Saturday Morning "A" Sessions

Saturday Afternoon "B" Sessions

Workshop Number: B2
Workshop Title: E = mi2: Education = Motivation, Information, and Inspiration
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm (outdoor session)
Note: This session extends through both afternoon time slots.
Presenter: Kim Bater
Institution: Kim Bater Consulting, Banff, AB
Workshop Description: Using all the senses in a series of outdoor initiative tasks creates a dynamic opportunity for learning. This workshop will use adventure games as a means of motivating and inspiring learning in both students and the instructors. The activities combine low physical risk with high learning challenges. Experience a different approach to addressing the needs of your learners, while having a fun and energizing group experience.
Maximum # Participants: 24
Biography: Kim Bater is a human development consultant who specializes in the area of enhancing team skills. He operated the Banff Child Care Centre for 15 years. Kim is currently a faculty member of the Banff Centre for Management.

Workshop Number: B3
Workshop Title: The Art of Guided Walks
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm (outdoor session)
Note: This session extends through both afternoon time slots.
Presenter: Brad Tucker
Institution: Elizabeth Rummel School, Canmore, AB
Workshop Description: Leading guided nature hikes can be intimidating. Join an experienced nature interpreter on this “how-to” session, as you hike to some native pictographs in the Canmore region, and participate in some art-related nature activities. Included are tips for preparation, group control, and creating outdoor activities.
Maximum # Participants: 20
Biography: Brad Tucker is an active executive member of Interpretation Canada, a certified teacher, a professional interpreter and an interpretive trainer. He currently teaches grade one in Canmore, Alberta. Brad’s previous experience includes four years as Education Coordinator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and four years of supervising interpretive programs in Kananaskis Country.

Workshop Number: B4
Workshop Title: Imagine This: Visioning for the Future
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Ian Byington
Institution: Facing the Future: People and the Planet, Lopez Island, WA, USA
Workshop Description: Why don’t we change? Despite conclusive scientific evidence that our survival is threatened by population growth, environmental destruction, excessive consumption, and scarcity-driven conflict, our policies and actions continue these trends. We have knowledge, capital, and technology to create a just, sustainable world. But why don’t we choose to do so? In this session we will examine our mental models of how the world works and what our place is in it. We will challenge some of these beliefs through a collaborative process to create a shared vision of the world in which we would like to live. And we will explore hands-on exercises that empower individuals and groups to move from knowledge to vision, action, and fulfilment.
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biography: Facing the Future: People and the Planet was formed in 1995 for the purpose of educating young people about the pressures that rapid population growth exerts on natural, social and economic systems. Ian Byington has worked as a trainer with this organization, reaching educators across the United States and other countries through national and regional workshops.

Workshop Number: B5
Workshop Title: Join the Club! Junior Naturalist Programs in Schools and Communities
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Ken Symington
Institution: Banff Elementary School, Banff, AB
Workshop Description: Junior Naturalist clubs focus on nature and the environment. Teaching to the head (knowledge), the heart (feelings), and hands (action) gives some students their first introduction to exploring and understanding the natural world. This workshop will give ideas and examples of how to implement a junior naturalist club, including finding funding sources and forging partnerships with other naturalist clubs, museum and parks; and it flags the important role students can play in the scientific community through Internet research surveys.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Ken Symington is an elementary school teacher who runs a Junior Naturalist program in the Bow Valley. Ken has an extensive background in outdoor and experiential education, as a park naturalist, and in association with various schools.

Workshop Number: B6
Workshop Title: Activities for Teaching about Endangered Species
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Fiona Boulet
Institution: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: This workshop introduces an activity guide, SOS: Saving Our Species. Activities focus on endangered species and what students can do to help them. Together we’ll do some fun, hands-on activities with clear applications to Science, Social Studies and Language Arts curricula. An accompanying tape/CD, “Passengers”, contains 13 songs about endangered species that are linked to the activities in the guidebook. Activity guides will be available at cost.
Maximum # Participants: 25
Biography: Fiona Boulet is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), and heads up their Endangered Species subcommittee. She has a decade of experience as a volunteer teacher with both CPAWS and the Calgary Zoo.

