Biodiversity Days

Beaty Nature Club: Bryophytes

Come say hi to UBC Botanical Garden’s booth at Beaty Museum’s Nature Club. Families can enjoy special activities plus all of the regular museum programming, Raising Big Blue movie, museum tours, and more!

These drop-in sessions are designed for children 5-12 years old accompanied by an adult (not suitable for preschool-aged children). All sessions will be held at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, with experts from the Pacific Museum of Earth and around UBC making guest appearances.

We’ll explore the plants from the herbarium, including vascular plants and bryophytes. Bryophytes include mosses and liverworts; this curious group of plants do not produce any flowers and reproduce using spores instead of seeds. Plants like trees, shrubs, flowers, and ferns are known as vascular plants, which means they have inner structures that transport water, sugar, and nutrients around their bodies. Learn about new and familiar plants while we explore different groups and their features.

When: May 2nd | 10:30am-1:00pm
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Cost: Free

Tree Walk and Forest Therapy

Join us for a guided Tree Walk and Forest Bathing experience that blends nature connection with research in action. As we explore UBC’s vibrant urban forest, you’ll be introduced to a variety of tree species while engaging in sensory and mindfulness exercises designed to deepen your connection with the natural world and all the benefits it provides to our physical and mental wellbeing. 

This event builds on the knowledge gained through the UBC Tree Inventory Project, a multi-year SEEDS research collaboration between the Faculty of Forestry, Campus and Community Planning and other partners. This valuable student research initiative maps and monitors the health, diversity, and ecological value of trees across campus—informing biodiversity conservation and climate resilience planning at UBC. 

Whether you’re a nature lover, a curious student, or simply in need of a reset, this walk offers a chance to slow down, reflect, and experience the forest in a new way. Leave feeling refreshed, grounded, and more attuned to the trees that shape our campus urban forest. 

This event will be held outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress accordingly. 

When: May 6th | 10:00am to 12:30pm 
Where: The Reconciliation Pole on UBC Campus (2373-2425 Main Mall, next to the Forest Sciences Centre) 
Cost: Free! 
Speakers: Dr. Tahia Devisscher and Finn Koepf 

SEEDS Sustainability Symposium

This event is by invitation only.

A celebration of the SEEDS Sustainability Program’s interdisciplinary partnerships and student applied research, with a focus on advancing integrative responses that support the UBC’s climate, biodiversity, and wellbeing commitments.  Attendees will get to “choose their own adventure”, selecting from several concurrent, cross-cutting sessions that span the themes of urban biodiversity, sustainable food systems, and circular economy. Sessions will include thought-provoking presentations by student researchers, followed by action-oriented discussions on select campus sustainability topics.    

Tentative biodiversity-related session titles:   
1. Designing for People and Planet at UBC Vancouver 
2. Leveraging Campus Biodiversity Data for Impact 

When: May 7th | 9:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) - various rooms  
Cost: Free, invitation required 

Science Rendezvous

Join us in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum’s Niche to learn alongside educators from some of UBC’s Museums and collections!

1. Get hands-on with specimens from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum:

Meet Beaty Museum staff and volunteers while you explore activities and real museum specimens from our teaching collection. Bring your biodiversity questions and curiosity to our mini-museum station. Want to dive in deeper? Visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and receive 25% off general admission rates on Saturday, May 9.

2. Learn about plants with UBC Botanical Garden:

Come say hi to UBC Botanical Garden’s Education Team and learn about flowers, moss, and upcoming Biodiversity Days events! Engage your senses by observing and touching flowers and several species of mosses up close using hand lenses and a microscope. If you’re up for the challenge, spin the wheel and win native species inspired stickers for answering questions about biodiversity!

3. Explore earth science with the Pacific Museum of Earth:

After your time in the Niche, head across Main Mall to visit the Pacific Museum of Earth. You’ll learn about earth science, space science, fossils, and more!

When: May 9th | 10:00am-3:00pm
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum, 2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Cost: Free! No registration needed.

Morning Bird Walk at UBC Botanical Garden

Interested in learning how to identify and support birds in your backyard? Want to know more about bird biodiversity in our region?

Join us for an introductory bird walk at UBC Botanical Garden. We will identify familiar birds, look for spring migrating species and listen for the birds’ melodious songs. Participants will also learn about bird strike mitigation research at UBC and how to prevent bird strikes!

This event is suited for beginner birders and will help you to identify common birds of the Lower Mainland, based on their behaviour, size, shape and sounds. The Merlin App on cell phones will be demonstrated to identify the bird songs and calls. The walk will include:

• Tips for how to identify bird groups
• Different habitats preferred by specific bird species
• Considerations for making bird-friendly habitat in gardens and around your home
• Actions to preserve and protect bird biodiversity to help them thrive

When: May 9th | 9:00am to 11:30am
Where: UBC Botanical Garden, 6408 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver BC
Cost: $11 plus tax for Adults, $9 plus tax for Concession (Garden Members, UNA Residents, Youth (13-17), Seniors (65+), UBC Students|Staff|Faculty. Valid ID card required.)

