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Local Education Programs

Otonabee Conservation has been a member of the Peterborough Children's Water Festival since 2002. They deliver a variety of environmental education programs, for students and lifelong learners. Their goal is to engage participants in programs that explore and examine dynamic watersheds, water quality, wildlife habitat, and how activities on the landscape affect ecosystem health and function.

Otonabee Conservation staff work with local teachers, organizations, and service clubs to develop and deliver programs that are tailored to the specific needs of the group. These educational sessions range from a 30-minute classroom presentation to a full day outdoor session, either at the school or at a conservation project site. Among our educational programs provided are:

Spring Water Awareness
Yellow Fish Road
Be a Watershed Steward

GreenUP has been a member of the Peterborough Children's Water Festival since 2002. GreenUP supports and celebrates the connection to our 134 freshwater lakes through dynamic water programs that bridge a number of water-related concerns for our region with positive actions for residents, children, decision-makers, businesses, and neighbourhoods.

GreenUP currently offers programming focused on water education through hands on learning at Ecology Park.  This programming takes place during the spring and fall!

Wonders of Water
Ecology Park

City of Peterborough has been a member of the Peterborough Children's Water Festival since 2002. Through their Rethink the Rain program they have created a informative video about the cycle of water within our community.

The Nourish Project has been a member of the Peterborough Children's Water Festival since 2018. The Nourish Project uses a collaborative approach to grow access to healthy, locally-produced food, food literacy, and food advocacy. Through innovative programs and strong partnerships, we create spaces where people feel that they belong.

Nibi Giinwiindawan (We Are Water) is a 5 module curriculum for communities/schools/youth programs interested in creating dialogue and discussion around human relationship with water. Combining western and traditional methodologies, the fusion of knowledge will cultivate water ambassadors, youth with a renewed passion for advocating for our life source and teaching those around them on the benefits and sacredness of water.

Nibi Giinwiindawan (We Are Water)

Books

Available at the Peterborough Public Library

  • The Amazing Water Book. Deborah Seed. Kids Can Press.
  • Earthcycles and Ecosystems. Beth Savan. Toronto: Kids Can Press. ISBN
  • The Jumbo Book of Science, 136 of the Best Experiments: The Ontario Science Centre.
  • Scienceworks: An Ontario Science Centre Book of Experiments. Kids Can Press.
  • A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder. Walter Wick. Scholastic Press.

Videos

There are a number water specific films available through the National Film Board website.

Journey of the Blob

In this short film, a young boy must make a decision about how to dispose of a green glob he has concocted. What will happen if he dumps it into a stream? Where does water come from and where does it go? This film illustrates the water cycle and raises many questions about environmental responsibility and the consequences of our decisions.

Paddle to the Sea

Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indigenous boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea.

What is Acid Rain?

What is acid rain? What are its causes and effects? Learn about the role of fossil fuels and pollution, where acid rain occurs, and solutions to reducing the amount of sulfuric and nitric acids in the atmosphere.

Waterpower 101

A three-part video series featuring the primary source of renewable energy, waterpower. These informational and educational videos highlight waterpower history, how it works, why it is so important to Ontario's supply mix, and the many benefits of this green, clean and renewable source of energy.

Online Resources