Raincoast Field School
“The goal of the Raincoast Field School is to increase outdoor learning opportunities for students in our local public schools.”
Raincoast Field School is an outdoor education program designed to meet BC curricular outcomes while providing hands-on learning opportunities for students in our local public schools. It is a collaborative program developed by the Raincoast Education Society (RES) and the teachers at the Tofino and Ucluelet elementary schools.
Field trips and activities are led by a qualified full-time instructor with extensive experience as a science educator, and encompass multiple aspects of curricular outcomes including science, numeracy and literacy. The program is constantly evolving, with lessons being built or recycled to best fit with the unique themes of each class as determined by the teacher.
Making Connections
Raincoast Field School is designed to complement classroom lessons taught by each class’s teacher. The program provides education about the environment in a natural setting and incorporates physical education while reviewing mathematics, English language, arts and social studies concepts that students have learned in class.
Ultimately, the material covered in each class is based on specific requests from the teacher which the Field School instructor then incorporates into a unique activity or lesson plan.
Progress
Full programming is provided to the Wickaninnish Community School in Tofino (since 2014) and the Ucluelet Elementary School (since 2018) through Raincoast Field School. Each and every student from K to grade 7 gets to participate in at least one field trip per month during the school year – that’s over 200 Raincoast Field School trips delivered per year!
Follow along
Raincoast Field School programs are currently being run in Tofino and Ucluelet elementary schools (K-7). Follow along with our programs below.
#tofinofieldschool
This lesson had students really getting to the bare bones of science! 🦴.
Mr. Reynolds’ class spent the morning discussing the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates, and exploring and identifying different animal bones.
We then headed out to Combers Beach, where we spent the afternoon learning how to use binoculars and scopes to search for sea lions. 🦭
We talked about differences and similarities in skeletal structures and even looked at and compared different digestive systems. Students were amazed to learn that a sea lion’s intestine is about 18 times its body length — they were definitely digesting some big ideas today! 🩻🦷
Field School Topic: Body Systems
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#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Ms. Reimer’s Grade 2-3 class took a sunny walk to Tonquin Beach for a hands-on water cycle adventure! 💧
Students travelled as water droplets through different reservoirs such as clouds, oceans, rivers, plants 🌱, and animals, collecting beads at each stop to build their own water cycle bracelets.
As they rolled the dice 🎲 to discover where they would flow next, they learned that every droplet takes a different path. By the end, no two bracelets were the same, showing just how unique each droplet’s journey can be!
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
This field trip was all about adaptation and survival! 🌿🦒
Today`s field trip was all about adaptation and survival! 🌿
Ms. Morris` class started with a discussion on what adaptations are — from human examples like opposable thumbs and walking upright to animal adaptations like a giraffe’s long neck 🦒, a bear’s fur and hibernation, different types of camouflage, and specialized bird beaks.
Then it was time for a Battle of the Beaks! Students rotated through different “beak tools” to collect as much “food” as possible, making predictions, recording data, and analyzing whether the results supported their thinking. 📊
Afterwards, we walked down to a forested area above Tonquin Beach for an intense survival game of Manhunt! 🌲
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Here on the West Coast, salmon are everywhere — in our stomachs, in our minds, and throughout the ecosystem around us, especially now in fall. 🐟🍂
Ms. Brown’s class spent a morning learning about and acting out the life of a salmon.
We started by naming the 5 local salmon species and exploring the stages of their life cycle. Once comfortable with each stage, we played the salmon lifecycle lottery game to see the challenges each stage faces — most salmon don’t make it back to their home streams to spawn. 🌊
For our final activity, we all became spawners swimming upstream! 🏞️ We dodged bears 🐻, ducked under branches, hopped over waterfalls, squeezed through tiny streams, and wove through river bends before finally reaching the spawning grounds. 🌲🐟
Field School Topic: Salmon
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#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Many useful things come from the forest — things we need to live and thrive. 🌲 From food to building materials, there’s a lot on offer!
For Ms. Arora’s field school, we went to the rainforest loops to get up close and personal with some of these useful plants.
