School Groups

We offer in-person and virtual presentations linked to the Ontario curriculum that focus on developing empathy and compassion for wildlife.
Please note that patients from Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre will not be part of the program due to their high stress levels and need for a quiet space to heal. Exceptions are made in the Live Virtual Tour and Virtual Earth Week presentations where staff are shown working with our patients in real time.
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in person


Classroom
Visit

In person


Field Trip at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area

virtual


Virtual
Presentations 

 School Group Subsidies

Thanks to the generosity of our monthly donors, we have a limited number of subsidies available for school groups who are unable to cover the full program fees. Please contact us with your subsidy request. Include your school name, school board, grade, and program in your request.
funding is currently available for fall 2024.

Classroom Visit

Grades K-12

Book an educator to visit your school for an interactive session on local wildlife.

Program Length: 1 hour

Class Size: Up to 30 participants

Main Travel Zone Cost: $85

Kindergarten Program
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Main Travel Zone
Extended Travel Zone
Extended Travel Zone

Classroom Visit

Special: Wildlife Allies Multi-Part Program

Grades 3-5

This program includes three 1-hour in-person sessions at your school with an SPWC educator and one self-guided session that teaches students how to use their voice to stand up for wildlife. In the self-guided session, you will lead students in writing a radio announcement (all materials provided) on how to keep wildlife safe in their community. In the final session with SPWC, students will record an announcement, which will be played on a local radio station. Consider booking this program to align with your media literacy plan.

Program Length: 1 hour per session

Class Size: Up to 30 participants per session

Main Travel Zone Cost: $260

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Main Travel Zone
Extended Travel Zone
Extended Travel Zone

Field Trip at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area

Making Friends with Wildlife

Grades 1-3

Students will explore the trails of Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (Glenburnie, ON) and participate in a series of activities that build empathy and compassion for wild animals. This special program is facilitated by educators from Cataraqui Conservation and Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre. Please note that patients from Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre will not be part of the program due to their high stress levels and need for a quiet space to heal. 

Location: Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (1641 Perth Road, Glenburnie, Ontario).

Program Length: 2 hours

Regular Fee: $10 per student, with a minimum fee of $170.

LDSB and ALCDSB Fee: $7 per student attending from the Limestone District School Board or Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, with a minimum fee of $170.

Group Size: We can host up to two classes from your school who will receive the 'Making Friends with Wildlife' program at the same time. We encourage a second class to attend! Please include the email addresses of all teachers attending by clicking 'Add Guests' in the booking questions and entering their information.

Adult Support: A maximum of five adults may attend the field trip per class, excluding teachers and EAs.

Payment Note: You will be invoiced after the field trip.
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Virtual Presentations

Grades K-12

Program Length: 1 hour (Grades 1-12), 45 minutes (Kinder)

Platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet

Cost: $35 

Additional Resources: Each session comes with a learning package for educators.
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Virtual Presentations

Special: Live Virtual Tour

Grades 6-12

Join us live at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre as you go behind-the-scenes to see patients receiving life-saving care in our main hospital building. Tour stops include triage, bird rooms, the reptile room, and mammal rooms. A Q&A with staff will conclude the tour.

Program Length: 1 hour 

Platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet

Cost: $78

We can accommodate up to three classes per session.
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Write your awesome label here.

Virtual Presentations

Special: Earth Week

Grades 1-4

In honour of Earth Week (April 21-27, 2024), book a special 1-hour program to learn how wildlife are impacted by human activity and what students can do to help keep wildlife safe in their community. As part of this virtual program, students will meet a wildlife caretaker live at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and see one patient in care.

Program Length: 1 hour

Platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet

Cost: $78

We can accommodate up to three classes per session.

Additional Resources: Earth Week lesson plans are available for free here. Mark your calendar for a free live virtual tour of Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre on Friday, April 26, 2024 from 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM. Limited to 100 classes. Book your free spot here.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I pay in advance for a program?

Our administration staff are working hard to answer wildlife emergency calls and admit new patients every day. By paying in advance through our automated system, you are allowing our administrative staff to focus on getting wildlife in distress into our care. 

Do I need a PayPal account to pay in advance?

No! When prompted by PayPal, you can check out as a 'guest' and simply use a credit card to pay.

What am I paying for?

You are paying for an educator's time to prepare and deliver the program. For in-person programs, the cost includes travel time. As a charity, these program fees are critical to continuing the education program.

How do I complete my booking after paying with credit card/PayPal?

After making the payment through the PayPal portal, you will be directed back to the booking page. You must click the 'Schedule Event' button at the bottom of the page to secure your presentation time.

Where can I see the travel zones?

View the travel zones here.

