Most Popular Tools & Resources
-
Sale!
Pre-orders are available again!
With the popularity of the first print-run, we are working on a second print run now. We anticipate to be able to ship these mid-April. If you are ordering other items at the same time, please indicate in the 'order notes' field at check-out if you would like these shipped ahead - otherwise we will wait to ship everything together to save on shipping costs. Working with syilx apprentice knowledge keeper, Krystal Withakay (spaxwawlm), the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) Parks Services produced this guide Central Okanagan: Guide to Common Plants and Animals (suqinaq̓inxʷ tmxʷulaxʷ : tmíxʷ uł yayat əts p̓lal), in English and nsyilxcən (where possible). Nsyilxcən is the language spoken by syilx Okanagan people. This guide covers the territory of the the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. It is laminated to make it weatherproof and is printed on 100% recycled paper. To help with language pronunciation, you can use the guide on this page. $1 from every guide is directed to the Syilx Language House, and any remaining proceeds go back to supporting non-profit outdoor learning initiatives. We also offer a number of other Indigenous Learning Resources that are made available on the recommendation of Indigenous advisors and partners, and through Indigenous organizations, authors and creators. You are welcome to include other items in your order, and we can ship everything out together when these guides arrive to save you $$ on shipping. Or you can put in two separate orders - one for these guides, and a second for other resources, and we will ship separately. Please note that the image shown here is a draft, and the final version may look slightly different. -
Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Robin Wall Kimmerer's beloved bestselling book has been adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish, and is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt (Navajo), Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults will help provide educators to bring Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation. "A book to grow up with and grow into." Every high school English, Social Studies, Biology and History Department should have copies of this book available. Not to mention every Library, Youth Group and Family with teenaged children. Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrates how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. This new version will provide the essence of this book in a way that better engages young adults. 304 pages -
This beautiful resource book is back, and this time we are the publishers! This large-format paperback contains over 50 of the best teaching strategies and activities contributed to Green Teacher during the past decade! This provides a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America, covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics and presenting a large diversity of practical projects and learning strategies. While the book focuses on helping kids develop a strong connection with the natural world, there are many articles that focus on the social and global aspects of our environment. The book is attractively designed and organized, and, for each article and activity, the editors have identified appropriate grade levels, subject areas, key concepts, skills, and materials. The hands-on projects and learning strategies are sure to inspire all educators who are seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs. 240 pages -
This resource for educators was designed to serve as a complete “green” teaching resource for those working with middle school-aged youth. Readers will find a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America and covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics, from biodiversity to resource consumption to green technology. They include practical projects and new learning strategies that will inspire educators seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs. Pages: 240 -
This is an ideal resource for anyone working with young people in Grades 9-12. Richly illustrated, it offers teaching strategies that promote learning about natural systems and foster critical thinking about environmental issues, both local and global. It contains new approaches to learning, strategies for living sustainably, and numerous activities that promote interdisciplinary learning. In addition, the book provides suggestions for greening individual subject areas, developing integrated learning programs, and replicating exemplary programs already created by innovative schools and communities. Pages: 226 -
Sale!
The FoodCycler is an indoor compost alternative which transforms food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer (we call 'foodilizer') for the garden. In 4-6 hours, this compost food recycler will reduce food waste volume and weight by up to 90%, leaving a dry, odourless and sterile by-product which can be safely handled by students and teachers. The FoodCycler provides authentic, hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages, which can be easily connected to curriculum. It can be used to complement units of study on solid waste (i.e., food waste, waste reduction). It can activate research into the science of decomposition or an inquiry into the benefits of compost. Use the fertilizer from the FoodCycler to amend soil for your indoor plants or school gardens and watch them flourish! By using a FoodCycler, you are keeping food waste out of landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% vs. sending it to the landfill. You also reduce wildlife attractants, and create a useable material to put into your school garden. The FoodCycler is:- quiet
- compact
- odourless
- easy to use
- energy efficient
- 1 x FoodCycler FC-30
- 1 x Removable Grinding Bucket
- 1 x Deodorizing Bucket Lid
- 1 x Instructional Guide
- Educational Support Materials for Schools
- Designed to eliminate odours during food cycling
- Threaded filter tops for easy twist-open, twist-closed functionality
- Includes enough carbon for 5 refills (at least 1 year of food cycling)
- Replace both filters’ carbon at the same time for maximum filtration
- After use, carbon can be applied directly to your garden!