We started by getting to know the major tree species — Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, and Sitka Spruce. We discussed how to identify them and the types of things they are used to make. 🪵
Later, down the trail, we turned to the berry-bearing bushes — salal, cynamocka, red huckleberry, and salmonberry. 🫐
We also explored the connections between forests and salmon, and the links between trees and edible mushrooms 🍄 — both examples of how interconnected the forest is, and how our food can be traced back further than we might first think! 🐟
Field School Topic: Natural Resources
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
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#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Ms. Comtois’ grade 5/6 class took a deep dive into life systems — a series that took us from cells to ecosystems! 🦠
For our first lesson, we focused on the smallest blobs of life — cells! We explored some of the structures and functions found within cells before making our own cut-and-paste models. We also took note of the immense diversity of multicellular life around us. ✂️🔬
Next, we headed out to collect microscopic organisms from our oceanic backyard. At Crab Dock, we gathered plankton samples to bring back to class and study under our microscopes. With this, we could leap up in complexity to trophic levels — producers and consumers. 🌊🐟
On our third day, we took the bus out to the rainforest loops to investigate the relationships within a rainforest. Here we started connecting ideas of organization from the smallest to the largest scales. 🌲
Lastly, we walked over to TSK to explore the eelgrass beds out front as a site for our beach seine. After a few attempts, we found some great examples of life in the meadows. It was here that we made another leap in complexity, discovering how all the ecosystems we visited are interconnected. 🦀
Field School Topic: Life systems
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
🍂 Noticing the Signs of Fall with Ms. Brown’s K/1s
When the seasons are changing, it’s nice to pause and take it in. That’s exactly what we did for our first field school with Ms. Brown’s K/1s.
We started off with a signs of fall scavenger hunt 🍂—using our eyes, ears, noses, and hands to explore the sensations of the season. At the end of our scavenger hunt, students each found a very special leaf. 🍁
They studied their leaves closely, getting to know the edges, shape, and size to prepare for their challenge: finding their special leaf from a pair… with their eyes closed! 👀✨
Next, we turned to our ears for a few minutes of sound mapping. 👂🗺️ And finally, we wrapped up with a fun game of Bear and Salmon before the K/1s headed off to get ready for lunch.
Field School Topic: Senses and Signs of Fall🍁
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
🏕️ Shelter-Building with Mr. Redican’s Class! 🎒
A welcome back to Mr. Redican’s class includes building community and building shelters. 🌲
We started by walking to the forest near Tonquin Beach, where we searched for suitable sites to construct our shelters. At first, students set off with their crew, a bag of gear, and their imaginations to build a shelter that could fit all their group members. 🛠️
After a tour of each construction, we took a closer look at some important skills: ridge-lines, reef knots, and tarp folding. 🪢 With these new and refreshed skills, they’re well-prepared to build an even sturdier shelter next time.
But for today, we ran out of time and enjoyed our walk back to school. 🌧️🏫
Field School Topic: Community and shelter building
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
#ukeefieldschool
We had 10 amazing Field Schools with the Heartwood kids over the last few months of the school year! 🌿🌊🦀🪸✨
Together, we explored:
🫧 Bogs
🪨 Rocky coast
🌲 Rainforest
🐦 Birds & mudflats
🏖️ Dunes & sandy beaches
🌿 Plants & forest ecology
🌾 Eelgrass meadows
🦀 Rocky intertidal zone
🦴 Geological timescale & fossils
🦠 Microorganisms
So many ecosystems, so much curiosity, and tons of hands-on learning. What a season! 💚
Geological timescale/fossil record
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
On this rainy afternoon, Ms. Sigmund`s Grade 1–2s headed down to the Ucluelet Harbour to compare natural vs. humanmade features. 🌧️🌳🌉
We started by discussing and brainstorming the difference between a natural and humanmade material — then took our newfound knowledge outside!
