Key Details
Everyone is welcome! This includes families from UBC (students, faculty, staff and alumni), UNA, Acadia Park, Musqueam, and other families that live in Metro Vancouver and beyond. The event is geared towards families with kids ages 3 to 12, but the event is fun for everyone. Please note that only Children and Youth tickets receive Kids Nature Kits.
Family Nature Walk takes place at UBC Botanical Garden at 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4. There are stations set up throughout the Garden at 3 hubs for your family to explore. See a map of the event here.
Children and Youth tickets (Under 18 years) 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 per adult. This includes admission to both the Garden and TreeWalk.
Concession tickets (Seniors (65+) are $22 plus tax. This includes admission to the Garden and TreeWalk.
Each children’s ticket includes one Kids Nature Kit, which are an exciting, family-favourite element of our Family Nature Walk. As your family explores the Garden, children will gather elements of their Kids Nature Kits. Elements include a cotton tote bag, a hand-lens to see nature up close, a fidget ring, stickers, a map to guide them on their garden adventure, a small snack, a plant to take home, a polaroid photo to remember your adventure and a choice of pocket guide, Nature Kids BC magazine or a story book! The value of these kits is around $47.
The Greenheart TreeWalk is a canopy walkway, an aerial trail system that allows people to journey through the upper parts of the forest on a 310 metre-long walkway suspended nearly 20 meters off the forest floor. Its structure enables visitors to explore the flora and fauna that thrives in this lofty environment.
UBC Botanical Garden is accessible by car, transit, bike and taxi. For more information about how to get to the Garden, please visit our Hours&Direction page and the Getting Here section.
Event Day
The estimated time to complete the program is about about 2 hours. However, this is a self-guided experience, so your family is welcome to stay as long as you wish. UBC Botanical Garden closes at 4:30 pm.
Please arrive at the beginning of your ticket timeslot. In the main courtyard of the Garden there will be a large tent where you can sign in for the event. [include photo from last year]. Here you will also pick up the first elements of your Kids Nature Kit.
Yes – tickets will be available to purchase day of, subject to inventory availability.
There is a large parking lot located at the front entrance of the Garden. Parking costs $1.50 per hour, up to a maximum of $7.00. Additional parking is available at Thunderbird Stadium.
This event will proceed rain or shine! We have tents and other covered locations throughout the Garden, but please come dressed for the weather. This includes closed-toed shoes, rain gear, sunscreen, a hat, etc.!
All families will be provided a map of the Garden, with the locations of the 3 activity hubs. There will be signage throughout to guide your visit, and lots of wonderful staff and volunteers to answer questions and direct you!
There two washroom locations in the Garden, which you can see on the map here. At or close to those washroom locations, there are also water refill stations. Please remember to bring your reusable water bottles!
Much of UBC Botanical Garden is accessible by wheelchair or motorized cart for guests with accessibility and mobility challenges. However, due to the nature of our garden some pathways are irregularly graded and topped with wood chips or loose gravel.
Please contact us at garden.programs@ubc.ca so we can best accommodate your family.
In the Food Garden, there will be a small selection of snacks, fruit and juice for families to enjoy during their adventure. There will also be a small selection of sandwiches and snacks availible to purchase at the Shop in the Garden.
We recommend that families pack additional snacks or lunch. If you would like to purchase food on UBC Campus, there are several dining options, however they are a 5 or more minute walk away from the Garden.
The following places are open on Saturday. Please check the website to confirm opening hours:
- Bean Around the World UBC open 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Westbrook Village offers a diversity of dining options, see them all here
Family Nature Walk is hosted by UBC Botanical Garden in collaboration with SEEDS Sustainability Program, and is part of a larger, month-long event in May called Biodiversity Days.
Biodiversity Days honours the International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) with a series of engagement opportunities that aim to celebrate and raise awareness of the fragile species, genes and ecosystems that sustain our communities.