- FoodCycler Overview
- Congratulations on your new FoodCycler!
- Félicitations pour votre nouveau FoodCycler!
- FoodCycler Learning & Action Kit
- Le kit d'apprentissage et d'action FoodCycler
- Vermicomposting & School-Based Composting: Learn about decomposition and how your FoodCycler turns food scraps into fertilizer!
- Reduce Your Food Waste: Use the FoodCycler to audit and significantly reduce your school’s food waste.
- Pollinator Garden & Grow a Food Garden: Use your FoodCycler by-product to nourish bee-friendly plants or grow vegetables in a food garden!
- Indoor Gardening & Greenhouses: Nourish your indoor plants by incorporating your by-product into their soil – or start new seeds with by-product and fresh soil!
Reduce Your Food Waste resources:EcoSchools Resource: Other Helpful Tools and Resources:For Schools: Teacher FAQ's:- Food Matters Action Kit (Commission for Environmental Cooperation) - English / French
- Taking stock: Reducing food loss and waste in Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada) - English
- The avoidable crisis of food waste - Road Map (Second Harvest) - English
- Food waste resources (Waste Reduction Week in Canada) - English / French
- Love Food Hate Waste (National Zero Waste Council) - English / French
- Ontario: Food Waste resources (Sustain Ontario) - English / French (option at the top right of the English page)
- Ontario: Food Waste Audit Guide (Ontario Food Collaborative) - English
- How long is the warrantee? The FoodCycler comes with a standard 1-year manufacturer warrantee.
- How much power does it use per cycle? The processing time is about 4-8 hours and uses less than >0.8kWh
- Have you verified that this would accommodate the amount of organic waste that a classroom would produce in a day? We recommend running the cycle after snack time and then after lunch to accommodate the food waste.
- In the winter months in cold climates do teachers just collect this into a larger bin, say a garbage bin with a lid, and then do you dig it in garden beds in the spring when the ground has thawed? You can bin the by-product during the winter months and use it for your garden in the spring.
- Has this been found to be a wildlife attractant, or is the smell reduced enough? Can you leave it in a bin outside without risk of wildlife being attracted? Many of our pilot partners are from small rural areas where they do not have a green bin collection service and cannot compost due to the fear of attracting bears and other animals. They have not had an issue with attracting animals with the by-product of the FoodCycler!
- What is the recommended amount that this be added to the soil? We recommend adding 1-part foodilizer (the by-product generated by the FoodCycler) to a minimum of 10 parts soil. You can add more foodilizer over time.
-
Get up close with nature with our 2-Way Nature Viewer! Place an object into the viewer and see the magnified image top & bottom (bottom view from the side). Learning about nature, including aquatic invertebrates, is fun, easy, and clear. “The two-way nature viewer is the ideal tool for making close observations of living and non-living things both in the classroom and out in nature! My students come alive with wonder and curiosity when they use these magnifiers to observe rocks, sticks, flowers, insects and even aquatic invertebrates using this magnifier (it has a shallow lip that can contain water). It is durable, easy to pack up and bring along on our learning adventures!” – Teacher, Rocky Mountain School District -
Lightweight and rubber-coated, 10x32 National Geographic binoculars are a perfect observation tool for young nature explorers.- Lightweight and compact
- 10x magnification
- 32mm lens diameter
- 315ft field of view at 1000 yards
-
Sale!
This kit includes 8 curated books accompanied by resources & equipment to support a K-7 soil inquiry outdoors!