Workshop Number: B7
Workshop Title: Human Rights in the New Millennium
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Sara Coumantarakis and Rose Marie Sackela
Institution: Learning Network, Edmonton, AB / Winfield Elementary School, Rocky Mountain House, AB
Workshop Description: Desmond Tutu visited Edmonton in 1999 and challenged us to create a culture of human rights. His message has been compiled into a teaching resource entitled “Human Rights in the New Millennium: Lessons and Activities for High School Students.”
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biographies: Sara Coumantarakis coordinates the Global Education Program for the Learning Network. Rose Marie Sackela teaches at Winfield Elementary School and is the author of this unit.

Workshop Number: B8
Workshop Title: Sing a Song of Science
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Don Waite, Earthsong Productions, and Lizabeth Nicholls, Environmental Education Specialist, Regina, SK
Workshop Description: Sing along! Clap along! Move to it! Write your own! Through active involvement, you will practice communicating environmental science concepts to your students using music, movement and art. This hands-on, fun workshop shows you how to use the EarthSongs music videos and music CD in your classroom, as well as how to teach the science concepts behind the music. You will practice how to encourage your students to use art, movement, and music to express their own environmental science messages to their peers and community. The concepts within the materials are linked to core science concepts from the Pan Canadian Science Curriculum.
Maximum # Participants: 35
Biographies: Lizabeth Nicholls has been a classroom teacher, elementary principal, and a department of education curriculum developer. She has delivered hundreds of professional development workshops as well as developing and delivering train-the-trainer workshops in western Canada. Dr. Don Waite is an environmental scientist who sings and writes songs about the environment, covering many serious topics including water, air pollution, the greenhouse effect, and many more. Encouraging group participation and laughter, Dr. Don has performed for children's audiences at festivals, schools and picnics as well as for adult gatherings of teachers, educators, and scientists throughout North America. Don frequently guest lectures at the University of Regina, Faculty of Education where he demonstrates the use of music as a science teaching tool.

Workshop Number: B9
Workshop Title: Teaching About Solar Energy: Activities for the Indoor and Outdoor Classroom
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Louise Jones and Craig Shearer
Institution: Brightwater Science and Environmental Program, Saskatoon Public School Division, Saskatoon, SK
Workshop Description: This workshop has an experiential and hands-on focus, in keeping with all activities taught through the Brightwater Science and Environmental Program. Participants will be introduced to the kit of activities developed by Brightwater staff for use by teachers of middle years students. Cooking with a solar oven will also be demonstrated.
Maximum # Participants: 15
Biographies: Louise Jones is the Project Leader for the Brightwater Science and Environmental Program, a position she has held since its inception ten years ago. She is a long term member of both the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the Saskatchewan Natural History Society. Craig Shearer is owner of Solar Freedom International. Craig not only teaches solar studies at the Brightwater Centre, but he is also responsible for installing and maintaining all the solar equipment at the site.

Workshop Number: B10
Workshop Title: Plantwatch: Tracking Climate Change on the Internet
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Laura Frost
Institution: Devonian Botanic Garden, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Workshop Description: Help students become the “eyes of science” in tracking the green wave of Spring! “Plantwatch” is a program that connects students in Alberta with other students internationally in reporting plant flowering on the Internet. Spring blooming times depend on seasonal warmth. By watching plants such as Saskatoons or Lilac bushes, and entering their data on a simple Internet form, students contribute to an environmental monitoring network and see their school names and observations mapped on the Net.
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biography: Laura works as a research assistant at the University of Alberta's Devonian Botanic Garden and helps to coordinate “Plantwatch,” a program sponsored by many organizations, including Environment Canada.

Workshop Number: B11
Workshop Title: Elk and Bear Edukits
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Lorraine Widmer-Carson
Institution: The Friends of Banff National Park, Banff, AB
Workshop Description: Using elk and bears to focus the discussion, Lorraine will ask you to consider Canadian identity, values, attitudes, and national parks. As we open the trunks, we will talk about safety, skulls, scat and skins. Activities in both edukits are adaptable to suit the needs of learners from early childhood to adults.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Lorraine Widmer-Carson is the Education Services Coordinator for The Friends of Banff National Park and oversees all projects in this department. Lorraine is a certified Mountain Park Heritage Interpreter, has a B.Sc. in Biology and has also worked in the museum community as a Public Programmer.

