Field Trips and Tours at Welland Community Orchard

Bring learning alive!

Growing Schools hosts field trips for K-12 school groups and community groups at the beautiful Welland Community Orchard and nearby Knockan Hill Park! This unique orchard houses over 200 fruit trees, shrubs, and vines. Get your group doing some hands-on learning in the great outdoors with our educational tours, workshops and activities.

During the field trip, we will discuss fruit tree care, the role of locally-grown food in tackling climate change, the importance of biodiversity, native pollinators, Indigenous Garry Oak ecosystems, and more! We will also lead your group through seasonal activities, such as apple tasting, pressing apples for making apple cider, pruning fruit trees and sowing seeds.

If you’re interested in signing your group up for a field trip/tour, make sure to sign up using the form at the bottom of this page, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

About the Orchard

Click here to learn more about the Welland Community Orchard. 

The Welland Community Orchard is open to the public. Please feel free to bring your group by for self-guided tours (email austen@lifecyclesproject.ca in advance if you plan to bring a large group).

Examples of Seasonal Activities in the Orchard

Learning about Garry Oak ecosystems at Knockan Hill park can take place year-round, but activities in the orchard vary by season.

  • Fall Activity Examples
    • Picking apples (October)
    • Pressing apples/making apple cider
    • Collecting Seeds
  • Spring Activity Examples
    • Pruning basics
    • Sowing seeds
    • Pollinators
  • Year-Round Activities
    • Orchard tours
    • Apple tasting
    • Art in the orchard
    • Orchard maintenance (various tasks)

Sample Program Outline

9:00 am Opening circle: Welcome to the orchard!
– Icebreaker
– History of the orchard
9:15 am Orchard Tour & Scavenger Hunt
– Fruit tree identification & care
– Pollination
– Biodiversity
– The importance of locally grown food
9:45 am Hands-on Activity in the Orchard
 – Taste testing fruit
– Pressing apples for apple cider
10:15 am Snack Break
10:30 am Walk to Knockan Hill (300 meters)
 – History of Garry Oak Ecosystems
– Indigenous plant identification & uses
11:30 am Walk back to the Orchard
11:45 am Closing Circle
12:00 pm Return to school

*please note that activities vary by season and availability of materials
*we will adjust our programs appropriately for different age groups

Timing

Our field trips are designed to be half-day field trips (approximately 3 hours) and they are offered on Wednesdays throughout the school year. You will have an opportunity to request specific times and durations when filling out the sign-up form at the bottom of this page.
We are offering our fall 2022 field trip series from Wednesday, October 5th to Wednesday, November 23rd. Spring 2023 field trips are available from Wednesday, March 22nd to Wednesday June 14th. Winter field trips are also available upon request. 

Pricing System

The field trip cost will depend on the duration of the field trip. Half day (3 hour) field trips will be $150; the cost of shorter/longer field trips will be adjusted accordingly.
A limited number of Field Trip Grants are available for schools. If your class is in need of support to pay for the bus or to cover the cost of the field trip, please note this when you fill out the request form at the bottom of this page, or contact julia@lifecyclesproject.ca
All educators who sign up for a field trip will be entered to win a spring local produce box!

Reviews from Educators

What are educators saying about our workshops and field trips?

“Thank you for a wonderful day! My students are still talking about the delicious apple cider they made!”

– Grade 11 Teacher

“Well Done!  This was one of the best field trips I have had with a class.  It was very organized and the children were all engaged.”

– Grade 3 Teacher

“My group is such a tough one, you all did great with them. The activities were well planned and facilitated…Your flexibility was a major part of making the day a success.”

– Grade 8 Educator

“I was impressed with how many students were engaged for the activities… [G] etting them moving up Knockan hill was beneficial for all. Thank you for being okay with students that are not engaging with the discussions.”

– Grade 8 Educator