Canada’s Wild Classrooms

Canada’s wildlife and wild spaces are full of stories worth discovering — from tiny pollinators to iconic mammals and the diverse ecosystems that sustain them.

To support educators across the country, we’re highlighting three key themes that help learners build environmental understanding:

• Species at Risk in Canada
• Biodiversity and Conservation
• National Wildlife Areas

These themes align with national conservation priorities and complement the hands‑on learning approaches found in the Project WILD and Below Zero activity guides. 

Whether you’re teaching indoors, outdoors, or online, Project WILD and Below Zero offer engaging, curriculum‑linked ways for K–12 learners to connect with nature — wherever they live. 

1. Species at Risk in Canada: Understanding What’s at Stake 

Across the country, many wildlife species face pressures such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate impacts. Canada maintains a public Species at Risk registry that lists species and provides information about their conservation status. 

Activities That Focus on Species at Risk 

• Mighty Migrators (Below Zero – p. 155)
  Students draw murals showing a caribou migration route, and the possible consequences of a pipeline being laid across the route. 

• Back from the Brink (Project WILD – p. 331)
  Students investigate why certain species declined and explore real recovery strategies.  

• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Project WILD – p. 383)
  Learners compare species’ vulnerabilities and evaluate how different traits affect extinction risk.  

• Turtle Hurdles (Project WILD – p. 638)
  Students become sea turtles and limiting factors in a highly active simulation game. 

Classroom connection: Combine these with Habitat Circles (Project WILD – p. 39) to help students understand why habitat protection is the foundation of every species’ recovery effort.  

2. Biodiversity & Conservation: Exploring the Web of Life 

Biodiversity is essential for healthy ecosystems — and for the well‑being of communities across Canada. National guidance such as Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy emphasizes halting and reversing biodiversity loss through education, stewardship, and shared responsibility. Here are some resources that will help you do that in your classroom.  

Activities That Build Biodiversity Awareness 

• Fishy Deep Freeze (Below Zero – p. 55)
  Students role-play fish in a game that illustrates how winter can affect the survival of aquatic life. 

• Ecosystem Architects (Project WILD – p. 376)
  Students explore ecosystem processes and how habitat restoration supports resilience.  

• Insect Inspection (Project WILD – p. 58) + Busy Bees, Busy Blooms (Project WILD – p. 194)
  A great duo for teaching the critical roles insects play in pollination, decomposition, and food webs.  

• Bottleneck Genes (Project WILD – p. 336)
  A hands-on demonstration of how reduced population size affects genetic diversity — a key factor in long-term survival. 

3. National Wildlife Areas: Learning Through Protected Places 

Canada’s National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) protect nationally significant habitats for wildlife, including migratory birds and species at risk. There are currently 64 NWAs across the country, many containing sensitive ecosystems that support critical biodiversity.  

You can find an NWA near you through the Government of Canada’s online map and location directory.  

Activities for Understanding Protected Areas 

• Snow Tours (Below Zero – p. 5)
  Students create a nature trail and prepare a written guide for others to follow. 

• Habitat Circles (Project WILD – p. 39)
  A powerful demonstration of how wildlife needs food, water, shelter, and space — and what happens when one is lost.  

• Dragonfly Pond (Project WILD – p. 578)
  Students role‑play land‑use planners balancing development and conservation — just like real protected-area planners.  

• Time Lapse (Project WILD – p. 424)
  Students create and analyze sketches depicting changes in the variety and quantity of species in an ecosystem as it undergoes successional change. 

More Learning Tools for Educators 

To support learning at all grade levels, here are additional Government of Canada resources that educators can explore: 

1. Resources for Educators (K–12): A curated hub of climate, environment, and nature education tools. 

2. Biodiversity Education Page: A kid-friendly introduction to biodiversity with language tailored to different ages. 

3. Pollution Education Page: Helps students understand pollution, impacts, and solutions. 

4. “Ask a Scientist” Video Series: Short, engaging videos answering real student questions about climate, nature, and science. 

5. “What Is…” Video Series: Explainer videos that unpack big environmental concepts in simple terms. 

Helping Students Become Stewards of the Wild 

CWF’s WILD Education activities, paired with ECCC’s national educational resources, empower learners to understand ecosystems, recognize the challenges facing wildlife, and imagine solutions rooted in stewardship and conservation. 

By exploring species at risk, biodiversity, and protected habitats, students across Canada can discover how every plant, animal, and ecosystem is connected — and how their own choices and actions matter. 

Ready to explore? Dive into Project WILD, Below Zero and the educator resources above, and bring Canada’s wild places to life for your learners.