Hello Reader,

On Sunday, August 9, naturalist Michelle Harris takes a small group of kids ages 8 to 13 into the river valley on foot. Three and a half hours, twenty dollars, one afternoon. You plan nothing.

She founded Nature Loop and wrote The Green Side of Edmonton, and she has spent years teaching kids to notice what they would otherwise walk straight past.

You can walk the valley for free, and most of us have, along the paved stretches on the way to somewhere else. Knowing what you are looking at is the part that takes a guide.

Discover How Nature Builds, Grows & Flows

Your child spends three and a half hours on the trails with Michelle.

They will look under leaves for the small homes animals build, work out what likely made each one, learn which plants feed the valley's wildlife, and trace how the North Saskatchewan cut this valley. Real trail time, at a kid's pace. There is room to stop and crouch down when something catches their eye, which suits a kid who does better when nothing is rushed.

The afternoon ends with a hands-on nature art project by the river. They come home with something they made.

When Sunday, August 9, 2026, 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
​Where Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park, Edmonton. Look for Michelle at the south end of the zoo parking lot, holding a Canadian flag.
​Ages 8 to 13
​Cost $20 per child. If you come along yourself, there is nothing extra to buy.

Drop off, or stay for the afternoon

Both work. Send your child on their own and they will spend the afternoon with the group, with Michelle close by throughout. Or walk along yourself, at no extra charge.

Some kids take the first hour to say anything at all. That is not a kid doing it wrong, and Michelle has walked with plenty of quiet nine-year-olds.

What to bring

Each child needs a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent, a water bottle and a snack, and clothing and footwear suited to forest exploration, which usually means clothes you do not mind getting muddy.

Washrooms and a bottle refill station are in the amenity building by the parking lot.

If the weather turns

We will be watching the forecast and send you an update the day before (Saturday). If conditions change on the day, you will hear from us by 11 AM either way. A cancelled walk means a full refund.

Three and a half hours outside with a naturalist, twenty dollars for the afternoon. One ticket per child, and nothing extra to buy if you are coming along.

​Save your child's spot​

Signed copies of The Green Side of Edmonton are available on site. This walk is one of a growing set of programs we're building for kids, leading toward our Children's Permaculture Camp in August 2027.

The EPG Team