Friday, March 25, 2011

Vancouver Aquarium Sleepover

Hi everyone,

I am interested in doing the Vancouver Aquarium sleepover program and Marcie was kind enough to give me the information to post here. She has been to it twice and her kids loved it!! I believe last year they did a standard school program which focused on the life in the oceans in the Pacific Northwest. This year they did a customized program which included info on the plight of Sea Turtles and included info about our local painted Turtles. For this next one, Marcie would like to do one that involves more info on endangered species. I am happy to do this as well.

We would like to organize this as soon as possible but do our visit in Mid-September. We would love to hear from anyone who is interested and can commit to this time frame. It is very reasonably priced and SelfDesign will cover the cost. In the past they made cheques payable to the parent organizer and then she paid the Aquarium with one cheque. Please contact me at klmackay@shaw.ca if you are serious about wanting to do this so we can see if we have the 25 people needed for this to go ahead. I have pasted some of the pertinent info here:


Program Includes
Aquarium Admission.
Evening snack & morning breakfast.
12.0 hours Sleepover Program.


Participants
Minimum age: 6 years old
Group Size: Minimum of 25 participants
Cost: $77 per participant plus HST
Off Season Rate
January 01 – March 31 and July 1 – December 31: $66.00 per person plus HST
All prices are in Canadian funds.
Coupons, passes & other discounts are not valid.


Sleeping Area
Participants sleep on carpet floors within one of our galleries: Wild Coast, Pacific Canada, Arctic Canada, and the Tropic Zone.
Sleeping areas are booked based on availability. Bed time is at 12:15.
Washrooms are available, no showers facilities available.

Gear
Gear cannot be stored before/after your program.(It can be stored during our program) Please pack lightly.
Each Participant should be able to carry his or her own gear.
Sleeping Bag Pillow Warm clothes Sleeping Pad Toiletries Camera
Flashlights are not necessary.

Leaders
Aquarium staff members are both male & female. All staff is First Aid Certified and have Criminal Records checked. Supervising adults are responsible for group management and disciplinary action if necessary.

Aquarium Policies
Please inform us of any special concerns (Disabilities/medical conditions/behavior problems)
Food & Drink may not be brought into the Aquarium. Smoking is not permitted in Stanley Park as of Sept. 01st, 2010.
Facility re-entry is not permitted during the program. Parking passes are valid only during the program.

Aquarium Galleries
The Aquarium & Gift Shop open at 9:30am. Please have your hand stamped by the coordinator to re-enter through the main doors.

Eco-system Expedition for School Groups and Community Groups

A unique overnight adventure for all students!

After the Aquarium has closed its’ doors for the evening, bring your sleeping bag for a special night of discovery and learning. Our Sleepover guides will lead your class on an exciting 12 hour voyage to 3 corners of the world focusing on various ways animals, plants and humans interact within each ecosystem.

Invertebrate Lab: Study seashore ecology and British Columbia’s four major marine invertebrate phyla more deeply in this live, hands-on intertidal marine biology lab. Based on the education curriculum we will be focusing on animals from the Cnydria, Mollusca, Arthropoda and Echinodermata. Such invertebrates you’ll meet are sea anemones, swimming scallops, various crabs, sea stars and much more!

Before continuing on the second half of your adventure, enjoy a light snack. We will have meat and cheese platter, buns and crackers, veggie platter with dip, and fruit trays with dip. Also we will have fruit juice for the kids and lots of tea/coffee for the adults.

Eco-system Guided Tour

Dive into three different eco-systems as you travel all around the world under one roof at the Vancouver Aquarium. Learn about various animals, habitats, and how everything fits together.

Choose 3 of the 4 options:

Northwest Pacific: Dive into the temperate coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, as you discover the diverse but threatened marine life in British Columbia’s Georgia Straight.

Arctic: Travel to Lancaster Sound, Canada’s cold & icy Arctic, learn how these inhabitants adapt and survive in this harsh and frigate environment.

Amazon: Climb the canopy layers of the Brazilian Rainforests, to uncover the obscure relationship between rainforest animals and their lush jungle home.

Tropical: Snorkel the warm clear waters of the Indo-Pacific, exploring the abundant life in a coral reef community and how every niche on reefs provides food, shelter and survival for the teeming multitudes of colourful marine life.

At 12:30 am lull to sleep in front of Pacific Canada’s story-high underwater realm or dream with majestic whales. After a light morning breakfast, tour the Marine Mammal Deck and Amazon Free Flight Gallery as the Aquarium awakens for a new day. Your journey concludes at 9:00 am as you gather your gear and head for home.

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