Workshop Number: B12
Workshop Title: Our Secret Garden – a School Eco-Stewardship Project
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Liz Esposito and Leroy Knorr
Institution: St. Mary Elementary School, Edmonton, AB
Workshop Description: We will describe how we transformed an area overgrown by two metre high Canadian thistles into an outdoor classroom; how we dealt with issues which surfaced during the development of our garden; and how this school project fostered experience-based learning for students, staff, and the community within a natural ecosystem.
Maximum # Participants: 25
Biography: Apart from her teaching activities, Liz has worked with wolves in Banff, worked at the Nature Centre/Zoo is currently working on a Masters degree at the University of Alberta. Leroy has taught Science at the both the elementary and secondary level, and has initiated a Destination Conservation program at his school. Liz and Leroy are presently teaching grade six at St. Mary's Elementary school in Edmonton, and they are both involved in planning next year's GEOEC conference, to be held in Edmonton.

Workshop Number: B13
Workshop Title: Consciousness from Within: Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenters: Kym McCulley and Cathy Cochrane
Institution: Campus Calgary Petro Canada Bird School, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: Campus Calgary’s Petro Canada Bird School has become a site that inspires not only an appreciation of the environment, but a sense of community for all who experience it. Bird School is one of seven Campus Calgary/Chevron Open Minds sites where teachers and students are immersed in hands-on learning experiences for a full week of school. We will share with you a typical week at Bird School including teaching strategies to help students look and think deeply about the world in which they live. You will see why so many teachers and students leave their week feeling that they have experienced something “spiritual.”
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biography: Kym McCulley, the Site Coordinator at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, consistently provides innovative and creative ways for teachers and students to engage in learning at this site. Cathy Cochrane is Assistant Director of the Campus Calgary/Chevron Open Minds program in Calgary. Cathy and Kym have worked closely together over the past year to assist teachers in planning long-term studies as they connect to learning experiences at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Workshop Number: B14
Workshop Title: Mentoring in the Ways of Nature: a Naturalist's Approach to Environmental Education
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Presenter: Patricia Spencer
Institution: Earthwise Ventures, BC
Workshop Description: Help students learn about nature from nature itself, by acquiring techniques to study the community of life in your own neighbourhood. This workshop will combine natural history, indigenous perspectives of nature, storytelling, journalling and sensory awareness activities to provide participants with methods that deepen one's knowledge of, and connection to the natural world. Be prepared to go outside for the latter part of the workshop.
Maximum # Participants: 25
Biography: Patricia has a Masters degree in fine arts and environmental education and 20 years of teaching experience. In addition to part-time teaching, Patricia operates an ecotourism and consulting business, Earthwise Ventures. Patricia is a student of Tom Brown Jr. and engages in ongoing naturalist studies from the Wilderness Awareness School.

Saturday Afternoon "C" Sessions

Workshop Number: C2
Workshop Title: Teach and Live in Another Culture: Alberta Learning's Educator Exchange Program
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Arlene Williams
Institution: Learning Network, Edmonton, AB
Workshop Description: Looking for an adventure and a powerful professional development experience? Come learn how you can swap jobs (and homes) for a year with a teacher in Australia, the UK, the US, Spain, Germany, or other provinces in Canada. You will continue to be paid by your Alberta school jurisdiction, and return to your own teaching position after the year is over. Hear first hand from recent program participants who will share their adventures and experiences in working and living in another culture.
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biography: Arlene Williams is the Educator Exchange Coordinator for the Learning Network, an educational service agency funded by Alberta Learning to provide educational exchange and professional development services. Arlene has a Bachelor of Arts (English) and is a former director of the University of Alberta's peer counselling service. She worked and lived in the UK for two years and has travelled extensively throughout Europe.