Guides: Bev and Bill Ramey, experienced birders. The walking route is mostly paved and fairly level; a short distance will be walking on grass and gravel. One section has the route option of stone stairs or a gradual gravel slope. There are washrooms and benches along the route.

Biodiversity Tour at UBC Farm

Join us at the UBC Farm for a guided tour and an in-depth look at on-Farm biodiversity. We’ll explore the working Farm, surrounding coastal hemlock forest, hedgerows, flower fields, and soil, and learn aboutagroecology, agrobiodiversity, and all the kinds of life that support the Farm.

When: May 13th | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Where: UBC Farm – 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver, BC
Cost: $11 plus tax for Adults, $9 plus tax for Concession (Garden Members, UNA Residents, Youth (13-17), Seniors (65+), UBC Students|Staff|Faculty. Valid ID card required.)

Schools Nature Walk at UBC Botanical Garden

As this is a pilot program, participation is by invitation only.

New this year!

Thanks to the support of our Schools Program and Biodiversity Days sponsors, we’re excited to launch our very first Schools Nature Walk!

Classes will explore the Garden on a biodiversity adventure through the lenses of the BC Curriculum. During this experiential learning journey, students and teachers will engage in place-based nature learning through hands‑on, sensory‑rich activities and interactive educational stations, plus a thrilling walk among the treetops on the Greenheart TreeWalk.

Each student will receive their own Nature Kit to support their 2‑hour learning experience as they explore topics such as biodiversity, food systems, pollinators, botany, ecology and our local forest. By the end of the program, students will have stretched their curiosity, sparked new connections, and deepened their understanding of the natural world.

When: May 15th | 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver BC

Family Nature Walk at UBC Botanical Garden

Join us at the Garden for a biodiversity adventure! Explore the blooming plants, music, and curiosity-sparking activities throughout the Garden. Whether through touch, smell, sight or listening, everyone has the opportunity to engage their senses and feel connected with the environment around them.

This children-oriented event is designed to take each family ~2 hours. This self-guided journey through UBC Botanical Garden and the GreenHeart Treewalk will lead you to pop-up education stations. Activities will include learning about the coastal forest, discovering food plants, taking time to watch for birds and pollinators and learning about the cycles that sustain our ecosystem.

To equip them for these adventures each children’s ticket includes one Kids Nature Kit distributed upon arrival. Kits include a cotton tote bag, a hand-lens to see nature up close, a choice of book, pocket guide or magazine, native species stickers, healthy snacks and a map to guide them on their garden adventure, and more!

For additional information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

When: May 16th | 10:00am-4:00pm
Where: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver BC
Cost:

• Children and Youth tickets |Under 18s| are $47 plus tax. This includes admission to both the Garden and TreeWalk, and a Kids Nature Kit*.
• Adult tickets are $29.5 plus tax. This includes admission to both the Garden and TreeWalk.
• Concession tickets | Seniors (65+) | are $22 plus tax. This includes admission to both the Garden and TreeWalk.

*Kids Nature Kit:
Each children’s ticket includes one Kids Nature Kit, an exciting, family-favourite element of this event. When families arrive at the Garden, Kids Nature Kits are distributed to registered participants and include a cotton tote bag filled with fun learning materials that support children in engaging nature! Additional Kids Nature Kits will be available for purchase at the Shop in the Garden for $30 plus tax.

We strive to keep our programming accessible to all families. Please email garden.programs@ubc.ca if the admission cost is a barrier.

Multilingual Garden Tours

Join us for an evening at UBC Botanical Garden for an evening tour to celebrate the UN Day of Cultural Diversity!

Our knowledgeable guides will lead you though the Garden, sharing fascinating insights about the plants and the stories they hold – in both English and an alternative language! We have French, Spanish and Mandarin tours to choose from at UBC Botanical Garden. These multilingual tours are designed for fluent speakers and new learners

When: May 21st | 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver BC

French, Mandarin and Spanish

Cost: $11 plus tax for Adults, $9 plus tax for Concession (Garden Members, UNA Residents, Under 18s, Seniors (65+), UBC Students|Staff|Faculty. Valid ID card required.)

MOA: Tidalectics: Oceanic Biodiversity and Cultural Resilience

A Special Curator-led tour of Trouble in Paradise: Climate Change in the Pacific

In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, join Mitiana Arbon, Curator of Pacific at MOA for a special tour of Trouble in Paradise: Climate Change in the Pacific to explore the deep relationships between cultural and biological diversity in the context of environmental changes across the Pacific.

Through photographs by Pacific Islanders and selected highlights from MOA’s collections, the tour reflects on how rising seas, changing ecosystems, and resilient communities are reshaping life across the region. Together, participants are invited to consider the complex ways in which cultural knowledge and biodiversity are intertwined, and what these relationships mean to all humanity in a time of global climate change.

