10 Field Trip Suggestions
The following list provides recommendations for outdoor, natural spaces and potential educational opportunities available through conservation organizations.
City of Hamilton Parks & Recreation – Many city operated public parks are available throughout the city of Hamilton. The parks & recreation website provides maps, trail listings and waterfall access. The closest trail to Mohawk College’s Fennell Campus is the 2.7 km Chedoke Radial Recreational Trail, which features a waterfall and connects the Chedoke Golf Course with the Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area.
Conservation Halton – offers environmental education field trips at Crawford Lake and Mountsberg Conservation Areas. Information about Preschool field trips are available on the website, and include Nature Play sessions and the Take a Hike program. In addition to educational program, the primary function of Conservation Halton is the preservation of eight natural spaces along the Niagara Escarpment.
Grand River Conservation Authority – Operates 12 parks along the Grand River. Brant Park is closest to Brantford and the First Nations territories of the Six Nations and Mississaugas of the NewCredit. Activities include, hiking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, and camping.
Hamilton Conservation Authority – Operates and oversees 12 outdoor conservation areas throughout the Hamilton-Wentworth region. School and group education programs are available. Groups can use parks on a day-use basis. Natural areas include Beverly Swamp, Borer’s Falls, Crooks’ Hollow, Devil’s Punchbowl, Eramosa Karst, Felker’s Falls, Fletcher Creek Ecological Preserve, Iroquoia Heights, Lower Spencer, Meadowlands, Mount Albion, Tiffany Falls, Vinemount and Vinemount Wetland, as well as trails such as the Chippewa and Hamilton to Branford Rail Trail and sections of Christie Lake, Dundas Valley, Confederation Beach Park, Spencer Gorge and Westfield Heritage Village. Many natural areas are accessed through hiking trails. Find environmental education information here: http://conservationhamilton.ca/environmental-education-home/
Nature’s Calling Environmental Education – Their mission is to connect youth and families with nature and the outdoors, to raise awareness and appreciation for our natural world, and to foster a strong environmental ethic through community-based education and engagement. Workshops can be provided within the classroom or at locations in Norfolk County.
Norfolk Trails – are located throughout the County. Trial networks begin in Simcoe and Turkey Point or the north shore of Lake Erie.
Royal Botanical Gardens – Offers both natural landscapes and garden environments. Twenty-seven kilometers of hiking trails combine a range of physical challenge with nature learning. The Hendrie Garden site offered the Imagination Grove and Veggie Village for early learners. Through out the year, a variety of special exhibitions and events highlight the interactions of humans within their natural environments.