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. Many outings also feature traditional Aboriginal knowledge provided by a First Nations Cultural Educator. 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.
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
Nov 26th Predator and Prey!🐺🐟
The Grade 3 students have been working on their species classification skills. Today we went one step further and discussed the interconnectedness across the different animal kingdoms. We headed into the school field to link up and demonstrate a real life food web! Students became predator and prey species of a forest ecosystem and followed the transfer of energy from primary producers all the way up to apex predators.
#outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #foodweb #predator #prey #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
The grade 6/7 students have focused their scientific studies on the Solar System. The students have explored the theories based around the Sun, Earth, and Moon and have been gaining knowledge in the ways in which these three masses interact and influence one another. Today, Raincoast Field School lead a fieldtrip to test the theories of gravity and orbiting planets. From Earth it may be hard to notice we are constantly rotating around our axis, but we can look to the oceans for proof! As a class we headed down to the beach to look at the tide and discuss the phenomenon causing this effect! Students learnt what causes the tides and some special periods of neap and spring tides.
#outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #solarsystem #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Nov 25th
Looking at a clean stream, thanks to the rain garden! 🌧️
Once again the students got down and dirty helping out in their community rain garden! The Centennial Creek Restoration project has been an ongoing construction site as excavators have been removing invasive species and opening up the site. The students helped by planting saplings, spreading mulch, and building the rock trail. Nice work crew, the garden looks better than ever before!
Thank you @cwfsrestoration for showing us what you're working on and letting us pitch in.
#Tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #tofino #outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #restoration #invasivespecies #raingarden #streamecology #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Getting muddy and planting trees!🌲 Watch how to plant a tree with Raincoast Field School and @cwfsrestoration
Full video link in bio 📹 Check it out
#tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #centennialcreek #outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #streamecology #outdoored #restoration #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #ucluelet #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Nov 20 Creek Restoration 🌲
The Grade 4/5s were treated to a special collaboration field trip with @raincoastfieldschool and @cwfsrestoration right near the school. The lesson began with a look at the newly created rain garden that acts to remove silt and runoff from entering Centennial Creek after heavy rainfall. The class then pitched in and helped plant some trees to restore the creek-side riparian zone. What a fun morning!
#outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #tofinofieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #streamecology #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #tofino #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc #restoration #CWFS #streamrestoration #conservation #riparian
#ukeefieldschool
Nov 25 DYK that to be considered a rainforest, an area needs to receive a minimum of 2.5 m of precipitation annually?
Here on the West Coast we receive on average 3.3 m annually! The 6/7 class is learning all about the world's biomes. What better way to study biomes, than to experience them right in your own backyard! Students learned about the unique characteristics of a temperate rainforest ecosystem. Students also learnt about the adaptations that plants and animals have in this ecosystem that allow them to survive. They tried out echolocation and even the different roles of the parts of a tree trunk. It was truly the mos-tree-markable day!
Check out our stories for videos of our echolocation and tree activities!
#outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #ukeefieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #ucluelet #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc #xylem #phloem #rainforest
Nov 13th Streams!🏞️
Willamina took the grade 2/3 class back to the stream to investigate if there really is anything living in the water. We raced leaf boats down the stream to look at how fast Willamina can travel. Then students collected samples of the stream to take back to the classroom to look under the microscope. Students were amazed to see that Willamina not only supports big animals like fish, birds and bears, but she also supports tiny tiny creatures called invertebrates. What an ex-stream-ly fun day!
#outdooreducation #steam #stem #learning #learnoutside #ukeefieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #streamecology #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #nature #forestschools #learningoutside #natureschool #ucluelet #explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc
Nov 8th Bats
Did you know that bats can be almost as large as an eagle and as small as a bumblebee? There at least eight different species of bats that can be found on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Students learned all about bats and bat adaptations. Then students took flight outside to learn how bats find their prey using echolocation and how mamma bats find their babies in their roost. You bat-ter believe it!
#ukeefieldschool #raincoastfieldschool #outdooreducation #outdoored #experientiallearning #activelearning #naturebasedlearning #stemforkids #steamed #stemlearning #teachingtips #handsonlearning #stem #fieldtrips #theworldisourclassroom #natureplay #learningoutside #natureschool #ucluelet #raincoast #education
Nov 4th Streams and Salmon
Today Willamina the water drop took a class on an adventure to find Willamina in as many places as possible. Students were amazed to find Willamina hiding in so many places. We ended our trip at the stream and learned about why streams and trees are so important to both the ocean and the terrestrial ecosystems. Students enacted the salmon lifecycle and found that it was very difficult for young fry to find suitable habitat on a gravel beach. When students played the game again in the forest with many logs and branches they had an easier time hiding from their predators. Willamina sure made a splash today!
#WillaminaTheWaterDrop #ukeefieldschool #ucluelet #watercycle #outdooreducation #getoutside #learning #fieldtrip #explore #nature #learninnature #fieldschool #streams #elementaryschool
Nov 4th Bats
Did you know that bats are more closely related to humans than they are to mice and birds? Bats are mammals in the family Chiroptera which means "hand fly". Bats have bones similar to humans but their wings are made up of finger like projections covered with skin. Kindergarten students learned all about the amazing world of bats. We learned where they live, how they find food in the dark using echolocation, how they find their babies in their caves and even what types of special adaptations or tools they have to help them survive. The kids "batted" this one out of the park today!
#Ukeefieldschool #ucluelet #raincoastfieldschool #bats #learningoutside #handson #experiential #learning #schoolprograms #fieldtrips #adventure #getoutside #gooutside #batmask #kidsactivities #educationalactivities
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.
Need help?
If you have any questions about our courses, our events, or just us in general – we’re here to help!
Raincoast Education Society
Shaping an environmentally sustainable future for the Clayoquot and Barkley Sound region through education and community stewardship