Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens is a living museum covering 1,100 hectares of display gardens and natural areas that celebrate the relationship between humanity and nature. It is a Canadian biodiversity hot spot (home to more species of wild plants than any other area in the country), part of Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve and Ontario Greenbelt, a Nodal Park in Niagara Escarpment Park system, and part of Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark system. RBG is a National Historic site of Canada that contains Class 1 wetlands and provincial areas of natural and scientific interest, and has been declared a nationally important bird, reptile, and amphibian area. RBG has been offering hands-on learning experiences that connect children and nature since 1947. The staff are enthusiastic educators who share their passion for the natural world and environmental stewardship, and design and deliver dynamic, curriculum-based learning experiences for students.
Location: 680 Plains Rd. West
Burlington, ON, Canada L7T 1J3 Phone: (905) 527-1158
Fax: (905) 577-0375 Visiting Hours: Outdoor gardens open daily 9:30 am-6 pm. Some programs are offered year round and others are season-specific.
Targeted Age Group: JK to gr. 12
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Program Costs: Regular half-day programs cost $8.50 per student. Special half-day programs cost $9.50 per student. Full-day programs (or 2 half-day programs) cost $15.00 per student. Special full-day programs (or 2 half-day programs) cost $16.00 per student. Self-guided tours cost $6.50 per student. Virtual tours cost $130 per program.
Booking a visit: Reservations can be made anytime throughout the school year. To reserve an educational program for your class, you must fill out the Program Reservation Form. After submitting a reservation form you will receive an email confirmation within 5 business days. You will have to pay the program booking fee to confirm your trip. Questions? Call bookings at (905) 527-1158 ext. 276.
Programs Offered: RBG offers over 55 environmental education programs! Half-day programs are 2 hours in length running 9:30 am-11:30 am or 12 pm-2 pm and 2 half-day programs can be combined to make up a full day. RBG programs use active, hands-on exploration and activities to engage students and to immerse them in the natural world. Programs are fun, comprehensive, meet Ontario curriculum requirements, are developed by certified teachers and are facilitated by trained outdoor educators. New this year, French instruction is now available in any program. Click here for a list of programs, their descriptions, when they are offered, and curricular links.
Self guided tours are also an option, and teachers can pick up a tour kit upon arriving at RBG.
Finally, RBG offers virtual environmental education programs via video conference. Teachers will receive a package of pre and post-conference activities prior to the conference. Click here (p. 14) for program options.
Self guided tours are also an option, and teachers can pick up a tour kit upon arriving at RBG.
Finally, RBG offers virtual environmental education programs via video conference. Teachers will receive a package of pre and post-conference activities prior to the conference. Click here (p. 14) for program options.
All information on this page was taken from the Royal Botanical Gardens website. For additional information, please visit http://www.rbg.ca/publicprogramsandeducation.