Exploring nature, one footstep at a time.

LARA invites Grade 5 students to step into the natural world through the Walking with Moose Program- an immersive, full-day exploration of the Moose Lake and Cold Lake ecosystems. This hands-on experience enriches classroom learning by bringing biodiversity, watershed health, and forest ecology to life along Alberta’s northeastern shorelines.

A Day of Discovery on the Land and Water

Students begin their day at Pelican Point or Cold Lake Provincial Park, where the lakeshore becomes an outdoor laboratory. Working in small groups, students collect aquatic organisms—such as insects, amphibians, and other tiny creatures—and gently identify them before returning them to their habitat. Along the way, they learn about water quality, wetland function, shoreline health, and the larger species that depend on these ecosystems, including birds and fish.

In the afternoon, the program shifts into the forest at Moose Lake Provincial Park (or the Cold Lake site for Cold Lake-based classes). Guided by staff from LARA, the Beaver River Watershed Alliance, and the Municipal District of Bonnyville, students hike through the woods to explore:

Wildlife Signs & Tracking – Identify tracks, scat, nests, and other indicators of animals that call the forest home.

Forest Vegetation – Observe lichens, dwarf mistletoe, understory plants, and the crucial roles they play in ecosystem health.

Forest Ecology & Threats – Learn how natural processes and human activities—such as pine beetle outbreaks, wildfires, and recreation—shape and impact the forest.

By the end of the day, students gain a deeper understanding of local ecosystems, the species that rely on them, and the importance of protecting Alberta’s lakes, forests, and watersheds. Walking with Moose transforms the outdoors into a dynamic learning space where curiosity leads the way and the landscape becomes the teacher.

Cost & Eligibility

Thanks to generous support from our municipal partners—the MD of Bonnyville, County of St. Paul, and Smoky Lake County—the Walking with Moose Program is FREE for all schools within our area.

Book your class for the Walking with Moose Program today!