Workshop Number: C3
Workshop Title: A Struggle for Educational and Social Reform in Brazil
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Maria José Viana
Institution: Secretary of Education, State of Alagoas, Brazil
Workshop Description: Maria José Viana will speak about the problems of social injustice and success in overcoming them in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. She will share her personal struggle. As a young teacher in an elite private school, she recognized the disparity between the derelict public school system and the wealthy private schools. She gave up her teaching position and founded “Movimento Sem Teto” (Movement of the Roofless Ones). In her struggle to help her people, she was jailed, tortured and vilified. Eventually, her reputation and tireless lobbying earned her the position of Director of Education in the capital city, Maceio. In her four-year term, she repaired 40 schools and significantly improved teacher training and salaries. She also introduced school councils involving students, parents, and teachers. Now, as Secretary (Minister) of Education for the state of Algoas, Maria José continues to take up the cause of the marginalized, working towards even greater improvements in education and social reform statewide. (Maria José will be speaking in Portuguese, with English translation.)
Maximum # Participants: 50
Biography: Among her many credits in education and social reform in Brazil, Maria José Viana is supporting the development of an agricultural school with a focus on organic gardening, reforestation, and literacy. According to the organization Rainbow of Hope for Children, “she has lived through some very challenging times as a young woman leading her people through some difficult struggles for social justice. She is deeply loved, respected, and trusted by her people.”

Workshop Number: C4
Workshop Title: Global Education across the Curriculum
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Roger Harty
Institution: Alberta Teachers' Association, Lethbridge, AB
Workshop Description: Global Education prepares students to be active, responsible citizens able to face the challenges of the Global Age. This workshop provides insights into global issues and introduces resources, strategies, and curriculum connections to prepare students from K-12 to face an increasingly complex world. Workshop participants will be provided with a sample teaching unit.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Roger Harty has a Masters in Education, has been an ATA Association Instructor for 13 years, and has taught for 22 years.

Workshop Number: C5
Workshop Title: Kids@parks: Creating the Next Generation of Heritage Stewards
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Sophie Dupuis Graves
Institution: Canadian Parks Partnership, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: The Canadian Parks Partnership has developed a national education program launched in spring 2000 to inspire Canadian children to become the next generation of heritage stewards of Canada's parks, historic sites and waterways. Kids@parks is designed to increase young Canadians' understanding of the values of Canada's most precious natural and cultural resources, and of our Canadian identity. Geared to schoolchildren from kindergarten to grade 8, Kids@parks programs offer fun, interactive opportunities for learning, whether in a park, at a historic site, or in the classroom.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Sophie is the Executive Director of Canadian Parks Partnership. A sociologist by training, Sophie is most interested in the relationships between people and their natural environment.

Workshop Number: C6
Workshop Title: Teaching Conservation Biology through Story
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Jeff Gailus
Institution: Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative, Canmore, AB
Workshop Description: In this session Jeff will provide an overview of the principles of conservation biology, then tell a couple of stories that illustrate the central concepts. Participants will discuss the value of story to both personalize and illustrate ecological concepts. In an active concluding activity, groups of participants will be given some eco-facts and given time to create, and then tell the facts back to the groups as stories.
Maximum # Participants: 20
A/V: slide projector, screen
Biography: Jeff is Outreach Coordinator (Canada) for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. He is also a freelance writer and backcountry guide who has written about and walked through some of Canada’s most engaging landscapes.

Workshop Number: C7
Workshop Title: The Heros Quest
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Rick Moore
Institution: Aspen Heights School, Red Deer, AB
Workshop Description: “The Heros Quest” is an adaptation of the Alberta Teachers Association's “Holos Quest” program. Students learn many lessons on how to become a healthy hero and undertake a service project that connects them to their community. This Grades 4-6 program integrates the Health curriculum, social skills development, and global and environmental education.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Rick is an Emerald Award runner-up and an accomplished musician who teaches Grade 5 at Aspen Heights Elementary, in Red Deer.

Workshop Number: C8
Workshop Title: Stories for Peace, Stories for Joy
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Mandi Kujawa
Institution: Banff Public Library, Banff, AB
Workshop Description: Tales of peace give children opportunities to reflect and recognize their inherent morality, and foster an atmosphere of community within your classroom. In this workshop you'll hear several tales of peace, discuss the benefits of informal and prepared stories in the classroom, and do several activities designed to help you find your own stories. A resource list will also be available.
Maximum # Participants: 20
Biography: Mandi Kujawa is the staff storyteller at the Banff Public Library, as well as a freelance storyteller, singer, and songwriter. She is currently working with Banff National Parks radio station on a series of recorded nature tales.

