Outdoor Learning Conference 2025

Outdoor Learning Conference 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Outdoor Learning Conference

7:59am MDT

*Pre Conference Field Experiences* Kinnear Centre

8:00am MDT

Connecting to the Land - A hike at Iya Mnathka Bus to go to Yamnuska TrailheadAlberta Parks - Kananaskis Country • Andrea Barnes and Vicki Perkins

8:30am MDT

Conference Registration Kinnear Centre

9:00am MDT

Beading is Medicine Banff Centre - room TBDMountain Stek'lep • Theresa Westhaver Connecting Classrooms to Climate: Water Quality Testing at Bow River* Central Park parking lot -- We will walk along the trail to a safe spot along the Bow River!Water Rangers • Praise Osifo Engaging with the Land Through Birds and Technology Kinnear CentreCornell Lab of Ornithology • Susan Licher Forest Play PDC (professional development centre)Forest Play • Dave Verhulst Juggling Connections – Building Community through Play and Focus In a meeting room at the Banff Centre though we will move outside as well.Talk2MorePeople Clarity Coaching and Entertainment • Tony Esteves Learn to Carve Soapstone Banff Centre AmphitheatreNature Explorers Program • Cristin “Lynx” Geestman Listen to the Land: Sacred Buffalo Guardian Hike Kinnear CentreThe Howl Experience • Adam Mertens Wetland Field Trip for Educators Cascade Ponds 51°12'42.4"N 115°32'02.2"W - Google MapsDucks Unlimited Canada • Jessy St-Jean (she/her Who's at the bottom of the creek? The River Institute's Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology Program trail head near a creek or somewhere that we can set up a mini blow up poolRiver Institute • Emilie DeRochie

1:00pm MDT

Welcome and Conference Opening Kinnear CentreSylvia Ann Fox

1:30pm MDT

Slow Networking - Plenary Icebreaker Kinnear Centre

2:00pm MDT

Indigenous Land-Based Learning Panel Keynote Kinnear CentreDr. Sarah Brown • Nicki Ferland • Lindy Henderson

2:45pm MDT

Coffee and Snack Break (Included) Kinnear Centre

3:14pm MDT

*Education Session A* Kinnear Centre

3:15pm MDT

Building Readers and Writers Through Engaging with Place-based Sustainability Issues RavenRachel Tidd • Ivy Waite • Jamie Groeller Challenging Social Constructs through Outdoor Learning ButterflyLaura Jackman Climate Change 101 HuronDr. Ellorie McKnight Dramatized Animal Hikes - Stories, Movement and Activities to help children connect to local animals. OwlJacob Rodenburg Everyday Curriculum in the School Garden DeerKarine Cere • Marie-Pascale Brown Nature through our senses TurtleDr. Sama AlMaarofi Taking The Lorax Outside as a Literacy Dramatic Activity to Highlight the Urgency in Environmental & Climate Change Education BeaverDr. Shelley Korudz • Sandy Margetts • Christine Michaleski Embrace This Place! Cultivate Your Own Place-Based Teaching Practice at the Banff Centre CougarJenn Doeve Empathy, Immunity and Nature: The Symbiotic Relationship Forged Through Play MooseAdam Bienenstock Outdoor learning for students with complex needs: all you need is an open mind! L’apprentissage en plein air pour élèves ayant des besoins complexes: tout ce qu’il faut, c'est l'esprit ouvert! SnailCarolyn Fornataro • Carolyn Johnston Playing Outside the Box: Building Boardgames with Found Objects in Nature PorcupineJennifer Ball Relations and Resilience: Intra-connecting with Land and Place through Hands-on Metaphor OtterAlisa Paul • Patrick Robertson Sitting With Nature: Weaving Together Curriculum, Nature, and Emergent Learning RaccoonLauren MacLean Ani to Pisi - Creating Community on the Land 203Michelle Bamford • Therese Wiart Jenkinson Land as Our Teacher: Learning From and With the Land, Guided by 4Rs of Indigenous Land-Based Education 201Gillianne Mundell • Scot Gillam Land as Teacher-a settler perspective on incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and being on the land BearDenise Hammond Relationship & ReconciliACTION: Weaving Reconciliation, Community & Land-Based Learning ChickadeeDaryl Kootenay • Adam Robb Whispers of the Earth ToadLauna Purcell • Sherelle Anderson

