Creatures of Habitat
Welcome to Creatures of Habitat - an immersive, place-based environmental education program that has engaged thousands of youth in environmental stewardship and restoration for over 10 years. Designed for middle schools across Greater Victoria, this full-day experience immerses students in the vital world of habitat restoration through hands-on activities and engaging in-class lessons.
Creatures of Habitat aims to inspire a lifelong commitment to environmental conservation. By actively involving students in habitat restoration, we empower them to make a positive impact on their community and the planet.
A Day in the Riparian Zone
Riparian zones play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health by serving as vital buffers between land and water, supporting biodiversity, filtering pollutants, stabilizing stream banks, and providing habitat for wildlife.
The Creatures of Habitat program engages and empowers youth to protect their local riparian zones, and to understand the interconnectedness of the land and water.
Outdoor activities play a central role in our program, offering students the opportunity to get their hands dirty and make a tangible impact on their environment. From invasive species removal to tree mulching, salmon fry releases to garbage clean-ups, students will actively contribute to the preservation of their natural surroundings.
Before the main event, students receive an in-class lesson on the riparian zone and the native and invasive plant species that we often find in these important areas.
As passionate stewards of the environment, we deliver this program completely free-of-charge to participating public schools, aiming to inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.
Bonus Activity: Salmon Fry Release
In partnership with the Stream to Sea education program by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), we offer streamside education and salmon fry release experiences.
Thousands of students across B.C. and Yukon participate in Stream to Sea's Classroom Incubation program, learning about salmon in a hands-on way with their very own classroom aquarium, stocked with salmonid eggs.
When the salmon fry are ready to leave their aquariums, we bring classrooms to their local creek for streamside education, and students and volunteers release the fry, and send them on their way, on their magical journey to the sea.
If your class is participating in the Classroom Incubation program, and you'd like to pair your fry release with our Watershed and Salmon Life Cycle programs, please leave us a note on our Education Booking form.
Volunteering
The success of Creatures of Habitat relies on the support of volunteers, as each event requires anywhere from 15 to 25 volunteers to help with the outdoor activities.
We need enthusiastic and responsible adult volunteers to join us in supervising these outdoor activities. No restoration experience is necessary – we'll provide all the training you need. As a volunteer, you'll have the rewarding opportunity to work alongside youth, guiding them through hands-on restoration work and helping them develop a deeper appreciation for nature.
Volunteer shifts typically run from ~8:30am to 2:45pm, depending on the school's bell schedule. Whether you can spare a day or two, your contribution will make a difference in empowering the next generation of environmental stewards.
Sign up to volunteer today and be a part of the Creatures of Habitat journey!
Testimonials
"From my class, I can already see that the experience was really impactful. About a week later, my class was walking through the Colquitz River Trail to get to skating and a couple students commented that we should really get down there to "remove some crowns" because they saw lots of blackberry bushes. Another student who loves Minecraft told me that when he held the pickaxe-looking tool that it was like his dream of mining was coming true."
Skye Scott
Teacher, Colquitz Middle School
Have you participated in our programs? We'd love to hear from you!