Hornby Island Natural History Centre
Category: School Activities
The Steward’s Winter 2022 Update
This past year has been filled with a flurry of activity beginning with reimagining our space as a place where visitors can learn about the complexity of relationships in the natural world through an exploration of exhibits filled with objects and information loosely organized around rocks and fossils, the sea, the air, and the land.
Read MoreStudying Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea
The students at Hornby Island Community School have been partnering with The Natural History Centre and Hornby Island Diving on the Sentinels of Change Project studying Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea.
Read MoreStudents and Scientists Work Together on the Helliwell Park Restoration Project
On October 13th, Hornby Island Community School students worked for the sixth consecutive year on restoring habitat for the Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly.
Read MoreStudents Aid in Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Project
On October 27, Hornby Island students planted native plants along Helliwell Provincial Park’s bluffs to support the island’s rare Garry Oak ecosystem.
Read MoreStudents and adults work together to help Helliwell
In late October, Hornby Island students removed nearly 500 Hairy Cat’s Ear weeds from three sites at Helliwell Park. They also planted 518 seedlings of three types of native grass, Woolly Sunflower and Yarrow that were grown by members of the Natural History Centre.
Read MoreAutumn Update from the Stewards
Despite not having a visitable location during summer 2019 after the fire, Hornby Island Natural History has remained busy: maintaining the collection in the temporary storage location, hosting the speaker series and nature walk programs, and connecting with the community at the Market.
Read MoreStudent Activity: Planting Bulbs
As part of the Hornby School’s changing seasons theme, Natural History stewards worked with students on a bulb planting project. The intermediate class planted 210 bulbs of various types of narcissus on the bank along Sollans Road and in the plot in front of the school.
Read MorePlant Propagation Work Party
The Natural History Centre volunteers have been assisting with a native plant plant propagation project at Helliwell Park. In spring 2017, several volunteers each grew a variety of native plant species at their homes for the project. In the fall,…
Read MorePlant Propagation at Helliwell
The Natural History Centre has been assisting with a plant propagation project at Helliwell Park. Last spring, the stewards each grew a variety of native plant species at their homes for the project. Finally, the time came to plant them…
Read MoreHalloween Animal Art: Owls and Bats
In the spirit of Halloween, the younger students visited the Natural History Centre for a bat and owl activity. It was a great opportunity to let the kids really observe while learning interesting facts about these fascinating creatures. The students…
Read MoreFossil Fun with the Stewards
On a fossil-focused day at the Hornby Island School, the primary students took the opportunity to visit the Natural History Centre and nurture their inner paleontologist. The students were given a tour of the mosasaur and giant ammonite fossils and other fossil…
Read MoreHumpback Comeback!
What a great evening! After a huge storm and 18 hour power outage on Hornby Island, the power came on just in time to accommodate the 126 islanders who came out to hear Jackie Hildering speak on humpback whales at the Community…
Read MoreBeach Cleanup Day
As part of their Earth Day activities, the Hornby Island School held a beach cleanup at Big Tribune Bay. Natural History Centre volunteers joined the group and helped lead learners in the cleanup. Sadly, there were many bags of garbage…
Read MoreStudents Build Bee Houses
Hornby Island students worked with the guidance of Natural History volunteers to make their own bee homes. A “bee house” provides an important shelter young for bees. Since many native bee species are wood dwelling, yet unable to make their own nesting holes, caring humans can provide…
Read MoreStudent Activity: What makes a good display?
In our exhibit, we are often brainstorming ways to capture the imaginations of our visitors and provide valuable education through well-thought out displays. This February we got to share this process with each class at the Hornby Island Community School, where we are located. The…
Read MoreStudents Create Wreaths and Plant Dyed Fabrics
This December, Hornby Island students produced some beautiful wreaths and plant dyed fabrics as part of our student education program. First, several students participated in plant dyeing. They wrapped various native plants (salal, oak, huckleberry, lichen, etc.) and seaweed in fabric. After…
Read MoreNIDES Student Visit
This October a group of North Island Distance Education Students visited the Natural History Centre. The group participated in a tour followed by a variety of hands-on activities. We enjoyed their enthusiasm and look forward to see them again next…
Read MoreBig Tribune Shoreline Cleanup
On June 17th, we held a shoreline cleanup at Big Tribune Bay Beach with the Hornby School. Students, parents, school staff, and volunteers combed through the driftwood, seaweed, and bushes for debris. It was a cool lovely morning at the beach after a morning rain…
Read MoreStudent Salmon Release
On March 10th, volunteers from the Natural History Centre joined students, parents, and staff who set out on foot from the Hornby Island Community School to Beulah Creek for an annual salmon release. At the creek, the group transported chum…
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Hornby Island Natural History Centre 