The Burns Bog Conservation Society's NEWT (Novice Ecologists of Wetlands Training) Program is a great chance to get to know the plants and animals around you. You'll get to learn through hands-on activities from real researchers and caretakers with lots of experience in the field. This program is open to people aged 13 to 17, and is 100% FREE!

This program runs Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can choose to attend every session, or only a few. There are only 20 spaces available for each workshop, and preference will be given to those who sign up to multiple sessions. If you attend multiple sessions, you'll also get to form stronger friendships with the other members of the program, who you'll get to see more than once!

Here is the schedule for the program:
- July 2nd: Get started identifying plants
- July 9th: Learn to recognize and identify ecosystems
- July 16th: Weave with invasive plants
- July 23rd: All about pollinators!
- August 6th: How can we help salmon runs?
- August 13th: Learn to garden with native plants
- August 20th: Design and deliver a mini-workshop with an experienced mentor

The program takes place at the Delta Nature Reserve (10388 Nordel Court, Delta, BC). Please bring your own packed lunch, as there are not many places to buy food nearby. The last week of the program, you'll get to choose a topic and work in a small team to create your own workshop with the mentor who taught that topic. You'll be able to share what you've learned with your friends and family at a final event in mid-September.

Throughout the program you'll get to meet other people your age who share your passion for the natural world. Who knows what kinds of friendships you could make as you catch bees in a meadow or weave with invasive plants?

The application will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. If you would like, you can read all the questions beforehand in the following google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTKlcpFs7urpYoG8T7Mm9-3ducq2IBHWcYpGDI-RZZcz-YeNyFtIgygIl0ijJWAwA/pub

If you'd rather not work directly on this form, you can download the document and fill out the questions, then copy and paste your answers when you're done.

If you have any questions about this program or application process, please email mark@burnsbog.org or send us a message on Instagram @burns_bog.

This application form has 3 sections:
1. Personal information so we can get in touch with you and make sure our program serves the community
2. Application questions so that we can get to know you and your connection to the program
3. Eligibility and accessibility questions so we can make sure our program is the right fit for you