Empowering young minds through subsidized nature-based education

The Learning Naturally program delivers an unforgettable field trip to Fish Creek Provincial Park for children grades K-6 who attend underfunded Calgary schools. By building confidence and curiosity about the environment, we are teaching young minds about how human actions impact nature and develop future skills that can be applied across communities. Each year, Learning Naturally is oversubscribed, with more underfunded schools than we can financially provide programming for. This program is partially funded by the Government of Alberta and Roger’s Birdies for Kids program, as well as the generous donations of people like you!

In addition to restoring the landscape, the Friends raise awareness in the community by subsidizing economically disadvantaged schools, providing equitable opportunities for students to participate in Alberta Parks’ nature program, which provides science education out of the Environmental Learning Centre in Shannon Terrace.  This school year 2024-2025), Learning Naturally provided 55 free program days to 2,392 students from 28 underfunded schools in Calgary. This included funding 63 buses to transport students, with over 530 parent volunteers and teachers benefitting from nature-based outdoor learning. 

The Friends partners with Alberta Parks to encourage an appreciation of the province’s natural and cultural heritage including land use, education, and recreation. We maximize environmental and social benefits by designing programs to improve quality of life, and empowering people to conserve a truly unique naturalized urban park. Fish Creek is bordered by seven constituencies encompassing some 350,000 Calgarians and an estimated 4 million people visit annually. As the population of Calgary continues to grow, the park is faced with increased pressures creating a need to commit to strategies for effective watershed management. 

Our non-profit works with over 300 volunteers and 1,000 members, sponsors, donors, and community organizations. Community members come to the park to enjoy our programming and actively engage with us. Through this approach, we have seen changes in attitudes and actions that mitigate human impacts inside a populated urban center. Our amazing community provides over 12,500 in-kind hours year-round to deliver nature-based programming. We also partner with over 60 community organisations and engage an average of 4,500 participants each year, from youth, schools, corporate and civic groups.