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- The Living City:
- Enjoy
- Understand
- Protect
- Support
Only 10 minutes north of Toronto, in Canada's most populated urban area, lays the Kortright Centre. This 324-hectare (800-acre) environmental exploration park is situated in the rolling terrain of the Humber River Valley, featuring a wide variety of activities such as maple syrup making, alternative energy demonstrations, honey bee demonstrations, kite festival and other special education programs. Guided nature interpretive programs occur each weekend.
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Our Visitor Centre offers a number of services to guests. The building serves as the trailhead for many of our walking trails. Trail maps, self-guided trail brochures and other materials are available at the information desk. Our Gift Shop has a great selection of maple syrup products, nature-themed books, gift and educational items. The Kortright Cafe offers lunches, snacks and drinks. The Visitor Centre also contains exhibits, a 130-seat theatre, classrooms, meeting spaces and washrooms. Visitor Centre facilities are also made available for weddings, corporate and social functions including picnics, holiday parties and business meetings. Catering services are available.
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Use the Program Search To find a program that’s just right for your group!
The success of Kortright programs lie in its educational approach which is rooted in outdoor experiential education. This approach is based on providing visitors - both students and adults -direct interaction with their learning environments. They learn by doing. This approach utilizes all the senses to create a learning experience which is concrete and, therefore, much more meaningful to the learner. For example, if you want to learn about the environment you should be outdoors experiencing the environment. If you want people to truly understand renewable energy they need to see and experience the technology first hand. Using hands-on, immersion and outdoor activities, experiments and demonstrations, Kortright creates a unique learning environment with experiences and skills that are usable in a practical way in everyday life. Please note that most Kortright programs can be adapted for special needs groups. Please call the Kortright Centre to discuss details.
Click here to download Forms and Brochures
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When you arrive in our parking lot, the Visitor's Centre is a short walk up the path found in the north west corner of the lot. When groups arrive at the building it is helpful if the students can remain outside while one teacher comes in to register and receive further instructions. Each class is allotted one large bin to store lunches and other belongings. There you will be met by your environmental educator for the day. Your program will then begin. Programs are 1-1/2 to 2 hours long and may be booked in the morning anytime between 9:30 a.m. and 12 noon, or in the afternoon anytime between 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 pm. These times may be adjusted slightly to accommodate your traveling arrangements.
Programs always have an outdoor component, rain or shine. Groups should dress for the conditions on the day of their visit. A comfortable pair of walking shoes is recommended. Essentials related to various weather conditions should include sunscreen, hat, sunglasses or rain gear.
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Upon arrival it is helpful if you communicate to our environmental educators as to whether this is an introduction, you are in mid unit or it is a wrap up to your unit. In our program summary sheets key words are listed for each program. It helps the flow of the program if the students have a working knowledge of the key words before the trip.
Kortright Centre has a "Boomerang Lunch" policy. You will receive a flyer concerning this when you receive your booking confirmation. Please make your students aware of this policy and its implications, prior to your visit.
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Staff First Aid Training: All staff are trained in first aid.
Nearest Hospital/Emergency Response Time: The nearest hospital is Humber River Regional Hospital. Emergency Response time is approximately eight to 10 minutes.
Allergies: The Kortright Centre for Conservation is a "nut-sensitive" facility. Visitors are asked to bring only snacks that are free of nuts and/or nut products. Group leaders who have a participant that is or may be allergic to nuts or other allergens are asked to ensure that staff are made aware so that appropriate precautions can be built into your daily schedule.
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The Visitor Centre is accessible to wheelchairs. An elevator and the appropriate washroom facilities are available. Access to the trail network is limited as most trails are unpaved and/or have significant grades.
Programs can be modified to meet a wide variety of special needs. Please call and discuss the modifications required with our education staff.