What teachers are saying

"This presentation as engaging, relevant and kept students active which was appreciated. The presenter had wonderful energy and was an excellent facilitator. This is a dream workshop for an elementary teacher!"
grade 1 teacher, ocdsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"Loved the outdoor location, information was well connected to the curriculum and well suited to young learners."
GRADE 2/3 TEACHER, ldsb
Field Trip: Making Friends with Wildlife
"Our grade 9 science class was able to learn what it is like working with non-domesticated, injured wildlife. Our connection to nature and the benefits of having compassion for our fellow non-humans was on full display! Thank you SPWC!"
Grade 9 teacher, tldsb
Virtual Presentation: Working with Wildlife
"Sandy Pines is extremely beneficial to the injured animals and provide a service that is outstanding. Organizations, such as this one, need to be commended for the hard work and dedication demonstrated on a daily basis. To have educational programmes, is one other important part when educating people about the importance of nature. " 
grade 5/6 teacher, ldsb
Virtual Presentation: At-Home with Wildlife
"We had a wonderful virtual visit from an educator at Sandy Pines Wildlife Sanctuary. She was very engaging, prepared and kept a great pace for our Kindergarten students. There were lots of opportunities for student participation and movement. They even learnt a few new songs. We enjoyed learning about the animals that the sanctuary take care of and how we can help local wildlife, especially during the winter. We also enjoyed learning about animals that migrate, hibernate or adapt during the winter months. 
The resources provided before and after were fantastic and the booking very easy and responsive. I look forward to booking again in the future and have shared the information with my colleagues."
kindergarten TEACHER, wrdsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"My grade 4 class had the pleasure of having Jess from Sandy Pine Wildlife Centre present to us virtually. Despite this being a virtual presentation it was incredibly engaging and exciting! It was directly relevant to the Ontario Curriculum and encourages students to put their learning into action! 10/10 would recommend to educators! " 
Grade 4 teacher, hpedsb
Virtual Presentation: At-Home with Wildlife
"This is my fourth year working with the staff from Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre. Their booking process is easy to use with clear details of what each on-line session has to offer. The instructor is knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic. There is an excellent mix of interactive games/activities, photos and videos of the animals that SPWC cares for, as well as connections to the Indigenous communities who have cared for the land for 1000s of years. Through a mindfulness activity, my class was able to "visualize" how we could improve our school space for reptiles, insects, mammals and birds. My students were engaged, intrigued and felt called to action when they saw the impact humans can have on the habitats of wildlife. I will continue to use the SPWC in my classroom as a way to inspire future stewardship of our communities and animal habitats."
grade 3/4 teacher, ALCDSB
Virtual Presentation: At-Home with Wildlife
"I loved how the presentation included action ideas for our students. We learned a new word this year, "hibernaculum" and plan on starting our forest visit this week with our new task. The presentation was engaging and and informational in a fun way."
GRADE 1 TEACHER, HPEDSB
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"The presenter understood her young audience and was engaging. The presentation moved at a good pace and offered different ways to participate and keep the attention of children."
grade 1 teacher, hdsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"Our presentation today was very well done and very engaging for our kindergarten class. Our students couldn’t stop talking about all they had learned and immediately started to put some things into practice like cleaning up the yard so animals wouldn’t mistake it for food and get hurt and also they have asked to draw pictures to put in our windows to alert the birds." 
kindergarten teacher, ldsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"My grade 7 students were actively engaged in the learning during this presentation. There was the perfect amount of videos, interaction, and knowledge gained. I will definitely be using these presentations in the future. Thank you for all your hard work and education. " 
GRADE 7 TEACHER, KPRDSB
Virtual Presentation: Wildlife-at-Risk
"The content and the lesson is age appropriate. The program integrates values such as empathy, love, and compassion for wildlife with our students. Students improve their critical thinking skills and develop real-world connections through the questions and answer portion."
Grade 3 teacher, tdsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"Our presentations from Jess inspired my grade 1/2 class to make a difference in their community! They have a newfound compassion for wildlife and have been actively researching to learn more after our presentations with Jess! The online presentations were the most interactive online learning opportunities my class has taken part in! Jess incorporated games, mindfulness activities, and movement to keep the students engaged. My class has used these presentations as a springboard to further learning. We are now writing a script to create an iMovie presentation to teach the rest of the school about protecting local wildlife. Thank you Jess & Sandy Pines!" 
Katey day, Anglophone South School District, New Brunswick
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"An engaging and informative program that connects young learners with wildlife and the world around them." 
GRADE 4 TEACHER, LDSB
Virtual Presentation: At-Home with Wildlife
"Our Kindergarten class thoroughly enjoyed learning about and exploring the excellent work Sandy Pines [does] for vulnerable animals in our community. The children were inspired to take the skills and information they learned in the presentation and respectfully apply it to support animals in their own backyard."
kindergarten teacher, alcdsb
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"This was my third year signing up for this presentation and I love it!! My students thoroughly enjoy the presentation each year. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us!"
Grade 1 teacher, GEDSB
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife
"Our Kindergarten students loved the presentation and all of the great learning activities. I really liked how there were some large group games/information presented first, and then some wonderful hands-on centres where the students could "look after" the stuffies and puppets. The activities were very well thought out and age appropriate. They kept our students engaged."
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, LDSB
Classroom Visit
"I wish I had shared a presentation by Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre with my students sooner than today!! What a beautiful way to teach empathy and compassion for all of God’s creatures. Kinders can do hard stuff and we learned a lot today!!"
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, ALCDSB
Classroom Visit
"This in-person visit from Sandy Pines did not disappoint. It was the perfect balance of whole-class, interactive centres and learning through body movement. We can't wait to invite you back, Sandy Pines."
kindergarten teacher, alcdsb
Classroom Visit
"We appreciate all that Sandy Pines does for our local wildlife and the education of our young students."
grade 4 TEACHER, aLcDSB
Virtual Presentation: At-Home with Wildlife
"This presentation is incredibly valuable for our young learners. It is informative, and engaging and the presenter was excellent!"
GRADE 1 TEACHER
Virtual Presentation: Change for Wildlife

Explore our free educational resources!

Lesson plans and videos are available for Grades K-8.
  sandypineswildlife.org

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