Programs
All programs are designed to teach participants about nature and are fun, fascinating and engaging. Outdoors, we will encounter wild animals and plants in their natural homes. Some programs can be adapted to take place indoors; they include wildlife artefacts and activities along with some live animals, along with audio-visual presentations. Hover over “programs” on the main menu for a list of school and community programs.
Upcoming Public Events
The Great Bug Hunt
Saturday September 18 1:00 – 2:30
Guelph Public Library Program (registration required – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/events?v=list&mid=14401)
Kids grade JK-3 and parents
Have an adventure in Guelph’s neighbourhoods with Dan the Nature Man. Go on a bug hunt to discover some of Guelph’s most amazing insects & spiders. Please register each person attending. JK to Grade 3
Be-Leaf It Or Not!
Saturday October 23 2:00 – 3:00
Guelph Public Library virtual program (registration required – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/events?v=list&mid=14401) )
Join Dan the Nature Man online to discover the colours and shapes of our gentle giants as they shed their leaves. Please register. Grades JK to six.
Contact Dan
Meeting a rattlesnake
https://studio.youtube.com/video/jPK5Ai43kQo/edit As I was walking a trail at Georgian Bay Islands National park, I was startled by a buzzing right beside me. It was a Massasauga Rattlesnake! I’m sure it was more startled than I was. They are venomous, but only two people have…
fall colours in spring?
It can’t rival the splendour of autumn, but for a brief window in spring we see a rebirth of fall leaf colours. Last fall, green chlorophyll faded to reveal the brilliant orange, yellow and red of other pigments. In spring, especially with some tree…
Leopards!
Spotted like the cat they are named after, Leopard frogs emerge from their muddy bed below ice and water to join nature’s amphibian spring chorus. The mating call of the males is beautiful (at least to female leopard frogs), a mix of snoring, rattling,…
sweet treat from the wild
When spring gives winter a bit of a shake, when puddles are frozen during cold nights, but melt during warm days, it’s maple syrup season! Tapping pierces the outer and inner bark of the maple tree, and sap in the (you guessed it) sapwood…
backyard snakes
In most of Canada, our common back yard snake is the Garter snake. Often mistakenly called Garden snakes, these beautiful reptiles can be found in gardens, on lawns, in fields and forests, and almost every other habitat. They are harmless to humans, but definitely…
How to pick up a crayfish and not get pinched
In almost every stream and river, and some ponds, we have “miniature lobsters”. Much smaller, but packing muscular pincher claws that they use to catch their prey and defend themselves, crayfish patrol our water systems. During the day, most are usually found under rocks…
bald is beautiful
Turkey Vultures are AMAZING to watch. Their flight seems effortless; they hardly every flap their wings and use updrafts from cliff areas and sun-heated ground to patrol the skies. They’re on the lookout for dead animals, so they are a valuable part of nature’s…
Giant silkmoths!
In southern Ontario, June is the month for Giant Silkmoths to emerge! Since late last summer, all through the winter and most of the spring, they are in the pupa stage of development, wrapped in silken cocoons. Finally, in late spring, the adult moths…
tiger beetles: tiny and fierce
In late spring and summer, look for Tiger beetles as you walk through nature. The Six-spotted Tiger Beetle is like a shining, iridescent jewel – beautiful to us but deadly to small insects and other invertebrates. They are great for gardens since they attack…
the Wood Frog Eggs Hatched!
After a rather cold three weeks, the Wood Frog eggs have finally hatched! The tiny tadpoles look overstuffed, since they have some leftover yolk in their bodies which means they don’t need to eat for the first few days after hatching. Being a tadpole…
