Nature centre celebrates with spring just around the corner

By Lethbridge Herald on March 15, 2024.

Critter-costumed Ruth Gangur-Powell welcomes the Hunt family on Friday during the annual Helen Schuler Nature Centre Family Festival celebrating the upcoming arrival of spring. Herald photo by Steffanie Costigan

Steffanie Costigan – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Helen Schuler Nature Centre celebrated the upcoming arrival of spring with their seventh annual Family Festival on Friday afternoon.

Some of the special guests and activities at the festival included the Family Centre creating decorated windsocks with Blackfoot symbols, Lethbridge College Early Childhood Education program, Southern Alberta Art Galley hosting  stencil-painting and help create collaborative community painting, and the Oldman Watershed Council assisted with an adventure to discover how a drop of water might travel in our watershed along with bracelet making. 

Helen Schuler Nature Centre educational program coordinator Jessica Deacon-Rogers shared the opportunity it gives families to enjoy the spring.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to celebrate the arrival of spring and the changes that come with it… We have geocaching out in the park so people can find kind of hidden treasures and find a secret message inside the boxes. And then we have some activities related to grassland animals and some of their amazing adaptations as well.”

Deacon-Rogers describe the excitement it is for families to get active outside.

“That idea of getting outside in spring as well is part of it, too. So, getting people in excited about the change of seasons and trying some different activities that you could do in spring here in Lethbridge as well.

“We’d like them to remember spending time outside is really, really important for families to do. And so taking away that idea of different activities they could do outdoors together in our community, is what we’d really like families to get out of the afternoon,” she said.

Deacon-Rogers said there are still fun outdoor activities for families to enjoy even if they were not able to attend the festival.

“If people aren’t able to attend the festival today, we have lots and lots of ideas for different outdoor activities that you could do year-round, but some great spring ones as well on our website.”

The centre’s website is nature.lethbridge.ca.

“We have all sorts of different activities if you’re not able to get here for a festival, if you’re not able to come down when we’re open. We have lots of different opportunities for doing outdoor activities that you can easily do with your friends or family at home as well.”