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 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.

Special Events

Honey I Enlarged the Forest! – FULL

Saturday, March 1 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

Discover the forest’s hidden wonders! Enjoy a nature walk to collect tiny treasures, then gather indoors to magnify their incredible details and explore their role in our ecosystem.

Ages 5+ with an adult. $15 per person (+GST for ages 15+) or free for Ecology Centre Members.

Register for one of our Wildlife Weeks programs to learn about the rich biodiversity of our planet from the experts who care for it. Get inspired, get educated, get involved!

Build a Home for Mason Bees

Saturday, April 5 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn about our native mason bees and build your own mason bee house to take home—perfect for supporting local pollinators in your garden.

Ages 8+ with an adult. $25 per mason bee house (come with a friend, your family, or on your own). One bee house per household.

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.

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.

Scurrying Squirrels – FULL

Saturday, February 22 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm

Squirrels are everywhere – gliding from tree to tree and hiding cones underground. Learn about these fluffy tree climbers and seed-munchers!

Super Slime – FULL

Saturday, March 29 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm

Slugs and snails have a super power, and it’s called slime! Search for these squishy invertebrates and find out how they help the forest.

Predator and Prey

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

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.

Slime Time – FULL

Tuesday, February 25 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Learn all about slugs and how these incredible slimy creatures help build our forest soil.

Call of the Wild – FULL

Tuesday, April 1 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

What are the animals talking about? Learn what animal noises mean and how birds can help you understand the secrets of the forest.

Splish Splash – FULL

Tuesday, April 8 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

Explore the world of water and the animals that make it their home.

Love Bugs – FULL

Tuesday, April 15 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am

If you love creepy crawlies from butterflies to woodbugs, you’ll be all a-flutter about this bug exploration day. Learn why we should all love bugs!

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

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

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

Registration for Forest Explorers from May 27 to June 17 will open at a later date.