In response to a survey sent to all teachers in the local schoolboards, conducted this past Spring, Gamiing is developing an educational program modeled around the concept of the ecological footprint.

The EcoGuardian Program is aimed at developing a deeper understanding of our ecological impact on the natural world .
This program will explain and demonstrate the links between human action and environmental degradation, advance student's understanding of our natural resources and gives them the tools to become active participants in their school and their community.

The EcoGuardian Program incorporates both On-site and Outreach programs,consisting of the following components:

Outreach:

1.Travelling Exhibits: Discover various objects and concepts through hands-on interactive exhibits. Each exhibit will be thematically aligned with our mission and mandate and with the Ontario curriculum targets. The traveling exhibits consist of 5 theme based large-scale portable units (approx. 100-200sqft.).Each unit is focused on the central Interpretive themes of GAMIING: conservation and protection of biodiversity, wetlands, natural and cultural history, and regional geologic history. Four units will be connected by the 5th unit which is focused on Environmental Stewardship. The Environmental Stewardship Kiosk will link all our exhibits through an interactive community based arts program.

2.Discovery Box: Discovery Boxes will be "Nature Centre-in-a-box" traveling resource modules that teachers can use in their own classrooms. They will be designed to stimulate critical thinking and educate through excitement by involving students in active hands-on learning.

3. Puppet Show: a fun, ecological and entertaining 1 hour show. Example: "The Importance of Water": Join Woody the Tree, Barry the Beaver and Ted the Turtle as they otroduce the water cycle, human impacts on the environment and ways of helping conserve our water.

4. Touch Table Tour: Planned is to have our Nature Interpreters come into the schools to present a minimum of 4 touch table topics. Students then can explore each table for 20 minutes rotations. Each table is set up with artifacts and collections surrounding a specific topic such as: animal classification, habitat and adaptation, fur-feathers and scales, rocks and minerals, plants, wetlands, lifecycles. Time - 2 or 3 hour program

On site:

When schools are able to come to the Centre we offer the following topics to various levels:

What is wild?, Wildlife is everywhere, Everybody needs a home, Learning to Look, Looking to See, Interpretive Trail Walk, Ethical Wildcrafting, Pond Study, Orienteering, Soil Studies, Introduction to Ecosystems, Tree Identification, Water Systems

We thank the Community Environment Fund for their generous support.