Workshop Number: C9
Workshop Title: Your Energy Compass
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Nita Ross
Institution: Clean Calgary, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: Participate in a values clarification exercise that emphasizes the environmental impact of the choices we make around energy use. The focus will be on alternative energy sources, conservation, and how these mesh with our own lifestyles.
Maximum # Participants: 25
Biography: Nita Ross joined Clean Calgary in 1999 as the composting education specialist, and is currently developing their energy program. She has taught in post-secondary institutions in the areas of science education and horticulture.

Workshop Number: C10
Workshop Title: Safe Alternatives to Pesticide Use on Lawns and Gardens
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Jennifer Wright
Institution: The Sierra Club of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: What is a weed? Which is more dangerous, the bug or the bug spray? This workshop discusses the answers to these questions, describes why some common herbicides and insecticides are harmful to the ecosystem, and gives us some positive solutions to this problem.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Jennifer Wright works with the Sierra Club of Calgary on their Campaign for Pesticide Reduction. She also has a B.Sc. in Physiotherapy.

Workshop Number: C11
Workshop Title: Wetland Wanderings
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Kim Kiel
Institution: Ducks Unlimited, Edmonton, AB
Workshop Description: Take a march around a marsh, a walk about a wetland, or go sailing through the swamp with Ducks Unlimited Canada. This workshop will demonstrate the newly released “Wetland Ecosystems” activity guides, available free of charge to teachers and other environmental educators. The guides, available for grades 4-6, 7-8, and soon 10-12, were developed in Alberta and have been officially endorsed by the Alberta Board of Education as a good fit with science curriculum requirements. We'll get hands-on experience with the activities, and learn a lot about wetlands. After a dip in this pond, educators are sure to be refreshed, armed with tools that will make a splash in the classroom!
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Kim Kiel holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and Communications. She worked and volunteers for Ducks Unlimited Canada and helped to run their Greenwing program, involving children in activities about wildlife, habitat and conservation. As a workshop presenter, Kim employs techniques gained from her experiences as a theatrical nature interpreter in Kananaskis Country and at Evergreen Theatre.

Workshop Number: C12
Workshop Title: The Great Grant Adventure: Effective Proposal Writing
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Pat Letizia
Institution: Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: Raising funds through grant-making foundations is an investment in the future! This workshop will focus on the steps that take your idea and turn it onto an effective funding proposal. Participants will work through the development of a project, learn how to identify and flesh out a proposal's major components, and work through the three 'E's of proposal writing: Earnest, Efficient and Effective! The processes of planning, researching, budgeting and writing will be covered with hands-on activities and real examples.
Maximum # Participants: 40,br> Biography: Pat Letizia is the executive director of Alberta Ecotrust and has experience in both preparing and reviewing proposals. With a keen interest in building capacity for non-profit organizations, Pat has delivered proposal development workshops and assisted dozens of funding applicants with their proposals.

Workshop Number: C13
Workshop Title: Painting Peace – a Youth of the Americas Mural Project
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Ron Berezan
Institution: Change for Children, Edmonton, AB
Workshop Description: Youth from Alberta, Nicaragua and El Salvador have collectively painted their visions for creating a culture of peace. Come and witness this powerful work of art, hear the stories and inspirations that created this project, and explore how the arts can be a powerful medium for involving youth in positive social change.
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Ron Berezan is the Education Coordinator for Change for Children in Edmonton. He will be joined by two Alberta youth participants in the Painting Peace project.

Workshop Number: C14
Workshop Title: Our Common Past, Our Common Future: What Chimpanzees Can Tell Us
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Hugh Notman
Institution: University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: Hugh will introduce topics to generate discussions concerning human/chimp genetic heritage, the “ape language” debate, and issues dealing with stewardship, sustainable development and conservation in Africa and at home.
Maximum # Participants: 40
Biography: High is a Ph. D candidate at the University of Calgary, and recently returned from studying chimpanzee vocal communication in Uganda.

