Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, Discovery Program project coordinator.
Exploration stations are all about your connection to nature!
You are the person these programs are designed for. We want to inspire your curiosity about and connection to the natural world.
You will observe, explore, and discover with the help of a Discovery guide and nature journal.
You are encouraged to share your discoveries and experiences with others.
You will walk away from these programs feeling fully present, your senses engaged, and your mind noticing things that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
So, what are YOU waiting for? Find out which parks offer exploration stations now and plan to attend a program during your next trip!
Can I participate in an exploration station?
YES! Connecting with and exploring nature has no age limit and neither do exploration stations.
Do I need any prior experience to participate?
NO experience required!
Discovery guides have a variety of tools and engaging prompts to help you get started. Participants are all given a nature journal to help you explore on your own, with your group, or with the help of the Discovery guide.
You can finish it at the program and/or continue to use it back at your campsite, backyard, or another park.
Find the exploration station that is right for you
We are excited to offer two different formats to our newly revamped and highly engaging exploration stations!
Drop-in sessions: flexibility meets exploration
These stations are set-up for two hour time periods; allowing you to stop in and start connecting with nature when it works best for you.
A Discovery guide is available throughout the session to help you explore, connect, and engage with nature using the FREE nature journals, tools, and activity prompts at the stations, but you are ultimately in charge of your own experience.
Drop-in session topics include:
- Aquatic Wildlife
- Birds
- Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
- iNaturalist Photo Scavenger Hunt
- Insects
- Landscape Detectives
- Mindful Hike
- Trees
- Wildflowers
Click on a session title to learn more!
Guided sessions: embrace the awesome
These stations are 1 hour guided programs. We ask that participants show up at the beginning of the program as you will be guided through a variety of exercises before setting off to explore.
Guided session topics include:
Click on a session title to learn more!
Parks offering programs
Click on the park name to see their event calendars to help plan your next exploration station experience!
- Algonquin Provincial Park
- Algonquin Provincial Park – Achray
- Arrowhead Provincial Park
- Balsam Lake Provincial Park
- Bass Lake Provincial Park
- Bonnechere Provincial Park
- Chutes Provincial Park
- Craigleith Provincial Park
- Darlington Provincial Park
- Driftwood Provincial Park
- Earl Rowe Provincial Park
- Emily Provincial Park
- Esker Lakes Provincial Park
- Fairbank Provincial Park
- Ferris Provincial Park
- Finlayson Point Provincial Park
- Fitzroy Provincial Park
- Fushimi Lake Provincial Park
- Halfway Lake Provincial Park
- Inverhuron Provincial Park
- Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park
- Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
- Lake Superior Provincial Park – Rabbit Blanket
- Long Point Provincial Park
- Mara Provincial Park
- Marten River Provincial Park
- McRae Point Provincial Park
- Mikisew Provincial Park
- Nagagamisis Provincial Park
- Pancake Bay Provincial Park
- Point Farms Provincial Park
- Port Burwell Provincial Park
- Quetico Provincial Park
- Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
- Rene Brunelle Provincial Park
- Restoule Provincial Park
- Rideau River Provincial Park
- Rushing River Provincial Park
- Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
- Sauble Falls Provincial Park
- Selkirk Provincial Park
- Sharbot Lake Provincial Park
- Silent Lake Provincial Park
- Silver Lake Provincial Park
- Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
- Turkey Point Provincial Park
- Voyageur Provincial Park
- Wheatley Provincial Park
- White Lake Provincial Park
- Windy Lake Provincial Park
Session descriptions
Aquatic Wildlife — 2 hour drop-in program
Freshwater lakes are home to an incredible diversity of wildlife!
Grab a net and join Discovery staff in search of animals, both big and small, that live in and around the water. From microscopic fairy shrimps to majestic Great Blue Herons, there are endless wonders to observe.
Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Birds — 2 hour drop-in program
Birds are beautiful.
It is a delight to watch them fly and to hear them sing. Join us and experience the joys of birdwatching.
Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Colour Study — 1 hour guided program
Nature is teeming with incredible colours.
Take a moment out of your day to pause, engage your senses, and explore the natural palette that surrounds you.
Use the watercolour paints provided to complete your own colour study. All ages welcome. No watercolour experience necessary.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt — 2 hour drop-in program
Studies show that gratitude is strongly connected with happiness.
Take a moment out of your day to pause, tap into your senses, and reflect on the things in nature you are grateful for.
Record and celebrate your gratitudes in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
iNaturalist Photo Scavenger Hunt — 2 hour drop-in program
Up for a challenge? Turn your nature observations into data by becoming a community scientist.
Download the iNaturalist app and see how long it takes you to complete the challenge. Record and celebrate your observations in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
*For best results, download the iNaturalist app on your phone or tablet in advance of the program. The scavenger hunt can also be completed using a camera.
Insects — 2 hour drop-in program
Insects come in a mind-boggling array of shapes, colours, and sizes. They outnumber all other animals on the planet!
Help search for, observe, and appreciate the diversity of our insect kin. Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Landscape Detectives — 2 hour drop-in program
All living things interact with and leave signs of their presence on the land. However, it takes a keen observer to be able to notice and interpret them.
Help discover and interpret the signs left behind by some of our smallest kin: insects and their relatives.
Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Mindful Hike — 2 hour drop-in program
There is no doubt that nature is good for our mental and physical health.
Take a moment out of your day to be mindful of the feelings that nature inspires. Tune into your senses and follow the prompts along this self-guided hike.
Record and celebrate your observations in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Nature in Watercolour — 1 hour guided program
Put your “art eyes” on and join us as we seek out and celebrate the beauty of nature.
Focus your attention using the frames provided — zoom in on a leaf or zoom out on a landscape. Then use the watercolour paints provided to paint what you see. There is no limit to nature’s beauty.
All ages welcome. No watercolour experience necessary.
Nature Observation — 1 hour guided program
Attention is one of the most generous gifts we can give. Pause to observe, question, and connect with the rest of the natural world.
Learn and apply the “I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of” observation routine on a single leaf. You will be amazed by what you discover.
Record and celebrate your observations in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Trees — 2 hour drop-in program
Every tree has a story to tell. To “hear” it, all you need to do is pay attention.
Touch their bark, count their branches, and listen to the whisper of their leaves.
Take a moment to pause and appreciate their presence, their gifts, and the feelings they inspire. Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Wildflowers — 2 hour drop-in program
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard to deny the beauty of wildflowers.
Get up close and personal with these tiny wonders. Examine their colours, count their petals, and admire their shapes.
Take your time, breathe in the fresh air, and let their beauty spark your creativity. Record and celebrate your discoveries in the nature journal provided. All ages welcome.
Add some exploration into your next trip!
You’ll be amazed how much inspiration and connection can be found in the simple act of observing, exploring, and discovering with exploration stations.
We hope to see you out at an exploration station at one of our many participating parks this summer!