify for completion.

  • Session #1: Wednesday, October 2, 2024
  • Session #2: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
  • Session #3: Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Time:  7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location: Zoom

Cost: $72

Workshop cost includes all sessions, a print copy of the activity guide and materials shipped to you, digital resources, and a certificate of completion.

By taking part you will receive:

  • a professional development certificate to add to your resume
  • a print copy of our Project guide filled with 146 interdisciplinary resources, lessons, and activities on topics ranging from adaptation to food webs, migration, the water cycle and much more!
  • supplemental teaching resources
Below Zero

Below Zero

Where do dragonflies go when the snow flies? What keeps wood frogs from croaking in winter? Most Canadians live with snow and ice for at least five months of the year, yet we know surprisingly little about life in frozen environments. Join us for an amazing sub-zero safari into the winter world of wildlife and discover new ways to engage students in hands-on experiential learning during the winter months!

*Limited to 25 people.

This is a 2-part workshop. Attendance at both sessions is required to qualify for completion.

  • Session #1: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
  • Session #2: Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Zoom

Cost: $60

Workshop cost includes all sessions, a print copy of the activity guide and materials shipped to you, digital resources, and a certificate of completion.

By taking part you will receive:

  • a professional development certificate to add to your resume
  • a copy of the Below Zero activity guide filled with 46 curriculum-based lesson plans and games for teaching in winter!
  • supplemental teaching resources
NatureSketch event

NatureSketch

Join CWF as we explore nearby nature and introduce you to the essentials of nature sketching! Through the lens of art, you can inspire observation and appreciation of the natural world among your students using only a pencil and a sketchbook. Through this hands-on art-based workshop you will learn about some of the local flora and fauna living in your own community, while exploring lines, shapes, texture, shading and perspective.

*Art supplies will be provided for use during the workshop.

Date: TBA

Time: TBA

Duration: 3 hours

Location: University of Calgary campus

Cost: $15 plus tax

By taking part you will receive:

  • a professional development certificate to add to your resume
  • a digital teaching guide containing hands-on lessons you can readily use with students
  • a set of full-colour wildlife posters for your classroom! 
CWF Workshop Participants July 2024

Summer Series Session

Community-Based students are invited to join a Canadian Wildlife Federation session while they are on campus for their summer courses. Please check back each summer as the sessions change year to year.

Eco-Explorers: Unleashing Environmental Education in Any Greenspace

July 11, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Nature is everywhere! Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation for a fun and interactive workshop designed for educators who are eager to leverage the greenspaces in their schools and communities for outdoor learning! Whether you have access to a sprawling naturalized space or just a small patch of green, this workshop will empower you to uncover the endless possibilities for environmental education right outside your door.


Program Learning Outcomes

  • Apply a variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of individual learners in different educational settings
  • Develop stronger connections to the professional community and specific organizations
  • Examine a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in non-traditional educational settings
  • Examine how educators apply teaching concepts in their daily work
  • Examine how programs and educators create communities that are conducive to teaching and learning
  • Share and receive knowledge regarding teacher education and teaching practice

Experiential Learning Check-In & Reflection Opportunities

All participants in Experiential Learning programs are welcome and encouraged to attend at least two of the check-in & reflection sessions below as part of their program. Reflection is an incredibly important part of experiential learning. It encourages students to consider their experience so far and to adjusted as needed as they go forward through the rest of their program, or into the next step of their career.


Fall Check-In & Reflection Sessions

  • Tuesday, October 15, 2024: 9:30 am (Zoom)
  • Monday, October 21, 2024: 2:30 pm (in-person, register here)
  • Tuesday, October 29, 2024: 5:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Monday, November 4, 2024: 9:30 am (Zoom)
  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024: 12:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Friday, November 29, 2024: 9:30 am (in-person, register here)
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2024: 5:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Thursday, December 12, 2024: 9:30 am (in-person, register here)

Winter Check-In & Reflection Sessions

  • Monday, January 20, 2025: 9:30 am (in-person, register here)
  • Monday, January 20, 2025: 2:30 pm (Zoom)
  • Thursday, January 30, 2025: 9:00 am (in-person, register here)
  • Monday, February 3, 2025: 9:30 am (in-person, register here)
  • Tuesday, February 4, 2025: 12:00 pm (Zoom)
  • Thursday, February 20, 2025: 1:30 pm (Zoom)
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2025: 5:00 pm (Zoom)