Outdoor Learning Conference 2026

This field-based session engages participants in exploring how aquatic macroinvertebrates can be used to assess the health of local waterways. Through guided instruction, participants will learn safety considerations for taking students to water sites, methods for collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates, and strategies for integrating these investigations into outdoor education programs. The session features Macroinvertebrate Mayhem, an interactive Project WET activity that simulates the relationships between biodiversity, water quality, and ecosystem health. The importance of riparian areas in supporting healthy aquatic systems will also be discussed. Each participant will receive a copy of the Project WET Macroinvertebrate Mayhem activity and a macroinvertebrate identification chart to support classroom or field learning.

Bow River Walk, Water Quality Mystery & Water Governance Role Play

Join Wildsight for an immersive, riverside learning experience exploring the connections between water, ecosystems, and community. Beginning with a short walk from the Banff Centre to the Bow River, we will share stories of local water concerns from our own home places.
Along the river, participants will work together to solve a hands-on “water quality mystery” using simple testing tools that can be adapted to any local watershed. The experience continues with an interactive water-sharing role play from Wildsight’s new Watershed Matters program. Participants take on the roles of different water users and navigate changing water availability shaped by climate change, ecosystem needs, and community priorities.
This active, story-driven session models place-based approaches that foster systems thinking, empathy, and dialogue around equity and governance. We’ll also briefly share insights from Wildsight’s Columbia River Field School (an accredited summer course) and Teach the Columbia program, highlighting the power of school–community partnerships.
Participants will leave with practical, adaptable activities and inspiration to support watershed education in their own communities.