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Sustainability Programs

Nature’s Ride facilitators are university graduates from the Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV) Master of Science Program, located at the University of Calgary. The facilitators work closely with the teachers to understand their students’ needs and to develop lesson plans accordingly. The programs build the awareness, skills, and capacity of students and teachers to act on energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, and sustainability by leveraging knowledge and expertise from the SEDV Program. Through the activities contained in programs like the 4E Program (Environment and Energy Efficiency Education), students learn the effects of greenhouse gases (GHG) and how to reduce them in a measurable way.

Nature’s Ride is committed to deliver knowledge on relevant subjects and customizing content for respective grades. To ensure the continuation of teaching and learning, Nature’s Ride also offers online classes and focuses on giving students sufficient time to engage with the facilitator for critical thinking and reasoning whether in-person or online. Nature’s Ride programs are also available during the summer months for various community groups, churches, and organizations.

  • Nature’s Ride facilitators offer a broad range of topics. These topics can be customized and developed to cater to any age group of students for schools, libraries, community groups, churches, and other organizations.

    Junior Energy Inspector• Conduct home energy audits.
    • Identify different forms of energies consumed in residential homes.
    • Devise actions to reduce their own impact and become “lesser impact humans”.
    • Calculate energy usage and GHG emissions.
    Junior Energy Prosumer• Learn to be a prosumer (consumer and producer).
    • Learn to describe the concept of clean closed loop systems using a biodigester demonstration model.
    • Design a sustainable food supply system.
    • Calculate ecological footprints.
    Renewable Energy• Future of energy and energy transition
    • Renewable energy – solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal
    • Biodigester: A waste to energy technology
    • Carbon footprint
    Alternative Energy• Small modular Nuclear reactors
    • Solar/Geothermal energy technologies for food production
    • Tidal Energy
    • Hydrogen Energy
    Waste Workshops• How is waste created?
    • Waste in our landfills
    • Microplastics
    • Zero-waste lunch
    • Life-cycle Assessment
    • The closed-loop system
    • Vermicomposting
    • Building your own vermicompost
    • Single-use plastic
    • Upcycling Art
    Nature Theatre• Orca whales
    • Monarch Butterfly
    • Biodiversity
    • Animal life cycles
    • Interactions and ecosystems
    • Conservation initiatives
    • Chemical fertilizers
    • Plastics in our oceans
    Water Conservation• H2O Module – from DreamRider
    • CAWST water modules
    Forestry• Role of forests in our ecosystem
    • Wildfires
    • Threats to forests
    • Forest recovery
    • Reforestation
    Sustainable Development Goals• Sustainable Cities
    • Clean energy
    • Clean water and sanitation

  • Nature’s Ride broad range of topics are listed below. These topics can be customized and developed to cater to any age group of students and the public across Canada.

    Workshop TitleSynopsis
    Fast Fashion – A Closet MonsterDid you know we own 5x more clothes than our grandparents did? As fashion trends begin to change weekly, the amount of waste created along the supply chain is unparalleled. Using life cycle assessment, we explore the five stages of fast fashion and where the largest environmental impact takes place.
    Hydroponics – Sustainable Urban FarmingHow can we feed our growing population of 7.8 billion people, with an increasing number living in urban areas? Hydroponics might play an important role. Join us to understand the basic concepts of growing plants without soil and learn how to build a simple unit at home to become a sustainable urban farmer.
    The Clean Bitumen - Our new heroAlberta’s Oil and Gas sector has huge challenges ahead because of fluctuating demand and environmental concerns. Join us to discuss about some of the other exciting products that we can produce using our large oil sand reserves. Do we use these products in our day-to-day life?
    Our Digital Presence – Unseen ImpactsDo you know what happens to your data? Where does it go? How virtual is the “cloud”? With today’s growing digital presence, we need to be aware of the impacts. Join us as we explore the digital world, its related concerns, and some solutions we can take to combat it.
    Microbial Fuel CellToday we are faced with the challenge of finding new, cleaner ways of sourcing electric energy. Could one of these be found right in our backyard? Join us as we explore power generation through microbial fuel cells and their potential uses.
    Fossil FuelFossil fuels are used for producing electricity and heating up most homes in Alberta today. Let’s look into the formation of fossil fuels, their applications and importance, and their contribution to climate change. We will also discuss about the future of energy and the role of fossil fuels.
    Climate ChangeIn our day to day lives, we can see how the environment around us is changing. Although hotly debated, understanding the fundamental mechanisms that causes climate change are not as well known. Join us as we look at the history, present and future of climate change in our world.
    WasteLet us talk about waste in our World! Where does all the waste go and what is the impact of the waste on our land and oceans? Can we do something to reduce waste? Join us to find out!
    The Buzz about BeesYou might hear buzzing in your backyard in summer time, but do you know all the ways that bees help the ecosystem as well as our food production? Learn about the different types of bees in a hive and how important these tiny insects really are for our world.
    Geothermal Energy: Earth's Inner EnergyHot Springs is an indication of the tremendous inner energy that our planet possess. This energy is referred to as Geothermal Energy and is a renewable energy source. Join us to learn how Geothermal Energy is used globally today.
    Worms and Bugs: Earth's Best RecyclersWorms and their friends are some of Earth's best recyclers. They can break down organic waste into compost which can be used as fertilizers. Join us to learn about these wonderful creatures and how they are can help us to be more sustainable.