Indigenous Culture & Ecology Tours
Enjoy a walk though black cottonwood forests and open fields and explore the shores of small wetland ponds or the undulating grassland hills guided by a Syilx Traditional Ecological Knowledge Keeper or En'owkin Centre ecologist. Observe and learn about local plants, birds, animals and fish, and the sacred connection Syilx people have to the Land and all other creatures. Each season offers something new to see and experience!
Group tours of 2-3 hours duration are available upon request, with 10 or more persons preferred.
Minimum donation of $10 per person to assist with ongoing Timix ECOliteracy Program land protection and stewardship efforts.
Syilx Indigenous Land-Based Learning Project (K-12)
This exciting pilot project provides K-12 students and teachers from local and regional public schools and band-operated schools the opportunity to take their learning outdoors to experience Syilx aboriginal culture and language, ecoliteracy, and environmental sustainability practices first-hand! These curriculum-based outdoor learning experiences are guided by Syilx Traditional Ecological Knowledge Keepers, Elders, artists, performers and fluent language speakers.
Support for this pilot project has been provided by the Vancouver Foundation, Environment Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, School District No. 67 Okanagan Skaha, Outma Sqil'xw Cultural School, the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation's Conservation Education Assistance Fund, and a growing list of new partners.
Learning as if Nature Mattered!
"Learning as if Nature Mattered" is a single-day or multi-day Professional Development workshop opportunity designed to assist teachers, teaching assistants, school administrators and other education specialists with the development and delivery of outdoor 'land-based' learning experiences that integrate ecoliteracy, environmental sustainability, and Indigenous aboriginal culture and language components into 'hands-on' curriculum studies. Modules are available for day-care and pre-schools, K-12, and post-secondary institutions.
This workshop utilizes an ecological learning framework based on traditional First Nation community processes and developed by the En'owkin Centre in collaboration with the Centre for Ecoliteracy, with support from the Vancouver Foundation and a growing network of partners.