WRN Teens

 

WATERLOO REGION NATURE TEENS is for youth who…

  • want to make a difference the environment
  • are interested in new outdoor opportunities
  • enjoy challenges
  • are looking to earn volunteer hours in meaningful ways
  • wish to learn about the local ecology
  • simply love being in nature
  • are 13-19 years of age

Monitoring (2 Saturday mornings a month)
Come learn science protocols when monitoring salamander boards, tree frog tubes, and bluebird nest boxes. Next spring we’ll be monitoring snake boards as well!  Teens meet at a beautiful farm near St. Agatha every other Saturday morning for two hours to do citizen science.

Discovery (once a month)
Once a month, teens will have the opportunity to learn about different aspects of the natural world. We might meet with and learn from local experts. (This year our season kicks off on September 21st with a presentation by a local wildlife removal expert.) Outings like birding or tracking hikes also allow us to explore new trails in the region while discovering local wildlife.

Stewardship (once a month)
WRN teens give back to the community (and earn volunteer hours) when they assist with stewardship projects. Past projects include stream restoration, nest box building, invasive species removal, planting trees, turtle habitat restoration, native seed propagation, and more!

Come when you can. You can sign up for one Saturday morning or join us each time! During the winter season monitoring will pause. There will only be one discovery and one stewardship opportunity each month from December until March.

Waterloo Region Nature Teens welcomes you to join! Get in touch for more information or click the “Register for WRN Teens” button below to sign up for the 2024-2025 season. The annual fee is $25 and sponsorships are available.

Can’t wait to meet you and get to work!  Think outside, no box required!

Anita Smith
WRN Teens Coordinator
teens@waterlooregionnature.ca

Register for WRN Teens

Monitoring

The owners of SpruceHaven, a farm just outside St. Agatha, have kindly invited WRN Teens to learn science protocols while exploring the wildlife found on their property. Monitoring takes place on Saturday mornings in the fall and spring seasons.

In the meadow there are Eastern Bluebird nest boxes to check. (Of course, House Wrens, Tree Swallows and Chickadees also move in sometimes!)

In the forest there are salamander boards to peek under.

Next to each board there is also a Tree Frog tube to investigate.

In the spring we will be adding snake boards to the edge habitat (where the meadow meets the forest) to begin snake monitoring as well! We were recently trained in snake protocols and can’t wait to begin!

Discovery

Once a month during the school year WRN Teens have the opportunity to meet with local experts to learn about the natural world around them. In the past we explored the forest ecology of Bechtel Park, went to the UW Ecology Lab to learn about lichens and attended a Sciensational Sssnakes presentation.

We’ve had several evening outings, as well. We went “moth-ing” with WRN’s moth expert, listened to the “voices of the night” at Laurel Creek Nature Centre and held a summer solstice celebration along the Conestogo River complete with foxes, bats and fireflies. Discovery days are really fun way to learn about things you didn’t even know existed!

Stewardship

WRN Teens began as an initiative to provide teens with opportunities to help the environment while earning volunteer hours toward their high school diploma. Once a month from September to June teens are invited to complete different projects from building bird boxes to cutting invasive Buckthorn to constructing turtle nest protectors.

Turtles occasionally lay their eggs in unsafe places, like next to a road. This spring teens went to the RARE Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge to construct turtle nest protectors like the one seen being used here next to a road in Kitchener. Come join us and help make a difference for local wildlife!

Teens’ families are responsible for transportation to the project sites.  As we will be participating in outdoor work projects, there is some risk involved.  Parents or guardians will be asked to sign a waiver to indicate they accept the risks and do not hold WRN responsible.

Personal information will be used by Waterloo Region Nature (WRN) for administrative purposes only and will not be distributed or sold to other parties. WRN will use your email address for notices, such as program reminders, cancellations or changes, special outings, and renewal reminders. By registering for WRN Teens, you consent to WRN publishing event photos that you may appear in. To opt out, email your request to teens@waterlooregionnature.ca.