These workshops for children at the GAMIING Centre are curriculum-based and can be specialized to fit within a group's current field of study. The workshops offered can be tailored to your needs, and adjusted to specific grades or degrees of study.

Several in-school workshops should be available by the fall of 2008.

Our current on-site workshops for children include the following:

What's Wild? (K-3)
Students explore different areas out at GAMIING to see differences between "domesticated" and "wild" animals. They also learn that wildlife occurs in a great variety of forms.

Wildlife is Everywhere (K-3+)
In this program students are taken along the GAMIING trail system to search the various habitats for evidence of wildlife (e.g., meadow, forest, wetland/pond).

Everybody Needs a Home (K-3)
Students learn to generalize that animals/people need a home and that a home is not just a house/shelter. Introduced is the concept that a home is more like a neighborhood, which has everything in it that the animals and other critters need for survival.

Learning to Look, Looking to See (K-8)
Students will explore the differences viewed in an environment as a result of casual and detailed observations. They will learn the importance of closely observing any environment, and will be able to describe and classify species of flora and fauna as well as different habitats, geographic features, etc.

Interpretive Trail Walk (K-8)
Students are taken on a guided interpretive trail walk. In this program students will have the opportunity to visit and compare different habitats and watch for signs of wildlife.

Ethical Wildcrafting (K-8)
Students will use ethical methods of harvesting materials from nature to make crafts. Crafts range from Dream catchers to bird feeders; tree rubbing and sketching are other options. At the end of the day the students have a craft they can take home and teach others about what they have learned.

Pond Study (Gr 2-8)
Students will investigate, analyze and discuss the following: Ribbon of Life/Riparian Zones, Food chains, Life cycles (Pond life cycle, frog, dragonfly, etc.). Learn about life cycles and how they react to change in environment, aquatic invertebrates study, water cycle, and erosion problems and solutions.

Soil Studies (Gr 4-5)
Students will investigate, analyze and discuss the following: soil profiles, classifying soil types, the importance of organic matter in soils, root types and they way they travel.

Orienteering (Gr 3-8)
Students travel in groups throughout the trail system (supervised by teachers or parents), following preset bearings at different stages, and eventually rendezvous at a central location.

Introduction to Ecosystems (Gr 7)
Abiotic and biotic components comprise a variety of ecosystems. An overview of habitat, community, producer, consumer and decomposer is given to illustrate the interactions within an ecosystem. A guided trail walk is conducted to point out different ecosystems and their components.

Tree Identification (Gr 7&8)
In this program, students will examine how people and natural ecosystems rely on trees. They will discuss characteristics that can be used to identify trees and diseases of trees.

Water Systems (Gr 8)
Students will investigate, analyze, and discuss the following: the importance of fresh water to the sustainability of life on earth, watersheds, water bodies and tributaries, the water cycle, wetlands, pollution and steps to prevent pollution in our watersheds.

Nature Club is an informal, monthly, hands-on science enrichment program for children ages 8 to 13. Through a variety of fun indoor and outdoor activities, children can explore environmental and biological concepts, current issues, and the beauty of our natural surroundings. Through observation, experiment or art, children can learn to connect to our natural world.

Our Objectives:

• Enhance observation skills.
• Develop critical thinking skills.
• Introduce measuring and monitoring equipment.
• Introduce environmental concepts.
• Expand individual environmental interests.
• Develop environmental ethics.
• Introduce classification systems.

Some Activities: Bug collections, raising butterflies and moths, plant pressing, sampling aquatic invertebrates, water quality sampling, interactive group games, orienteering challenges, carbon calculators and measuring ecological footprints, frog monitoring, weather studies, etc.

GAMIING provides a unique natural outdoor venue to explore hands-on environmental education. Through your experiences and interactions with GAMIING, we hope to provide a memorable adventure.

With enough interest, Nature Club can expand to accommodate individuals of all ages.

When and Where: Nature Club is offered on the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., beginning March 7, 2009. We meet in the Discovery Shack located by the parking lot off of the west driveway.

Cost: $10.00/session/child

Please make cheque payable to: GAMIING Inc.

Upon registration, a package with complete details will be mailed out.

Each 5-day Summer Nature Camp at GAMIING has a maximum of 6 participants (ages 6 to 12) to ensure that all kids can become an EcoGuardian.

Camp #1: July 6-10
Camp #2: July 13-17
Camp #3: July 20-24
Camp #4: July 27-31

Camp runs 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We meet in the Discovery Shack located by the parking lot off of the west driveway.

What is an EcoGuardian?
An EcoGuardian is a person, no matter what age, who knows his or her place in nature; knows that humans and wildlife share environments; takes steps to learn more about this; and practices healthy living in harmony with nature.

Our Summer Nature Camp program emphasizes ecological awareness and leadership. This program focuses on the wise use of our natural resources and on educating students about the role they can play in caring for and improving the quality of their local environment. Students learn about their natural history, water conservation, the need for lakeshore preservation, how to reduce climate change, and other practical ways to play their part in making the world a better place.

In addition the program focuses on discoveries in the natural world, be it in the forest, the wetland or meadows. New discoveries are made each day. Exploration of habitats, animal tracking and learning survival skills will help campers understand our place in nature — and have fun doing it!

Each day starts in the Discovery Shack with a game that relates to the theme of the day. The Camp will conclude with a Show and Tell for parents, friends and relatives.

Cost: The cost of the Day Camps is $150.00 for the first child and $125.00 for each subsequent child. A $50.00 deposit is to be paid by June 13, with the balance due on the first day of Camp.

Please make cheque payable to: GAMIING Inc.

Upon registration, a package with complete details will be mailed out.