The tour is restricted to 25 people, and provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

When: May 21st & May 22nd | 12:00pm-1:00pm

Where: Meet in the Lobby of Museum of Anthropology at UBC

Cost: Free with Museum Admissions

Art Club at MOA: Biodiversity day

A monthly series at MOA, Art Club provides a space for adults who are curious about using craft as a way to connect—both with the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, and with one another. For May, in collaboration with UBC Botanical Gardens’ Biodiversity days, our art activity will honour biodiversity on display in the museum.

When: May 21st | 5:30pm-7:00pm

Where: Meet in the Cafe of Museum of Anthropology at UBC

Cost: Free

Guided Tree Climbing Experience (Pay What You Can) with Cultivara at UBC Botanical Garden

Important: Two Payments Required

1) $10 registration fee (register here). This includes Garden admission.

2) Tree climbing (pay what you can on-site to Cultivara after your tree climb) Suggested $30; Cash & contactless accepted.

Canopy Intro: Your First Step Into the Forest Canopy

Experience the forest from a perspective most people never see. This hour-long, family-friendly canopy tour uses professional ropes and harnesses to lift you into the treetops. No climbing experience or fitness required.

After a quick gear fitting and safety briefing, you’ll ride our Canopy Elevator up approximately 20 metres into the lower canopy, where you can take in the forest views, and learn about the living biodiversity supported by trees. Return the same way, or try an optional rappel back to the forest floor.

Perfect for families, friends, or couples looking for a unique outdoor experience in Vancouver.

When: May 24th, 10:15am-4:45pm

Where: UBC Botanical Garden (6804 SW Marine Drive)

Spots are limited and advance registration is required.

Highlights:

• Expert-led, small-group tours (max 4 participants)

• No experience or fitness required (ages 7+ ideal, younger climbers welcome)

• Led by certified arborists and rope professionals

• Industry-leading equipment optimized for comfort and safety

• 450+ climbers have entered the canopy to date!

Before your Tour: We require that all participants read and sign our Liability Waiver prior to their scheduled climb.

Bat Walk on UBC Campus

Meet your nocturnal neighbours; little brown bats! This walk will provide an introduction to bat ecology and behaviour, the different bat species that live in and around Vancouver, and their importance to ecosystems and people. We will visit a nearby bat roost to observe bats emerge for the night, and will use ultrasonic detectors to listen for bat calls. We will not be handling any bats, just visually observing them and listening to their ultrasonic calls.

When: May 27th | 8:30pm-10:30pm
Where: W. Robert Wyman Plaza on UBC Campus (Main Mall and Memorial Road next to the Frederic Laserre and Old Administration Buildings)
Cost: $11 plus tax for Adults, $9 plus tax for Concession (Garden Members, UNA Residents, Under 18s,  Seniors (65+), UBC Students|Staff|Faculty. Valid ID card required.).

Speaker: Dr. Matt Mitchell

Goth Butterflies at UBC Farm

Interested in learning more about the goths of the insect world that come out to pollinate after dark? Join Hannah Anderson, Daphne Chevalier, and Matt Tsuruda at the UBC Farm for an event spotlighting the diverse and beautiful assemblage of nocturnal bugs that live in and around Vancouver! We will take a look at which insects are enjoying the moonlight: in our traps, through microscopes, and on a stroll around the farm. We’ll provide an intro on nocturnal insect biology, identification, how entomologists sample them, and the many exciting ways they have adapted to live in the dark. Come learn about how these creatures of the night benefit us and the ecosystems they live in.

When: May 29th | 8:30pm-11:00pm
Where: UBC Farm – 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver, BC
Cost: $11 plus tax for Adults, $9 plus tax for Concession (Garden Members, UNA Residents, Youth (13-17), Seniors (65+), UBC Students|Staff|Faculty. Valid ID card required.)

BIPOC Reading Buddies in the Forest Theatre

Join Vancouver Black Library and UBC Botanical Garden for an afternoon of reading, learning, and celebrating biocultural diversity in the Garden’s Forest Theatre!

The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Reading Buddies program focuses on diversity and inclusion. Elementary-aged children (4-12 years old) and their families come to Vancouver Black Library to read diverse stories and narratives written by authors of many different backgrounds. This program allows young BIPOC learners to connect with mentors who look like them, whom they can look up to and learn from. Participants will learn about others, celebrate our differences, and see themselves represented in the stories they read.

BIPOC Reading Buddies is back at UBC Botanical Garden this spring! This session will highlight language diversity, exploring how we connect with nature through our different languages. Children and families have the exciting opportunity to immerse themselves in the forest, read books with mentors, and experience the Greenheart TreeWalk. Overall, we aim to encourage a love of reading, build cultural connections to nature, and cultivate a sense of community.

When: May 31st | 2:00pm-4:00pm
Where: Forest Theatre at UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver BC
Cost: Free!

Little Buddy Sign-up

Mentor Sign-up