4:30pm MDT

Afternoon Social and Exhibitor Fair Kinnear Centre

5:30pm MDT

Dinner (included with registration) Vistas Dining Room

7:00pm MDT

TEDtalk style Keynote Kinnear CentreDr. Gillian Judson • Court Rustemeyer • Megan Zeni • Emily McDermott • Léa Flowers Nelson • Maggie Cumming • Geovanna Nicole Schmeiske Nunes

8:29pm MDT

*Social and Connection Spaces* Kinnear Centre

8:30pm MDT

60 min Gentle Movement & Mindfulness Session 201Heidi Davis • Sylvia Ann Fox Indigenous Perspectives: Short Film Showcase on Environmental Issues Across Canada 203Heather DeLangran Fireside Songs and Smores Kinnear Patio Firepit 2Remy Rodden • Jennifer Engbrecht Indigenous Fireside Storytime Kinnear Patio Firepit 1Carl Sam • Launa Purcell • Sherelle Anderson Mingle at McLab McLab Bistro

6:00am MDT

60 min Gentle Movement & Mindfulness Session 201Sylvia Ann Fox • Heidi Davis Sacred Buffalo (Tunnel) Mountain Hike *Unguided* Tunnel Mountain Trailhead (Lower Parking Area)

7:30am MDT

Breakfast at Vistas (included) Vistas Dining Room

8:45am MDT

Morning Gratitude Kinnear CentreSylvia Ann Fox

9:00am MDT

Climate and Environment Keynote Speaker Kinnear CentreDr. Ellen Field

10:00am MDT

Coffee Break (Included) Kinnear Centre

10:15am MDT

Break/ Reflection Time Kinnear Centre

10:59am MDT

*Education Session B* Kinnear Centre

11:00am MDT

Assessment of/as/for Learning, Environmental and Sustainability Education, and High School Learners BeaverJanna Barkman Compost and Climate: The Environmental and Emotional Benefits of Community Engaged Composting DeerTamika Whitenack • Sophia Maria Fox Forest Play: Curiosity Inspired Learning OwlDavid Verhulst Nature Journaling: A Tool for Conservation and Connection PorcupineSonya Rokosh • David Norwell Semer des graines: Le jardin scolaire pour entrer en relation avec le territoire /Planting seeds: school gardening as a way of connecting with the land TurtleJulie McLean • CYNTHIA LAPIERRE Teaching Climate Science and Salmon Education in the Outdoors ButterflyNathan Zabel • Grace Maxa Teaching Math Outdoors for K-5 Educators RavenRachel Tidd Building communities of care CougarLaurel Donison Building resilience through the cycle of the year BearAlix Wilson Diverse Voices, Open Spaces: Storybook Adventures with Loose Parts MooseIsabella Liu Empowering Schools: A Comprehensive School Health Approach to Climate Change 203Brenton Button Getting grounded with nature journaling WolfAlison Katzko • Carissa Esau Our Stories, Our Land: Connecting Personal Narratives to the Land SquirrelAllyson Fedak • Mohammed Razi Taming the Anxious Brain with Nature in Mind ToadHeidi Schreiber-Pan askîhk kiskinohamâtowin Métis Land-Based Learning 201Holly Brandsma • Cheryl Devin Indinawemaaganidog: Roots of Connection Honouring all our Relations ChickdeeElder Melissa Roberts • Jasmine Sgambelluri • Kali Bernst Integration of OneHealth, Two-Eyed seeing, and Ethical space in Environmental Education KingfisherAlison Cuffley Relating to Place by Mapping with our Bodies: Indigenous Wayfinding and Decolonial Remapping Great Blue HeronNicki Ferland • Meghan Young • Ashley Wolfe Relationship with Land, Truth and Reconciliation RacoonLise Brown • Adrian Alphonso Turtle Island Time SnailMichael Ross • Coralee Miller

