Community Stories

Meet the Critter

March 24, 2020

The Kerry Wood Nature Centre wants to make sure you know the difference between Corvids and COVID.

Corvids are of the crow family, while the COVID-19 pandemic has recently caused the popular Nature Centre to close. But even though the public has lost access to their hands-on programs, Executive Director Todd Nivens and his staff have been working hard to bring nature into everyone’s homes.

“In our busiest months, such as May, we would have up to 3,500 students participating in our programs”, says Nivens. “So now we’re developing resources for both parents and teachers with directed activities, which will facilitate exploration based learning.”

Their plan is to post content every few days, using the Kerry Wood Nature Centre facebook page as the prime driver. It will also be available on their website at www.waskasoopark.ca, with some occasional postings on Instagram and Twitter.

Their first few offerings have been well-received, beginning with a brief “Meet the Critter” video posted March 21 starring one of their garter snakes. This was followed with a virtual tour of the Marjorie Wood Gallery, featuring Osi Cruz-Lahtinen’s developing series “Life in Central Alberta”.

Future plans include Kitchen Science, and simple outdoor games and craft activities.

Kerry Wood Nature Centre is encouraging parents and teachers to reach out to them if they need activities to facilitate learning. “We'll do our part to help keep you all active, facilitate your outdoor exploration and adventure, and stay connected,” said Nivens.