This kit includes book specific lesson sparks, guiding questions, and curricular connections for playful explorations of soil in your school garden or school yard. It supports student learning across the curriculum, with a specific focus on how soil is different from dirt, and the importance of soil in our daily lives. This kit was curated and created by teachers Megan Zeni and Sarah Regan. Megan and Sarah are job share partners teaching entirely outdoors in a K-7 garden classroom. Megan shares their experiences of outdoor play and learning on Instagram and Twitter at @roomtoplay. Reduced Shipping Prices: Shipping prices have been lowered significantly since launching this kit - if you abandoned your order because of the high price, please try again! 🙂 This kit includes:- 8 curated picture books that support playful exploration of soil (see list below)
- 10-page PDF that includes a conceptual overview with lesson sparks and guiding questions for each book on a recycled & waterproof clipboard
- 1 Soil Thermometer
- 1 Waterproof Seed Starting Tray
- 1 Paper Seed Pot Maker
- 3 Magnifying Boxes
- 1 Compost Viewer
- 3 Sets of Hand Tools (3 x Trowel, Cultivator, Transplanter)
- 3 Soil Collection Jars
- 2 Handheld Field Magnifiers with 'Explore Your World' Lanyards
- 3 Recycled Drawstring Backpacks (made from recycled pop bottles!) to hold it all
- What’s Sprouting in my Trash by Ester Porter
- The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer
- Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- My Mud Kitchen is Rad by Allison Bakkum
- Compost Stew: An A-Z Recipe for Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
- Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman
- Exploring Soils: A Hidden World Underground by Samantha Grover
- Dirt: The Scoop on Soil by Natalie Rosinsky
-
70 Sensory Activities for All Ages!
The Book of Nature Connection is a brand-new resource packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and nourishing way. It is a fantastic resource for educators, camp and youth leaders, caregivers and parents. Author, Jacob Rodenburg (nature sommelier) is an award-winning educator, executive director of Camp Kawartha, a summer camp and outdoor education center, and instructor in environmental education at Trent University. He has taught more than 100,000 students and is co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities. From "extenda-ears" and acorn whistles to bird calls, camouflage games, and scent scavenger hunts, enjoy over 70 diverse, engaging, sensory activities for all ages that promote mindfulness and nature connection. With activities grouped by the main senses – hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste – plus sensory walks and group games, The Book of Nature Connection is both a powerful learning tool kit and the cure for sensory anesthesia brought on by screen time and lives lived indoors. Whisper in birds, be dazzled by nature's kaleidoscope of colors, taste the freshness of each season, learn to savor the scented world of evergreens, hug a tree and feel the bark against your cheek. Spending time in nature with all senses tuned and primed helps us feel like we belong to the natural world – and in belonging, we come to feel more connected, nourished, and alive. 128 pagesRegister to join us for a FREE virtual workshop with Jacob!
Most Recently Added Tools & Resources
-
Sale!
Pre-orders are available again!
With the popularity of the first print-run, we are working on a second print run now. We anticipate to be able to ship these mid-April. If you are ordering other items at the same time, please indicate in the 'order notes' field at check-out if you would like these shipped ahead - otherwise we will wait to ship everything together to save on shipping costs. Working with syilx apprentice knowledge keeper, Krystal Withakay (spaxwawlm), the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) Parks Services produced this guide Central Okanagan: Guide to Common Plants and Animals (suqinaq̓inxʷ tmxʷulaxʷ : tmíxʷ uł yayat əts p̓lal), in English and nsyilxcən (where possible). Nsyilxcən is the language spoken by syilx Okanagan people. This guide covers the territory of the the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. It is laminated to make it weatherproof and is printed on 100% recycled paper. To help with language pronunciation, you can use the guide on this page. $1 from every guide is directed to the Syilx Language House, and any remaining proceeds go back to supporting non-profit outdoor learning initiatives. We also offer a number of other Indigenous Learning Resources that are made available on the recommendation of Indigenous advisors and partners, and through Indigenous organizations, authors and creators. You are welcome to include other items in your order, and we can ship everything out together when these guides arrive to save you $$ on shipping. Or you can put in two separate orders - one for these guides, and a second for other resources, and we will ship separately. Please note that the image shown here is a draft, and the final version may look slightly different. -
Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Robin Wall Kimmerer's beloved bestselling book has been adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish, and is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions, and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt (Navajo), Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults will help provide educators to bring Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation. "A book to grow up with and grow into." Every high school English, Social Studies, Biology and History Department should have copies of this book available. Not to mention every Library, Youth Group and Family with teenaged children. Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrates how all living things—from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen—provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. This new version will provide the essence of this book in a way that better engages young adults. 304 pages -
This beautiful resource book is back, and this time we are the publishers! This large-format paperback contains over 50 of the best teaching strategies and activities contributed to Green Teacher during the past decade! This provides a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America, covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics and presenting a large diversity of practical projects and learning strategies. While the book focuses on helping kids develop a strong connection with the natural world, there are many articles that focus on the social and global aspects of our environment. The book is attractively designed and organized, and, for each article and activity, the editors have identified appropriate grade levels, subject areas, key concepts, skills, and materials. The hands-on projects and learning strategies are sure to inspire all educators who are seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs. 240 pages
-
This resource for educators was designed to serve as a complete “green” teaching resource for those working with middle school-aged youth. Readers will find a wealth of kid-tested ideas contributed by educators from across North America and covering a wide spectrum of environmental topics, from biodiversity to resource consumption to green technology. They include practical projects and new learning strategies that will inspire educators seeking innovative ideas for incorporating green themes into their programs. Pages: 240
-
This is an ideal resource for anyone working with young people in Grades 9-12. Richly illustrated, it offers teaching strategies that promote learning about natural systems and foster critical thinking about environmental issues, both local and global. It contains new approaches to learning, strategies for living sustainably, and numerous activities that promote interdisciplinary learning. In addition, the book provides suggestions for greening individual subject areas, developing integrated learning programs, and replicating exemplary programs already created by innovative schools and communities. Pages: 226
-
Sale!
