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  • Collage: A young woman shows a young child a craft on a lawn, a camp counsellor and group of teens in masks made out of nature materials stand in front of a group of seated children, a camp counsellor works with a child using a net to explore a pond

Leading Youth in Nature Experiences (LYNX)

Teen Leaders Program

 

Are you aged 14 to 17 and interested in working with kids in the outdoors? The exciting new LYNX Teen Leaders program from the Humber Arboretum offers you the tools and skills to help you create exceptional experiences for the children who will be exploring nature under your guidance. 

Beside a river, a man shows a chlid a crayfish in a net

 

Leading Youth in Nature Experiences (LYNX)

Whether you are already volunteering with kids in your community, hoping to get your first job at a summer camp, or are planning a career in education, the LYNX series from the Humber Arboretum is here to help you become the best nature mentor you can be.

The levelled LYNX learning series expands on and replaces the Humber Arboretum's previous Leader-in-Training (LIT) program for teens interested in working at the Humber Arboretum's Summer Nature Camp. LYNX Teen Leaders is open to all; you do not need to have been a Nature Camper or be intending to work at our Nature Camp in the future to take part in LYNX.

LYNX Level 1, On Site

New for March Break 2023 is an on-site, in-person session of LYNX Level One. Participants who successfully complete LYNX Level One (which includes full attendance, engaging in discussions, and completing all activities) will be issued a certificate from the Humber Arboretum recognizing their accomplishment.

Who

LYNX Teen Leaders is open to participants aged 14 to 17.

No prior experience is required for LYNX Level One; this session is both an excellent introduction for those who are hoping to work with children in the future, and an in-depth look at designing and facilitating nature experiences for teens who are already working in leadership positions with kids. You do not need to have been a Nature Camper at the Humber Arboretum to sign up for LYNX.

What

Under the guidance of the Humber Arboretum’s experienced Nature Interpretation team, LYNX participants will learn about topics such as:

  • An introduction to the two-eyed seeing approach to nature connection
  • Designing activities that help develop "ecosystems thinking"
  • The importance of activity sequencing, and why and how to debrief after an activity
  • The difference between “busy” and “engaged”
  • Hazards vs Healthy Risk
  • How to be a nature mentor
  • Asking and encouraging great questions
  • Adaptability, problem solving, and self-care in the outdoors
  • Communication skills: Explaining activities, communicating across cultures, and talking to parents
  • Citizen science and ecological stewardship
  • and more!

When

March Break 2023

  • Monday March 13 to Friday March 17, 2023
  • LYNX programming begins at 9:30 am each day
  • LYNX participants may be dropped off beginning as early as 8:30 am; they will stay with the March Break Nature Camp group until LYNX programming begins
  • Pick up times coincide with March Break Nature Camp; from 3:45 pm to 4:15 pm

 

Where

This on-site session of LYNX Level One takes place at the Humber Arboretum in North Etobicoke. The Arboretum is found at the back of Humber College North Campus (205 Humber College Blvd). LYNX programming is based out of the Centre for Urban Ecology (see the location on Google Maps).

 

How

LYNX Level One costs $250 plus HST ($282.50). 

Register now online

 

Questions? Email arboretum@humber.ca

LYNX Level Two & Placement

Outside in the garden of the Humber Arboretum, a teen gives instructions to a group of young campers in matching backpacks

Only teens who have successfully completed LYNX Level One will be able to apply to participate in LYNX Level Two. Level Two takes place at the Humber Arboretum in Toronto and will give you the opportunity to put some of what you have learned during Level One into practice as you also develop more hands-on skills during in-person training. This will be followed by a two-week placement working alongside counsellors at the Humber Arboretum’s Nature Camps for ages 5 to 12.

LYNX for Adult Leaders

A man pours maple sap from a collection bucket into a cooler while two children watch

A little too old for the Teen Leaders program? Humber Arboretum staff have developed a version of LYNX designed for adult learners and partnering with City Wide Training at Humber College to offer this series of workshops. These sessions are ideal for teachers, ECEs, and informal educators, and even for parents who want to enhance time spent outside as a family.

Each workshop runs for two and a half hours and costs $41.70 plus HST.

Visit the City Wide Training Professional Learning website to check for upcoming sessions of: 

  • Outdoors for All: Health, Safety, and Accessibility in Nature
  • Level Up: Playing Games in the Great Outdoors
  • Deeper Roots: Connect Learning to the Land