Background
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. The strategic pillars of our work are:
Experiential Education
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.
Did You Know?
People who live closer to nature are healthier.
Children who spend time in nature are more likely to graduate high school, are more resilient and are more likely to be conservationists.
Only 7% of Canadian children spend the recommended amount of time in the outdoors.
CWF Education Programs
CWF’s national education programs help people across Canada (and beyond) to step outside, get familiar with wildlife and engage in the natural world. They inspire a conservation ethic and offer training that connects people with wildlife and nature through experiential learning.
Canadian Conservation Corps
This three-part program presents an exciting opportunity for youth ages 18 to 30 to learn, grow and experience Canada in a unique way while having a real impact on conservation. The adventure begins with training and team building and an exciting wilderness journey followed by an immersive field learning placement with national leaders in conservation. Participants will then develop their own meaningful service project in their home community.
Learn More
CANADIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (CCC) FLEX
CCC Flex is the new flexible stream of the Canadian Conservation Corps (CCC) 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. Youth that join can attend or help lead local group day-events like outdoor adventures or service projects – all while earning official service certificates and gaining new professional skills and experiences to carry forward in life. Participants will have the opportunity to become a conservation trailblazer in their community while still maintaining other commitments, having fun and making connections with others. This is a no cost program with free enrolment that encourages youth of all ability levels and outdoor experience to join.
Learn MoreWILD Outside
WILD Outside is a national conservation-based leadership program in over 17 communities across Canada and is open year-round to youth ages 15 to 18. It’s a fun, educational, and free extracurricular program where you can 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 CWF facilitators alongside your peers, youth will connect with other local participants in the planning and delivery of communitybased conservation action projects, allowing them to have a direct impact on conservation in their community! Participants in the program are encouraged to commit to 120 hours of service activity and engagement over a calendar year. They can earn incentives as you complete various stages of the program, including an official certificate awarded to you from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Participation also counts toward other youth achievement initiatives they may pursue.
Learn More
WILD Family Nature Club
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.
Learn MoreWILD Education
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 help youth develop the awareness, knowledge, and commitment to make informed decisions and take action for the environment.
Gardening for Wildlife
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.
Learn MoreWILD Spaces
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.
Learn More
WILD Generations
WILD Generations is an intergenerational conservation and outdoor program that provides opportunities for older and young members in our communities to engage in biodiversity conservation actions and enjoy the beauty of nature. The program offers a variety of nature-based and conservation action projects that promote intergenerational knowledge sharing, mentorship, and community engagement. Through planning and planting a wildlife-friendly garden, local trial building and maintenance, shoreline cleanup, birding, nature walks, fishing, teambuilding activities and building nesting boxes for wildlife habitats.
Learn MoreBioBlitz
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.
Learn More
WILD Webinars
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.
Learn More
Related Resources
Sign Up for Timely Articles and Tips
Learn more