At the harbour, students identified all sorts of features in our surroundings:
Lyche Island, the Ucluelet Aquarium, Ucluelet`s natural harbour, Whiskey Dock, Mount Ozzard, the road, and more — and discussed which were natural vs. humanmade. ⛰️🏫🏞️
Students quickly became experts, spotting natural and humanmade features all around us. 👀🔍
We wrapped up this fun field school playing on the humanmade park and among the natural trees, then headed back to school with full minds and happy hearts!
Field School Topic: Natural vs manmade features
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
In this field school, Ms. LeFevre`s Grade 5–6s explored the geological timescale and fossil record! 🦴🦖🌍
We learned about fossilization and rock layers using Starburst candies to model how fossils form over time. 🍬⏳
Afterwards, we headed outside and walked along a 100-meter tape measure to visualize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history, placing major events along the timeline to see just how recent humans are in comparison. 🌋👣
This was such a fun, hands-on, and mind-boggling field school!
Field School Topic: Geological timescale/fossil record
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Ms. Tremblay’s Grade 2–3 class had an awesome outdoor adventure at Big Beach, where they explored the intertidal zone and tide pools! 🦀🌊🐚
With the sun shining and the ocean breeze in the air, the students got hands-on with nature, using ID sheets to discover and identify all sorts of cool sea creatures.
It was a day full of learning, laughter, and plenty of seaside fun! 😄📖🌞
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Ms. Harling and Mr. Johnson`s Grade 1–2s had a fin-tastic day at the Ucluelet Aquarium! 🐟🪸
We kicked things off with a super fun scavenger hunt inside the aquarium, where students searched high and low for all kinds of ocean critters — from jiggly jellyfish to sneaky crabs. 🦀👀
After that, we headed outside to explore the intertidal zone, flipping rocks and checking out tide pools like true marine scientists. We found all sorts of amazing creatures like sea cucumbers, sea stars, shore crabs, oysters, and more! 🌿🐚🌊
And to top it all off, we hit the play structure for some wild climbing, sliding, and running around! 😄🛝
Field School Topic: Marine Biology
It was a day full of ocean wonders, salty air, and big smiles. 💙
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety #raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
For my last field school with Ms. Tremblay`s incredible Grade 2–3s, we headed down to Big Beach for some intertidaling and fire-building fun! 🦀🌊🔥
We explored the tide pools and searched for all kinds of cool creatures — and had a blast doing it! 🐚😄
After all the adventuring, we wrapped things up with a beach fire and some delicious s’mores. 🍫🔥
Sticky fingers, lots of laughs, and the perfect end to a year of field schools with this amazing group! 💛
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Our last field school of the year brought Ms. Wilson`s Grade 4–5s down to Terrace Beach for a hands-on look at subtidal life! 🌊🐟🦀
We did a beach seine through the eelgrass beds and pulled up all sorts of amazing creatures — including pipefish, Dungeness crabs, sculpins, and more! 🐚🎣
It was an incredible opportunity to see local marine life in action and learn about the ecosystem just below the surface.
Such a fun and memorable way to wrap up this wonderful year of field schools! 💙
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
On this exciting field school, Ms. Soltysik`s kindergarteners got their turn at the Ucluelet Aquarium! 🐚🐙🦀
Armed with a scavenger hunt, students explored the exhibits and identified all sorts of beautiful and unique marine creatures from our local waters. 🌊🦪
We used our "science pinkies" to gently touch animals in the touch tanks,
⚓️ played pirates in the aquarium’s boat,
🐋 worked on whale puzzles,
and soaked up the sunshine on the play structure!
This was a fascinating and joyful morning with a bunch of wonderfully curious kindergarteners. 💛🐠
#uclueletfieldschool #raincoastfieldschool
#raincoasteducationsociety
#raincoast #outdooreducation #stem #steam #learning #learnoutside #outdoored #experientiallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #placebasededucation #natureschool #ukee #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
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Support
Raincoast Field School is made possible with the support of the administration and teaching staff at local schools, and the generosity of organizations, businesses, and individuals within the community. The curriculum is designed to build upon itself each year, representing a long-term commitment to the students. Our instructors are highly skilled educators in a full-time position with the RES, committed to the program, and the community they teach in.
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