If you were unable to join us yesterday and you are interested in registering for summer camp, please note that the following camp programs are now FULL:

Knee-High Naturalists: Session A – AM

Small Wonders: AM session 

Nature Nuts: ALL sessions  

Young Naturalists Club

If you are interested in registering for a summer camp program but it is FULL, we do encourage you to contact us at the Nature Centre to be added to the waiting list.

For a list of all other camp programs and registration details, please visit our Summer Nature Camp page.

Join us Monday, January 30 at 8:00am to register. Check out our 2012 summer camp offerings and registration details here.

See you in the tall grass!

Check out the Facebook events here:

Nature Journal Workshop in High Park
Saturday, January 28, 2012
9:30am until 4:30pm

Awakening Nature Connection in the Classroom
Sunday, January 29, 2012
11:30am until 4:00pm

If you are interested in either workshop, please contact Kimberley Fry at kimberleyfry@gmail.com or 647-987-7793.

Photo Hike by Andrew Yee

On Saturday January 7, lots of folks met up at High Park Nature Centre with cameras for our Family Nature Walk. We strolled the woodlands, wetlands and black oak savannah taking photos along the way.

Please enjoy these photos sent to us by some of the hikers. If you were on this hike and would like to see one of your photos featured on our website, send them to naturecentre@highpark.org

Our next Family Nature Walk is “Winter Trees” on January 21, 1-3 PM

Goldenrod Seeds by Andrew Yee

By Irena Wilk

Stubborn Trunk by Andrew Yee

Starry Night by Irena Wilk

Find That Squirrel by Andrew Yee

On the Log by Jane Hayes

Photo by Jackanapes

Just try getting close to a dark-eyed junco. They flutter off quicker than most to the safety of a shrub or thicket. Although they aren’t as flashy as other winter birds – the flashy cardinals, bold chickadees or loud woodpeckers – juncos are every bit as fascinating.

Winter around here feels cold to us, but to juncos this is a “warm” holiday! These well-insulated birds live as far north as the arctic. Many of the juncos around here might be migrants from as far north as Hudson’s Bay. This is warm to them!

Juncos are one of the most common birds to visit feeders, however, they seldom perch. As ground feeders they prefer to collect seed and millet that the other birds spill.

Some cool things to watch for with Juncos:

• Slate-coloured top and white underside
• White tail feathers that flash as they fly
• Pinkish beak
• Hopping on the ground rather than walking
• Listen for a twittering or trilling call
• Flocking in the winter

Sarah Halonen, our Camp Programs Coordinator, chose the Juncos as her favourite winter birds. Sarah says, “I love them because it means winter is here!” Indeed it is.

For more information on Juncos see Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hopefully we will see some of these birds among many more at our Winter Birds Family Nature Walk on February 4.

Looking for something fun to do over March Break? Come explore the nature and history of High Park with Colborne Lodge and the High Park Nature Centre! Our March Break Camp is perfect for kids aged 6-10, and will have them learning and adventuring at Colborne Lodge in the mornings, and on the trails with the High Park Nature Centre in the afternoons. 

Registration starts January 9th, 2012. Register for mornings, afternoons, or both by contacting Colborne Lodge: 416-392-6916 or clodge@toronto.ca.

Naturalist Club & Registration details

We still have a few spots available in Saturday Morning Club (age 6-8), Afterschool Adventures (age 8-12) and At Home in High Park (homeschoolers aged 5-10).

This winter the Nature Centre is offering our full range of “Naturalist Clubs for Kids” that get kids outside for hands-on learning and tons of fun! From snowshoeing to discovering how wild animals survive the cold winter to hand-feeding chickadees, the Centre’s naturalist clubs for kids are a great remedy for the winter blahs. All clubs are led by experienced outdoor educators and skilled naturalists who know the trails, plants and animals of High Park like the back of their own hand.The Centre’s Naturalist Clubs for Kids aim to inspire and engage the next generation of naturalists and environmental stewards. Programs build on each other so young naturalists can hone their skills over time.

Winter 2012 registration for the Centre’s Naturalist Clubs for Kids opens on Monday, November 28 at 8am. Call 416-392-1748 x2 for more information or click here.

Winter is the season for outdoor exploration and High Park Nature Centre is the place for it!

High Park Nature Centre Annual Report 2010-11

Is your young one’s birthday coming up? Looking for a different kind of party? One that will be as educational as it is fun? Or maybe you are looking for the kind of party that you don’t have to clean up after and has an environmentally low impact? The Nature Centre can offer you both! Our experienced staff will help make your child’s birthday party a memorable one with awesome themes inspired by the nature of High Park. Party goers can expect to create, learn, hike, and explore the park in a safe, supervised setting with the primary objective of fun! Then when it’s all over, we’ll clean the dishes!

We are now booking parties for November, December, and into the new year. If you are interested, please visit our our Birthday’s page for a full list of party options, themes and costs. If you have any questions or are interested in booking a party for your child, please feel free to give us a call or email Zak at zak@highpark.org

Drop by the Nature Centre for our Open House Meet and Greet from 6:15 – 7pm and then join us in the Howard Park Tennis Club (right next door!) for our AGM from 7pm on.

Parents wishing to attend the AGM can drop off their kids (5 years and up) free of charge to participate in a fun and educational “Nature at Night” program led by Nature Centre staff.

More info on our AGM to come, but please save the date and plan to attend!