12:15pm MDT

Lunch (Included) Vistas Dining Room

1:30pm MDT

Break/ Reflection Time Kinnear Centre

1:59pm MDT

*Education Session C* Kinnear Centre

2:00pm MDT

Branching Out: Exploring Forestry Education 201 (Indoor Space)Jenna Forslund Building Climate Literacy – Supporting the Climate Education Framework Through Environmental Storytelling. BeaverCrystal Roberts • Meaghan Wilbur • Nikki LeBlanc Charting the Future of Outdoor Learning: Emerging Trends and Transformative Practices ButterflyJanet Dyment Il était une fois en Antarctique... TurtleCarrie Antoniazzi Little Explorers, Big Discoveries: The Schoolyard Expedition" KingfisherCourt Rustemeyer Storied Landscapes: Strategies and activities for place-response teaching and learning DeerGlen Thielmann Unlocking the Power of Song for Environmental Learning ChickadeeRemy Rodden An exploration of how Celtic wisdom and nature connection can promote well-being on a personal and collective level. RacoonNiamh Oliver • Peter Walsh Celebrating and Sustaining Experiential and Outdoor Education Programs ToadNick Townley • Ryan Barfoot Deepening the Connection to Nature Through Music and the Arts (English) SquirrelJennifer Engbrecht Nature's Path to Wellness - for you and your students BearVicki Perkins Playful Literacy Routines WolfMegan Zeni • Lisa Thomas School Ground Solutions at The Intersection of Health, Education and Nature 203 (Indoor Space)Laura Hergott Slowing Down: Connecting to Nature Right Where/Who You are SnailStephanie Aleksiuk The Power of a Relational, Values-Driven Approach to Building Adult Capacity for Outdoor Early Learning OtterChristine Alden Walking the Labyrinth: A Journey of Mindfulness and Wellness in Nature MooseMarjan Akbari • Meagan McNichol Beyond the Child: Exploring Land-Led Pedagogies in K-6 Outdoor Education EagleAlyson McMullen • Krista Spence Eels are Life: Following Katew Through Their Life Journey to Help Us Learn More About Ours - A Land & Sea-Based Learning Unit Example Great Blue HeronJennifer Sawlor • Anika Braithwaite Healing with the Land: Indigenous Perspectives on Forest Immersion and Children’s Wellbeing RavenJacqueline Bennett Leading through Land-based Learning OwlLindy Henderson • Lowell Johnston Let's Meet Kakwa (Porcupine) PorcupineGenevieve Prevost When ¢ik̓ku (robin) connects you to Land: How to use your experience and weave Indigenous knowledge "in a good way" (Marshall and Zimanyi, 2024). SquirrelFaye O'Neil • Dr. Sylvie de Grandpré

3:14pm MDT

*Education Session D* Kinnear Centre

3:15pm MDT

A Curriculum of Connection: How Outdoor Education can help move the needle on Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals DeerFiona Hough Connecting to place through writing outside. ToadFrances McCoubrey From Awe to Action: Inspiring Inquiry and Environmental Responsibility Through Nature Exploration OwlDr. Rosanna Ruiz • Christa Dillabaugh How Outdoor and Environmental Education Empowers Participants to Address Climate Change & Other Global Environmental Challenges 203Grant Linney Mastering the use of PHENOLOGY in your OUTDOOR classroom SnailAndrea Barnes Principles for Transformative Learning With/In/For the More-Than-Human World: Ecologizing Professional Learning for In-Service Educators TurtleDr. Gillian Judson • Beverley Bunker • Kelsey Keller The Big Reconnect: How Innovative Outdoor Education Cultivates Connection to Self, Community, and Nature in K-12 Schools OtterSusan Licher • Daniel Mendel • Jen Halliday • Alana Kessler-Yudin Water Connects All Things: Combination Workshop Two Educator Guides! – Foundations of Water Education and Water in Earth Systems Certification Workshop RavenMaxine Koskie • Billie Jo Reid “Scavenger Hunts, Compass Courses, Maps and More: Engaging Your Students with Curriculum-Connected Outdoor Exploration” PorcupineBraeden Kelly "Because I Wanted Everyone to Know We Need to Take Care of Our Lands": Exploring Children's Rights and Generating Their Perspectives of the Outdoors EagleDr. Kimberly Squires • Starlene Ruttan • Kim Barton Connecter l'esprit et le corps en nature: une approche immersive pour les éducateurs et les élèves CougarMarieke Herrera • Elizabeth Bianchi Nature-based learning and risky play in a public school setting RacoonSylvie Tissandier To Build a Yarn Environment BearMark Reinhart Bridging Land, Learning and Culture Great Blue HeronAlysha-Lynn Kooter • Weslie Wabano • Daniel Bottle Indigenous and Land-Based Education at Akinomaagayegaamikoong: A Reciprocal Model for Public Education ButterflyJennifer Bailey • Jerica Fraser Learning/teaching Indigenous games MooseTerry Lakey Moving from truth to living reconciliation : A settlers journey integrating Indigenous teachings into my life (both personal and professional) - bilingual materials provided (French & English) WolfMarty McKeever Nurturing Kinship with Nature's Rhythms: Storying the Seasons through Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing BeaverLouise Zimanyi • Dr. Albert Marshall Walking with Our Relations: Nature's Wisdom in Supporting Student Emotional Health KingfisherMarla Klyne

