Education and Leadership

Established in 1962, the Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to ensuring that our wildlife and natural spaces remain a treasured part of our country, and our supporters share in our vision. As Canada’s largest conservation organization, CWF is funded by people who want Canada’s future to include the many environmental, economic, health and social benefits that its wildlife and natural spaces provide. We are a Canadian conservation not-for-profit, delivering programs that inspire action to conserve Canada’s wildlife. 

Experiential education connects children with nature.

At the Canadian Wildlife Federation, we know that experiential education is the ideal way to prepare students for a lifetime of learning. That’s why we focus on giving our program participants three key things: opportunities to gain knowledge, platforms from which to actively apply that knowledge, and space to reflect on their new experiences.

CWF Education programs allow participants to learn real lessons while they experience and reflect on nature. We have built on the lessons of John Dewey, Kurt Hahn and Richard Louv to encourage learning at a participant’s own pace, as they actively examine the world around them and take what they learn into their day-to-day lives – on an ongoing basis. Time spent outdoors helps children develop a conservation ethic that can lead them to become conservationists in their adolescent and adult lives. Our deliberate approach to education helps them develop life skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration with others. Our programs are more than outdoor education programs. They are designed to give students and children the chance to experience nature and take-home lessons that will change them for life.

The Canadian Conservation Corps (CCC) is for youth between the ages of 18 to 30 and is meant to inspire participants to develop their passion for conservation, awareness of their natural environment, and a deeper appreciation for service to their community. These local groups are located where there are enough interst from peers. Youth that join can just attend activities or be part of the leardership team that helps to plan lead local group events like outdoor adventures or service projects.  All while creating a network, gaining new skills and experiences to carry forward in life. Participants have the opportunity to become conservation trailblazers in their community while still maintaining other commitments  (family, school, work), having fun, and making connections with others. Youth of all ability levels and outdoor experience are encouraged to join.

WILD Outside is a national conservation-based leadership program and is open year-round to youth ages 13 to 18 in various communities acorss Canada. It’s a fun, educational, accessable extracurricular program where youth can join small groups and participate in a variety of conservation-themed activities, meet new friends and discover an appreciation for the outdoors in a safe, and structured environment. Learning from community volunteers and alongside their peers, youth will connect with local partners in the planning and delivery of community-based conservation action projects, allowing them to have a direct impact on conservation in their community while enjoing time in the outdoors! Participation also counts toward other youth achievement initiatives they may pursue.

Families can have fun outdoors and connect their kids with nature through CWF’s WILD Family Nature Club program. By becoming club members for free, families gain access to a variety of outdoor resources and can earn badges by taking part in self-directed activities or joining a local club event. No club activities happening in your area? No problem! Families can also start their own club and plan new activities by signing up to become a volunteer club leader.

WILD Education is a professional-development program that trains educators to become certified instructors of Project WILD, Below Zero and WILD About Sports. These interdisciplinary teaching guides feature interactive indoor and outdoor activities that focus on wildlife and the environment. By participating in a hands-on training workshop, teachers, youth group leaders, and other educators can explore how to make nature part of their teaching practice, helping youth develop the awareness, knowledge, and commitment to make informed decisions and take action for the environment.

This program helps Canadians discover the remarkable wildlife right outside their door, appreciate their importance and have the tools to support them in their own outdoor space. It includes a wildlife-friendly demonstration garden around CWF’s headquarters, posters and handouts, webinars, an online course and a web section with loads of information and resources.

WILD Spaces is a pollinator garden program for elementary schools. Educators shape a young generation of conservationists by helping pollinators, such as monarch butterflies, with their students. The four main actions of WILD Spaces are to: learn online through a secure virtual classroom that features self-guided educational activities, create a wildlife-friendly garden that enhances pollinator habitat, engage in citizen science, and celebrate your contribution to conservation by certifying your pollinator garden with CWF. Subject to funding, participating schools in eligible areas also receive pollinator-friendly plants and in-school workshops delivered by CWF facilitators. Participating schools may be eligible to receive free pollinator-friendly plants.

WILD Generations is an intergenerational conservation and outdoor program that provides opportunities for older and younger members in our communities to engage together in biodiversity conservation actions and enjoy the beauty of nature while making a differnce. The program works to connect different generations and offers the opportunity to participate in a variety of nature-based and conservation action projects that promote intergenerational knowledge sharing, mentorship, and community engagement. Through varied activities such as planning and planting a wildlife-friendly gardens together, local trial building and maintenance, shoreline cleanups, birding, nature  ID walks, learning to fish, building and installing nesting boxes for wildlife habitats, teambuilding activities and more. 

A BioBlitz is a community event that gives youth and adults the opportunity to reconnect with nature while producing useful data for wildlife management and conservation efforts across Canada and around the world. A BioBlitz event will run for a set period of time, typically 12 to 24 hours, with a group of volunteer scientists, taxonomic experts, naturalists and nature enthusiasts cataloguing as many plant and animal species as possible in a specified area. Using the free downloadable iNaturalist app or at iNaturalist.ca, observations of nature are uploaded into a single data set of the biodiversity found in that location at that point in time. The information is then available to researchers, scientists and policy makers to help them make informed decisions about wildlife management.

Bring conservation into your classroom with WILD Webinars! With a focus on wildlife and habitat, CWF connects elementary and middle-school students with scientists and subject experts through interactive video conferences, online festivals, and virtual field trips. From bat conservation to ocean health, these online learning opportunities are designed to help students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment as they learn about real-world conservation issues and research. By taking part, students will also learn what they can do to make a difference for wildlife in their homes, schools, and communities.