The FoodCycler is an indoor compost alternative which transforms food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer (we call 'foodilizer') for the garden. In 4-6 hours, this compost food recycler will reduce food waste volume and weight by up to 90%, leaving a dry, odourless and sterile by-product which can be safely handled by students and teachers. The FoodCycler provides authentic, hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages, which can be easily connected to curriculum. It can be used to complement units of study on solid waste (i.e., food waste, waste reduction). It can activate research into the science of decomposition or an inquiry into the benefits of compost. Use the fertilizer from the FoodCycler to amend soil for your indoor plants or school gardens and watch them flourish! By using a FoodCycler, you are keeping food waste out of landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% vs. sending it to the landfill. You also reduce wildlife attractants, and create a useable material to put into your school garden. The FoodCycler is:
- quiet
- compact
- odourless
- easy to use
- energy efficient
- 1 x FoodCycler FC-30
- 1 x Removable Grinding Bucket
- 1 x Deodorizing Bucket Lid
- 1 x Instructional Guide
- Educational Support Materials for Schools
- Designed to eliminate odours during food cycling
- Threaded filter tops for easy twist-open, twist-closed functionality
- Includes enough carbon for 5 refills (at least 1 year of food cycling)
- Replace both filters’ carbon at the same time for maximum filtration
- After use, carbon can be applied directly to your garden!
- FoodCycler Overview
- Congratulations on your new FoodCycler!
- Félicitations pour votre nouveau FoodCycler!
- FoodCycler Learning & Action Kit
- Le kit d'apprentissage et d'action FoodCycler
- Vermicomposting & School-Based Composting: Learn about decomposition and how your FoodCycler turns food scraps into fertilizer!
- Reduce Your Food Waste: Use the FoodCycler to audit and significantly reduce your school’s food waste.
- Pollinator Garden & Grow a Food Garden: Use your FoodCycler by-product to nourish bee-friendly plants or grow vegetables in a food garden!
- Indoor Gardening & Greenhouses: Nourish your indoor plants by incorporating your by-product into their soil – or start new seeds with by-product and fresh soil!
Reduce Your Food Waste resources:EcoSchools Resource: Other Helpful Tools and Resources:For Schools: Teacher FAQ's:- Food Matters Action Kit (Commission for Environmental Cooperation) - English / French
- Taking stock: Reducing food loss and waste in Canada (Environment and Climate Change Canada) - English
- The avoidable crisis of food waste - Road Map (Second Harvest) - English
- Food waste resources (Waste Reduction Week in Canada) - English / French
- Love Food Hate Waste (National Zero Waste Council) - English / French
- Ontario: Food Waste resources (Sustain Ontario) - English / French (option at the top right of the English page)
- Ontario: Food Waste Audit Guide (Ontario Food Collaborative) - English
- How long is the warrantee? The FoodCycler comes with a standard 1-year manufacturer warrantee.
- How much power does it use per cycle? The processing time is about 4-8 hours and uses less than >0.8kWh
- Have you verified that this would accommodate the amount of organic waste that a classroom would produce in a day? We recommend running the cycle after snack time and then after lunch to accommodate the food waste.
- In the winter months in cold climates do teachers just collect this into a larger bin, say a garbage bin with a lid, and then do you dig it in garden beds in the spring when the ground has thawed? You can bin the by-product during the winter months and use it for your garden in the spring.