4:30pm MDT

Afternoon Social and Exhibitor Fair Kinnear Centre

5:30pm MDT

Dinner (NOT included with registration) Choose your own adventure

8:00pm MDT

Live Music and Dancing on the Patio Kinnear Patio Firepit 1Heather Gemmell

7:30am MDT

60 min Gentle Movement & Mindfulness Session 201Heidi Davis

8:30am MDT

Check Out (Accommodation) and Free Time! Banff Centre Accommodation

9:30am MDT

Morning Gratitude Kinnear CentreSylvia Ann Fox

9:44am MDT

*Education Session E* Kinnear Centre

9:45am MDT

Design Thinking for Environmental Education ButterflyAmy Thompson From Fear to Fact: A Balanced View on Microplastics and Chemicals OtterIsabella Liu • Zoë Ungku Fa'iz How to teach about Climate Change: Guiding Principles KingfisherDr. Ellorie McKnight Introduction to Nature Journaling and incorporating it as a Cross Curricular Tool OwlBillie Jo Reid Leaning into grief together TurtleDr. Sarah Brown Nature for All: Connecting Adaptive Learners Through Sensory Science ToadJo Joly • Heather Kuhlken Overcoming Barriers to Outdoor Learning: Building Solutions Together BeeSarah Deyoung • Haley Guest Terra Divina: A Practice of Mindful Wonder, Spirituality and Gratitude for an Era of Environmental Crisis EagleDr. Jenellen Good Building Connection and Resiliency Through Loose-Parts Play RacoonKait Lefaivre • Paula Hamilton Deepening the Connection to Nature Through Music and the Arts (French) ChickadeeJennifer Engbrecht Don't Stop Be-leafing: Games for Every Outdoor Enthusiast! RavenCourt Rustemeyer Exploring, Engaging, Journaling: Outdoor Learning to Cultivate Well-Being CougarKelly Fahey The Power of Play: Games in the Garden DeerTamika Whitenack • Sophia Maria Fox It Starts With Us: The Role Settler Teachers Must Play in Meaningful Reconciliation SnailJaime Groeller Reconciliation resources for French language educators Great Blue HeronJulie McLean • CYNTHIA LAPIERRE The Blanket Exercise BeaverJacenta Marina • Rosella Many Bears Traditional Games in the Classroom MooseLamarr Oksasikewiyin “Indigenous ways of BEING” PorcupineAnn Cummings • Sophie Pheasant

11:00am MDT

Break/ Reflection Time Kinnear Centre

11:15am MDT

Health and Wellbeing Keynote Speaker Kinnear CentreDr. Sabine Thomas

12:00pm MDT

Closing Ceremony Banff Centre Amphitheatre

1:59pm MDT

*Post Conference Field Experiences Kinnear Centre

2:00pm MDT

Connecting Classrooms to Climate: Water Quality Testing at Bow River* Banff CentreWater Rangers • Praise Osifo Engaging with the Land Through Birds and Technology Kinnear CentreCornell Lab of Ornithology • Susan Licher Forest Play PDC (professional development centre)Forest Play • Dave Verhulst Reflection Through Nature Journaling Start at Banff Centre & Walk Together down to RiverSonya Rokosh

Outdoor Learning Conference 2025

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