About Coquitlam Field Trips
A field trip to the Suwa’lkh Medicine Garden and Healing Forest in Coquitlam is like no other Fresh Roots field trip. Located at Millside Centre in Coquitlam (map), our program space includes a native plant propagation greenhouse, medicine and food gardens, and a seven-acre forest with a forest classroom and a salmon stream. Field trips at Suwa’lkh focus on First People’s ways of knowing, helping students connect with Traditional Ecological Knowledge, in both cultivated and natural food lands.
Suwa’lkh field trips are co-facilitated, whenever possible, with an Indigenous knowledge keeper and have been designed in consultation with Indigenous knowledge keeper Carrie Clark.
Cost & Group Size
Cost is based on grade/group size. We strive to make our programs accessible to all groups. If cost is a barrier, please send us an email.
Click for cost and group size details
Class Type | SD 43 Cost | Non-SD 43 Cost |
Small class (15 or fewer students) | $120 | $150 |
Grade K-3 (16-22 students) | $176 | $220 |
Grade 4-12 (23-30 students) | $240 | $300 |
- Grade 3/4 splits: choose the grades K-3 option if you have 22 or fewer students or grades 4-12 if you have 23 or more students.
- Grade 4-12 classes with 16-22 students: select the K-3 size option
We can host up to 22 grade 3 or younger students, or up to 30 grade 4-12 students at one time. This is due to the hands-on nature of our programs and the need to have adequate staffing to ensure a safe and educational program for all students. We require 1 teacher/chaperone for every 8 grade K-3 students and for every 10 grade 4-12 students, plus any needed one-on-one aides. Required adults do not count toward the group size. If your group needs more adult assistance, please let us know on the registration form.
Scheduling
Spring field trip bookings will open late winter for programs in April-June. If you’re not already receiving our mailing list, please click here to join and be the first to know when bookings open!
More Details
Click here for more information about our field trip policies. Click here to get a glimpse into what experiential learning on the farm looks like. Got questions? Email our Experiential Learning Team at education@freshroots.ca or call 778-764-0344, ext 100.
Field Trips
Below are our Fall 2024 field trip offerings; information for Spring 2025 field trips will be updated by early January.

GRADE K-2
Forest Tails
Salmon, squirrels, ravens, and raccoons are just some of the tails you might find in the forest. And people have been telling tales to teach about those tails for thousands of years. What tales will you discover?
See BC Curriculum connections
ELA
- K: Through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world.
- K-1: Stories and other texts can be shared through pictures and words.
- K-2: Curiosity and wonder lead us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.
- 2: Stories and other texts connect us to ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Science
- K: Plants and animals have observable features.
- 1: Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment.
- 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment.
Social Studies
- K: Stories and traditions about ourselves and our families reflect who we are and where we are from
- K: Our communities are diverse and made of individuals who have a lot in common.

GRADES 2-4
Fall in the Forest
Leaves, fruits, and rain all fall in the fall! What changes are happening with the plants, animals, and people in the forest as the season of growth turns to the season of rest?
See BC Curriculum connections
CAREER EDUCATION
- 2-3: Everything we learn helps us to develop skills.
- 2-3: Communities include many different roles requiring many different skills.
- 4-5: Leadership requires listening to and respecting the ideas of others.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- 2: Stories and other texts connect us to ourselves, our families, and our communities.
- 2-3: Curiosity and wonder lead us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.
- 4: Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
SCIENCE
- 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment.
- 3: Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems
- 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment.
SOCIAL STUDIES
- 3: Indigenous societies throughout the world value the well-being of the self, the land, spirits, and ancestors.
- 2: Canada is made up of many diverse regions and communities.
- 3: People from diverse cultures and societies share some common experiences and aspects of life.
- 3: Indigenous knowledge is passed down through oral history, traditions, and collective memory.

GRADES 4-9
Unexpected Eats
“You can eat that???” Yes, you can! Explore often overlooked foods on our farms and in our indigenous plant garden as you learn about ethical foraging and some of the traditional food and medicine uses of common plants.
See BC Curriculum Big Ideas
Physical & Health Education
- 4, 5: Personal choices and social and environmental factors influence our health and well-being.
- 4, 5: Understanding ourselves and the various aspects of health helps us develop a balanced lifestyle.
- 5: Daily physical activity enables us to practice skillful movement and helps us develop personal fitness.
- 6-9: Healthy choices influence our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
- 7: Learning about similarities and differences in individuals and groups influences community health.
Science
- 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment.
- 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
Social Studies
- 5: Natural resources continue to shape the economy and identity of different regions of Canada.
- 8: Human and environmental factors shape changes in population and living standards.
- 8: Changing ideas about the world created tension between people wanting to adopt new ideas and those wanting to preserve established traditions.
- 9: The physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.

GRADES 6-12
Student Team Build
Team Builds are a chance for students (and teachers and chaperones!) to get their hands really dirty helping our farmers grow Good Food for All. This program includes an introduction to Fresh Roots and the many things we do, and plenty of time to work on projects around the farm, from weeding to building. Exact projects will vary depending on the group and the needs of the farm.
See BC Curriculum Big Ideas
Career Education
- 6, 7: Safe environments depend on everyone following safety rules.
- 6, 7: New experiences, both within and outside of school, expand our career skill set and options.
- 8: Reflecting on our preferences and skills helps us identify the steps we need to take to achieve our career goals.
- 8: The value of work in our lives, communities, and society can be viewed from diverse perspectives.
- 8: Adapting to economic and labour market changes requires flexibility.
- 8: Our career paths reflect the personal, community, and educational choices we make.
Career-Life Connections
- Lifelong learning and active citizenship foster career-life opportunities for people and communities.
- A sense of purpose and career-life balance support well-being.