Mini-Camps at the Ecology Centre

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 questions or feedback.

Summer Mini-Camps

Embark on three mornings of indoor and outdoor exploration, fun, and educational activities led by an Ecology Centre naturalist. Children must be ages 5 to 8 or 8 to 12 during the camp (born in 2020 or earlier). $101.50 per child, per camp.

Children can be registered in a maximum of 3 camps per summer.

You can get a refund for mini-camps cancelled with two or more weeks’ notice (less a $10 admin fee).

We require the signature of an Informed Consent, Release and Indemnity form for our mini-camps. Please read and sign this document prior to camp and provide it to us through email or in person on or before the first day of camp.

Rainforest Detectives – FULL

Wednesday, July 8 to Friday, July 10

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Investigate the mysteries of Lynn Canyon Park! Develop your detective skills and learn about our forest with games, activities and crafts. Find out who’s hiding underfoot, and what animals might be spying on you!

Soaring Adventures – FULL

Monday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 15

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 8-12

Join in for a wild time! Through games, activities, and crafts, we will learn about the special features of soaring birds, tiny bugs, and other critters that call the rainforest home.

Garden Explorers – FULL

Monday, July 20 to Wednesday, July 22

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Are you a fan of dirt, plants, and all things that wiggle? Come and learn about the fascinating world of growing plants. See your favorite creatures up close and take home your own starter plant.

Peek in a Creek – FULL

Wednesday, July 22 to Friday, July 24

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Who loves water? Frogs and fish and all sorts of tiny animals, that’s who! Go on a wild adventure as you search for fish fry in the secret pools of Lynn Canyon Park and find where tadpoles might like to hide.

Teeny Tiny Treasures – FULL

Monday, July 27 to Wednesday, July 29

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

From insects, to lichens, to fungi that live in towering trees, to minuscule mosses, discover the native species that live throughout Lynn Canyon and learn how to identify them.

Wild Makers – FULL

Wednesday, August 5 to Friday, August 7

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 8-12

Get hands-on with nature at this maker-oriented summer camp. Try natural dyeing and use the sun to make plant prints. We’ll explore nature art and see how the outdoors inspires us to create!

Forest Fantasia

Monday, August 10 to Wednesday, August 12

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Enter a world where fairies hide beneath mushroom rings, trees whisper stories, and every leaf holds secrets. Perfect for young dreamers, this camp blends storytelling and creativity with hands-on nature play.

Junior Ecologists – FULL

Monday, August 17 to Wednesday, August 19

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 8-12

Are you passionate about the environment and want to make a difference in your community? Join us for our Junior Ecologists mini-camp, where you’ll explore the forest, learn about nature’s cycles, and perform hands-on experiments.

Jaws & Claws

Wednesday, August 19 to Friday, August 21

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Leap into the world of the temperate rainforest’s large predators! Learn how they hunt and explore the habitats that they need to survive.

Fancy Bugs

Monday, August 24 to Wednesday, August 26

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Explore the lives of insects and other invertebrates by becoming nature detectives. We’ll learn about camouflage, make bug costumes, and investigate the important roles bugs play in the forest.

Nature Creations

Monday, August 31 to Wednesday, September 2

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Ages 5-8

Do you love making art and being outside? Get your creativity flowing at this fun-filled mini-camp and make nature-inspired art. Each day will include a nature-based craft and outdoor exploration.

Mini-Camp FAQ

We offer both spring break and summer mini-camps. Each mini-camp is 3 days long and runs from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Camps start on Mondays or Wednesdays.

We also offer select single day mini-camps on pro-d days.

In order for all campers to have the best experience in our camp, we are strict with our age minimums. Campers must be turning 6 this year, to attend our camps.

Of course they are welcome at our camp! Please let us know at registration if you have strategies to help your child have the best time at camp. If your child runs away from leaders, has difficulty following directions, or is unsafe towards themselves and others, you will need to provide an adult to attend camp to support their behaviour. If we find during camp that your child is disrespectful of others or the forest or is having difficulty following instructions, we will ask you to provide an adult for the remainder of the camp.

Parent/guardians will fill out camper questions during our registration and then complete the waiver below.

  1. We require the signature of an Informed Consent, Release and Indemnity form for our mini-camps. Please read and sign this document prior to camp and provide it to us through email or in person on or before the first day of camp.

Please call the Ecology Centre front desk at 604-990-3755 and they will get in touch with the group leader for you.

Pay parking is in effect throughout the park from 8 am to 6 pm, March to October. It costs $3.00 per hour for a maximum of 4 hours. Payment options include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit, Mastercard debit, Apple pay, Google pay and any Interac supported card at the pay stations, scan to pay, or the IndigoNeo app or website.

District residents are eligible to purchase a seasonal DNV Park Parking Pass ($10.00+GST) that allows passholders to park in the lot without paying the hourly rate.

There is a 5 minute drop-off zone in the upper parking lot right next to our gathering area that you are welcome to use. There is also free parking on the Lillooet Road parking lot, on the east side of the Lynn Creek.

Please bring a small backpack with a full water bottle, hat, extra pair of socks, kleenex, hand sanitizer, snacks/lunch. They should be dressed in layers as the temperature in the park during camp can start off quite cool.

During the summer months, please apply sunscreen before camp begins.

Even for our camps with a water theme, we encourage sturdy running/hiking shoes. Extra socks are a good extra item to put in their pack. We will use bags in their shoes if they change into dry socks and their shoes are wet.

For the safety of others, please do not send your child to camp if they are sick. We hike during camp and this may be difficult for your child if they have a cough or have not been feeling well.

Please inform us at registration if your child has any allergies.

Camp Guidelines

Families are advised to review these guidelines with their child to avoid early dismissal from camp.

Environmental Responsibility

Leave No Trace Principle: In our camps we do not pick plants, dig in the earth, disturb habitats, or bushwhack through trails.

Respectful Behaviour: Campers must stay with their group leader, refrain from running off trails and boardwalks, and maintain a respectful distance from wildlife.

Wildlife Interaction: Our group will stay quiet and calm if wildlife is spotted. Our camp leaders will safely lead the group to other areas to avoid any negative encounters with wildlife.

Leave No Trace Policy: Campers are encouraged to leave the park cleaner than they found it and to not discard anything in the forest, including human food, which can make wildlife sick.

Camp Etiquette

Inclusion: The Ecology Centre upholds human rights and values inclusion for all campers.

Leadership: Campers are expected to follow instructions from camp leaders.

Behaviour Expectations: Verbal abuse, physical aggression, harassment, and bullying are not permitted.

Safety: Campers are expected to behave in a manner consistent with camp rules to ensure their safety and the safety of others. Failure to comply may result in early dismissal from camp.