DSBN Walker Living Campus

The District School Board of Niagara’s Walker Living Campus is situated at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s, Woodend Conservation Area and provides a unique opportunity for outdoor and environmental education for our students. Featuring sweeping vistas of Lake Ontario and the escarpment slopes below, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, we have the Bruce Trail – Canada’s oldest and longest footpath running through our Campus.

Our Outdoor Guides have Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees in Science, Environmental Studies and Outdoor Recreation. Our full day programs are for students from K-12 and focus on inquiry and exploration based learning, encouraging all students to Play, Explore and Discover in nature. Highlights include our Team and Leadership Building Low Ropes Course, Orienteering, Outdoor Survival Skills, Pond Studies, WildZone, TreeHouse, Snow Shoeing and Cross-Country Skiing.

Building The Living Campus

The Sculpture

Building the Living Campus

In 2009 the DSBN embarked on an exciting new project – to transform an old run down outdoor centre into a one of a kind Living Campus where the students of the DSBN would be able to experience innovative nature-based activities that foster exploration, discovery, imagination and independent play in the great outdoors

The new Living Campus building project presented a unique opportunity for our students; one that we wanted to take advantage of - the construction of a commercial building.

Not only would the new Living Campus be a place for our students – it would be built by our students!

The construction process spanned two semesters –providing opportunities for two teams of Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Construction students to earn credits while spending their days outside a traditional classroom setting, learning and working alongside a variety of skilled tradespeople.

As construction neared completion our SHSM Horticulture DIG IT! Team began working on landscape design and plantings. Our DIG IT! Students were able to experience the design and development of our Green Living Roof – one of the many unique features of our Campus. The DIG IT! Team also planted our pollinator and native gardens, created our stone pathways, and worked with Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds on the design of our TD Friends of the Environment TreeHouse.