Education

Nature literacy is declining. Many Nova Scotians, particularly youth, lead lives that are increasingly disconnected from nature and the issues that affect our shared wellbeing. Whether because of lack of access, discomfort in new environments or in a setting largely dominated by white settler Canadians, or simply missing knowledge of the opportunities that are out there, isolation from nature carries important consequences for both human health and that of the natural world.

Nature Nova Scotia’s work engaging young people in natural history is rooted in the following understandings:

We cannot expect Nova Scotians to take action for nature if they haven’t experienced it.
Developing the values and behaviours that benefit nature conservation first requires some understanding of how natural things, places, and systems work.
Nature-based learning approaches are key to improving understanding of the natural world but also for fostering the memories and emotional experiences that can turn that understanding into action.

How We’re Connecting Nova Scotians to Nature

We are excited to continue growing our birds- and protected areas-focused education initiatives across Nova Scotia. Over the past few year, Nature Nova Scotia has delivered nature-based learning opportunities for youth, families, schools, and community groups through both our Naturehood and Nature School programs.

Naturehood, a program of Nature Canada, connects children, families, newcomers, and communities with the natural spaces around them. Your “naturehood” can be any place that fosters a meaningful connection with nature, from a remote wilderness area to a neighbourhood park. Through Naturehood, we have continued to engage families and youth in natural history learning, species identification, outdoor exploration, and stewardship activities, with a particular focus on birds and protected areas.

In August 2025, we launched Nature School as a pilot project to explore a more structured, curriculum-aligned approach to outdoor and environmental education. Since then, the program has continued to grow through educator feedback, participant input, and practical experience. Over the 2025-2026 program year, through Naturehood and Nature School, Nature Nova Scotia delivered 15 youth programs, engaging more than 250 young participants. This experience has helped us refine Nature School into a more established and sustainable program that can be adapted to the needs of schools, community groups, and other organizations.

To support educators and program coordinators interested in bringing Nature School to their community, we have developed a Nature School 2026 Program Guide. The guide outlines available programs, learning themes, pricing, booking information, and what participating groups can expect from a Nature School experience. Whether you’re looking for a single field trip, a series of outdoor learning sessions, or support integrating nature-based education into your programming, the guide provides an overview of the opportunities available.

Nature School

We often hear from educators across Nova Scotia who want to bring natural history into their classrooms or get students learning outdoors but aren’t sure where to start. Nature School is our response to that need, a living, evolving initiative shaped by teacher feedback and grounded in locally relevant learning.

Our programs are available to public, private, and homeschool classes as well as community groups and feature curriculum-aligned activities that explore bird lifecycles, habitats, and conservation.

Our 2026-2027 Nature School programs include:
Grades P-3: Bird Form & Function
Grades 4-6: Bird Habitats & Population Trends

Interested in Booking with Us? Check out our Nature School 2026 Program Guide.

Lesson Plans

Nature learning is stippled throughout Nova Scotia’s public school curriculum but it can be difficult for teachers to make connections across goals and learning outcomes, especially where biodiversity and experiential learning are so often underrepresented. We’ve created a small selection of resources for teachers to use in class (and in the field) to integrate their goals and nature literacy. Some of these are available in print through our current Nature School program, but all educators are welcome to download any of our lesson plans here and use them in your own nature explorations! Have feedback for us? Let our education staff know how we could improve these resources:

Looking back on our 2024-2025 Naturehood Program: Turning Young Naturalists Into Activists

Young people are understandably upset about the state of the natural world. In 2024-2025, we helped them find their voice and turn their knowledge into tangible action for nature. Young naturalists from urban and rural communities around Nova Scotia took on citizen science, writing letters to decision makers, and created artwork that shared a wider call to action, thanks to Nature Canada’s support of our 2024-2025 Naturehood program. We are especially grateful to Nature Canada and our friends at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia for helping us engage more BIPOC and new Canadian youth last year. Canadians are just as diverse as our natural history and it’s vital that we close gaps in access for the communities that need it most.

We learned a lot about how young people want to engage with nature and activism in 2024-2025. We engaged over 300 young Nova Scotians in 2024-2025.

Celebration of Nature

Each May, we organize a gathering for naturalists in a symposium program that includes talks, guided outings, and a youth program. We explore protected areas, learn about sustainable management on working lands, and hear about new research, stewardship, and activism initiatives.

In 2025, we went on a coastal adventure with friends at the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark, learning about local geology and wildlife, a youth program delivered by the Young Naturalists Club, and, most importantly, catching up and enjoying some tunes and good food.

Stay tuned for the 2026 Celebration of Nature program!

Biodiversity Badge

The Biodiversity Badge is a collaboration between Hike Nova Scotia and Nature Nova Scotia that encourages Nova Scotians to contribute to citizen science while racking up the kilometers! To qualify for the badge, you must complete at least 10 hikes and, for each one, upload 10 or more plant, animal, fungi, or other life observations via iNaturalist.

To apply for your badge, you must report on the areas hiked and provide your iNaturalist username to Hike Nova Scotia to verify your citizen science contribution. Get out there and start logging those hikes!

Check out this blog post from Hike Nova Scotia board member Jonathan Riley describing their journey towards 10 hikes and 100 iNat observations.