Family Programs

Read our accessibility statement, or visit the registration links below to learn how we can adapt certain programs. Please contact us if you have any feedback. Full refunds are available up to 2 weeks before each program.

Treetop Tales

Join us for stories at the Ecology Centre every Friday, except holidays, from 11:00 am to 11:30 am. Suitable for ages 2 and up, with an adult. No registration required. By donation, cash and card accepted. The Ecology Centre is an accessible building.

City Nature Challenge

Support biodiversity by documenting the huge variety of species that call the District of North Vancouver home! The City Nature Challenge invites cities worldwide to document plants and wildlife in a friendly competition on iNaturalist.

Get involved by registering for one of the DNV events below or participate on your own. All you need to do is make an observation on iNaturalist using photos or sound recordings between April 25 and 28, 2025.

Family Bioblitz in Lynn Canyon Park

Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 to 11:00 am

Bring the whole family for a hands-on bioblitz adventure as part of the City Nature Challenge! Discover the amazing plants, animals, and fungi of Lynn Canyon Park while testing your nature knowledge using iNaturalist. Just bring a device with a camera (data not required) and get ready for a fun and engaging exploration of the forest!

Ages 7+ with an adult. By donation.

Register for our Adults/Teen Bioblitz at 1 pm here.

All Ages Bioblitz in Blueridge

Sunday, April 27 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and

Sunday, April 27 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Join the District of North Vancouver Natural Areas team for a guided nature walk as part of the City Nature Challenge. Walk along the Berkley Loop trail while identifying and documenting forest plants, fungi and animals.

All ages. Free.

Special Events

Beginner Nature Photography Workshop

Saturday, May 24 from 10:00 to 11:30 am

Unlock your creativity and learn the basics of nature photography! Whether you’re using a camera or a smartphone, this program will teach you the fundamental techniques for capturing the beauty of nature. At the end of the program, you’ll get to choose a photo to be printed for you to take home.

Ages 10+ with an adult. $15 per person (+GST for ages 15+) or free for Ecology Centre Members. Cameras not provided.

Discovery Days

Join us on a weekend family adventure in the forest! Discovery Days programs are for families with children ages 3-8. You’ll enjoy a forest walk, story, and hands-on activities as you learn about plants and animals.

Cost per child is $15 per program. Full refunds are available up until 2 weeks before each program. Non-transferable.

Predator and Prey – FULL

Saturday, April 19* from 1:00 to 2:30 pm (*date changed from April 12)

Everyone needs to eat! Find out about amazing animal defenses to avoid getting eaten, and ways that other creatures are expert hunters.

Bird Brained – FULL

Saturday, May 10 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm

It’s the Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration! Do you love looking for birds? Then you might be a birder! Swoop into the world of chickadees, woodpeckers, and a whole flock of forest birds that you could spot (or hear) in the park.

Use Your Senses

Saturday, June 14 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm

Test out your amazing senses! Can you hear like a deer, or see like an eagle? Try out your echolocation abilities, and more.

Forest Explorers

Discover the secrets of the temperate rainforest, read stories, go on a forest walk and make a craft. All children attending must be between the ages of 2 to 5, except for babies in a carrier. These adult participation programs run both inside and outside, so dress for the weather!

$15 per child, per program. Full refunds are available up until 2 weeks before each program. Non-transferable.

Earth Keepers – FULL

Tuesday, April 22 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Learn how to protect our streams, restore the forest, and protect wildlife through stories, crafts, and outdoor exploration.

Busy Bears – FULL

Tuesday, April 29 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

If you go out in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise! Come on a walk through the forest and learn about the bears that live in Lynn Canyon.

Super Senses – FULL

Tuesday, May 6 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Do you have bat ears and eagle eyes? Learn how animals use their super senses to hunt, hide, and survive in the rainforest. Use your own senses and discover how you can watch for signs and sounds of animals in the forest.

Scat, Feathers, and Bones – FULL

Tuesday, May 13 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Explore the sometimes ickier and always intriguing parts of animal life.

Spectacular Seasons – FULL

Tuesday, May 20 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Revel in the wonders of the four seasons by the changes in nature and the behaviors of forest animals. Learn how plants and animals adapt to the magic of spring blooms, summer sunshine, autumn leaves, and winter wonderlands.

Food Chain Fun – FULL

Tuesday, May 27 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

All animals need food to live and grow! What are the favourite foods of forest animals, and who might try to eat them too?

River Ramble – FULL

Tuesday, June 3 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

What’s alive in a river? Find out why rivers are important, and learn about mayflies, trout fry, and slimy algae.

Big and Small – FULL

Tuesday, June 10 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

From bugs to bears, come on a search for where the biggest and smallest creatures like to wander in Lynn Canyon Park!

Pollinator Party – FULL

Tuesday, June 17 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

What is a pollinator, and how do they help plants grow? Make party hats, and celebrate our favourite pollinating insects and animals!