Workshop Number: C15
Workshop Title: Jungles: Teaching about Brazil in Grade 8
Workshop Time: Saturday, April 28, 2001, 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Presenter: Greg Markusson
Institution: Alberta Teachers' Association, Calgary, AB
Workshop Description: This workshop has two purposes: to provide in-depth knowledge about the jungles of Brazil and to place this knowledge within the larger context of the world as a global village. In doing so, it emphasizes the role of individuals as global citizens. Participants are introduced to the Rainforest Controversy Simulation and receive the teacher's activity guide entitled “Jungles: From the Streets to the Rainforests” (in either French or English).
Maximum # Participants: 30
Biography: Greg is an Assistant Principal at an elementary school in Calgary and has taught in junior high school for seventeen years. He has presented over 80 professional development workshops for the membership of the Alberta Teachers' Association. He is presently working on his PhD in educational research at the University of Calgary.

Sunday "D" Sessions

Cap off your conference experience with a taste of the best springtime activities in the Canadian Rockies! No Notes Necessary is a showcase by volunteer teachers and local adventurers who will share their finest offerings with Conference 2001 participants. Participation is free, but you need to pre-register (Please hurry! There are only 15 spaces per field trip!) All participants will be asked to sign a liability waiver form before setting off on your adventure. Unless otherwise noted, all sessions begin at 10:00 a.m on Sunday morning and will end at 1:00 p.m. Please come prepared to be outside in any weather, to car-pool, and of course, bring or be prepared to rent the requisite equipment.

Note: Equipment may be rented from Gear Up Sport across from the hospital on Highway 1A in Canmore, less than 500 m from the conference venue. Call 403-678-1636. Conference delegates receive a 25% discount!

Field Trip: D1
Title: Mountain Biking
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Leader: Nadine Raynolds
Description: Nadine will lead us on a merry chase around the trails and tracks of Canmore. Beginning riders are welcome, and some instruction will be available. For safety reasons, please bring – and wear – your helmet!
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D2
Title: Sharing Nature with Children
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Leader: Sue Arlidge
Description: On this family nature hike, you’ll explore a local biological hot-spot with a local interpreter, learn more about the nature of Canmore, and do some fun activities with your children.
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D3
Title: Sunshine Ski Resort ­ Downhill Skiing
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001 (Full day)
Leader: Cathy Gill
Description: Get your ya-ya’s out (and get some beginner-level ski instruction, if you’d like) at one of the Bow Valley’s famous ski resorts. Please note that this is a full-day field trip.
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D4
Title: Backcountry Skiing ­ Chester Lake
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Leader: Dan Haley
Description: Chester Lake is a classic beginner-level backcountry ski in the beautiful Spray Valley. Some skiing experience required as there are good elevation gains that bring spectacular views. Come and combine late-season skiing with early-summer sun! Climbing skins and avalanche transceivers highly recommended. Don’t forget sun block, shades and munchies! This full-day field trip will leave at 8:30 a.m promptly, returning to Canmore by 2:30 p.m.
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D5
Title: Tour of Banff’s Museums
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001
Leader: Mary Harding
Description: Join a local museum buff for an informative and enjoyable tour of some of Banff’s finest – and free! – sites: the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the Banff Park Museum, and Canada Place. If the weather is gorgeous and time permits, we might go out to Bankhead, too! We’ll find lunch in downtown Banff, and return to Canmore by 3:00 p.m.
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D6
Title: Birdwatching
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Leader: Ken Symington
Description: There is no more exciting time of the year to watch birds. Your pleasant saunter along Policeman’s Creek with a local ornithologist might turn up anything from a Golden eagle to the season’s first Rufous Hummingbird. You’ll also look at swans and ducks at the new birdwatching blinds on nearby Lac Des Arcs. Please bring a pair of binoculars!
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D7
Title: Grassi Lakes hike
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Leader: Jeff Reading
Description: One of the little-known gems of Canmore, the Grassi Lakes are two unique spring-fed water bodies nestled beneath Ha Ling Peak. If you like viewing Indian pictographs, nesting horned owls, or waterfalls, this little hike is for you.
Maximum # Participants: 15

Field Trip: D8
Title: Yamnuska Shoulder hike
Time: Sunday, April 29, 2001
Leader: This hike is led by one of White Mountain Adventures’ professional guide/interpreters.
Description: An honest to goodness hike that’ll get the blood pumping. The route up to Yamnuska shoulder is a great one with elevation gain, superb mountain and prairie views, and the earliest flowers of the season. And the view from the top will surprise you! Note: Maximum 12 participants, hike will end at 2 p.m.
Maximum # Participants: 12