Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary hosts a wide variety of programs for diverse audiences: programs for families, special events, and parent and child programs.
Special Events – Throughout the year we celebrate exciting happenings in the world of nature. Drop-in anytime to our scheduled special events. Admission by donation.
Spring Break at Swan Lake
Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Birds of a Feather - Monday, March 18th
Marsh Madness - Tuesday, March 19th
Sssssss-Snakes - Wednesday, March 20th
Plants and Pollinators - Thursday, March 21st
Fossil Fair
Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Who lived here millions of years ago? Dinosaurs, trilobites, ammonites, enormous clams and sharks lived in the ancient tropical coral seas and palm forests that covered Vancouver Island. Bring you family and your fossils for identification. Kids can follow a scavenger hunt, make fossil and dinosaur rubbings, dig for fossils in our sandbox quarry and take a fossil home as a treasure.
Hummingbird Day
Sunday, March 31, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
It may seem early, but Anna's Hummingbirds start to nest in February and it won't be long before the summer hummers, the Rufous return for their annual visit. Join us as we discover how to get the most out of the hummingbirds in your neighbourhood through crafts, stories, hands-on exploration and song - don't worry if you don't know the words you can just - hum.
Wildflower Weekend
Sunday, April 28, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Spring has sprung and Swan Lake and Christmas Hill have never looked better. We celebrate the wonderful world of wildflowers with guided tours of our native plant garden, hikes to Christmas Hill, crafts for the kids and our wildflower, musical revue.
Bee Day
Sunday, May 26, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
A honey of a program fit for the royalty of the insect world. What’s the buzz about bees – are they really good dancers? Bee songs, bee crafts and some bee spit to taste. Join us and you’ll bee amazed, bee enchanted and bee happy. Bee there or bee square.
Going Batty
Sunday, June 30, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Join us as we celebrate our best source of natural mosquito control – Bats! Explore their weird and wonderful world and find out how to encourage bats to visit your neighbourhood.
Creatures of the Summer Night
Wednesday, July 24, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
&
Friday, August 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Check out the nightlife of Swan Lake! Sharpen your senses to look for owls, bats and other nightime creatures. Using a grab bag of tricks we’ll discover how these animals are adapted to their nocturnal life.
Suitable for families with children over 6 years.
$4 each for members; $6 for non-members
Call to register.
Summer Daze at Swan Lake - Reptile Day
Thursday, July 4, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Summer Daze at Swan Lake - Having a Backbone is Overrated
Thursday, July 18, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Summer Daze at Swan Lake - Mammal Madness
Thursday, August 1, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Summer Daze at Swan Lake - Birds of a Feather
Thursday, August 15, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Seed Day
Sunday, September 29, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
In Autumn Mother Nature is planting her garden for the next year - come and see what she has planned. Includes: crafts, hands-on exploration, seed scavenger hunt, seed displays and you can plant a seed to take home.
Wild Mushroom Show
Sunday, October 27, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
A special presentation by the Southern Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Discover the wacky and wonderful world of Vancouver Island mushrooms. The huge variety found in our forests, fields and gardens will be on display. Bring your specimens for identification.
Duck Day
Sunday, November 24, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
(drop-in anytime) Admission by donation.
Some dabble, some dive, but they're all ducks. We'll explore the amazing adaptations ducks have for living on the lake and discover who's who in the duck world..