- Has this been found to be a wildlife attractant, or is the smell reduced enough? Can you leave it in a bin outside without risk of wildlife being attracted? Many of our pilot partners are from small rural areas where they do not have a green bin collection service and cannot compost due to the fear of attracting bears and other animals. They have not had an issue with attracting animals with the by-product of the FoodCycler!
- What is the recommended amount that this be added to the soil? We recommend adding 1-part foodilizer (the by-product generated by the FoodCycler) to a minimum of 10 parts soil. You can add more foodilizer over time.
-
Get up close with nature with our 2-Way Nature Viewer! Place an object into the viewer and see the magnified image top & bottom (bottom view from the side). Learning about nature, including aquatic invertebrates, is fun, easy, and clear. “The two-way nature viewer is the ideal tool for making close observations of living and non-living things both in the classroom and out in nature! My students come alive with wonder and curiosity when they use these magnifiers to observe rocks, sticks, flowers, insects and even aquatic invertebrates using this magnifier (it has a shallow lip that can contain water). It is durable, easy to pack up and bring along on our learning adventures!” – Teacher, Rocky Mountain School District
-
Lightweight and rubber-coated, 10x32 National Geographic binoculars are a perfect observation tool for young nature explorers.
- Lightweight and compact
- 10x magnification
- 32mm lens diameter
- 315ft field of view at 1000 yards
-
Sale!
This kit includes 8 curated books accompanied by resources & equipment to support a K-7 soil inquiry outdoors!
This kit includes book specific lesson sparks, guiding questions, and curricular connections for playful explorations of soil in your school garden or school yard. It supports student learning across the curriculum, with a specific focus on how soil is different from dirt, and the importance of soil in our daily lives. This kit was curated and created by teachers Megan Zeni and Sarah Regan. Megan and Sarah are job share partners teaching entirely outdoors in a K-7 garden classroom. Megan shares their experiences of outdoor play and learning on Instagram and Twitter at @roomtoplay. Reduced Shipping Prices: Shipping prices have been lowered significantly since launching this kit - if you abandoned your order because of the high price, please try again! 🙂 This kit includes:- 8 curated picture books that support playful exploration of soil (see list below)
- 10-page PDF that includes a conceptual overview with lesson sparks and guiding questions for each book on a recycled & waterproof clipboard
- 1 Soil Thermometer
- 1 Waterproof Seed Starting Tray
- 1 Paper Seed Pot Maker
- 3 Magnifying Boxes
- 1 Compost Viewer
- 3 Sets of Hand Tools (3 x Trowel, Cultivator, Transplanter)
- 3 Soil Collection Jars
- 2 Handheld Field Magnifiers with 'Explore Your World' Lanyards
- 3 Recycled Drawstring Backpacks (made from recycled pop bottles!) to hold it all
- What’s Sprouting in my Trash by Ester Porter
- The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer
- Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- My Mud Kitchen is Rad by Allison Bakkum
- Compost Stew: An A-Z Recipe for Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
- Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman
- Exploring Soils: A Hidden World Underground by Samantha Grover
- Dirt: The Scoop on Soil by Natalie Rosinsky
-
70 Sensory Activities for All Ages!
The Book of Nature Connection is a brand-new resource packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and nourishing way. It is a fantastic resource for educators, camp and youth leaders, caregivers and parents. Author, Jacob Rodenburg (nature sommelier) is an award-winning educator, executive director of Camp Kawartha, a summer camp and outdoor education center, and instructor in environmental education at Trent University. He has taught more than 100,000 students and is co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities. From "extenda-ears" and acorn whistles to bird calls, camouflage games, and scent scavenger hunts, enjoy over 70 diverse, engaging, sensory activities for all ages that promote mindfulness and nature connection. With activities grouped by the main senses – hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste – plus sensory walks and group games, The Book of Nature Connection is both a powerful learning tool kit and the cure for sensory anesthesia brought on by screen time and lives lived indoors. Whisper in birds, be dazzled by nature's kaleidoscope of colors, taste the freshness of each season, learn to savor the scented world of evergreens, hug a tree and feel the bark against your cheek. Spending time in nature with all senses tuned and primed helps us feel like we belong to the natural world – and in belonging, we come to feel more connected, nourished, and alive. 128 pagesRegister to join us for a FREE virtual workshop with Jacob!
