VIU STEMantics at the Deep Bay Marine Field Station

K-12 School Class Field Trip Booking Form

This form can also be used by non-school youth groups, and for post-secondary classes that wish to take advantage of our educational programs. 

 Important Notes

  • Fees are $125/hour + GST for VIU educator‐led programs (see variations below).
  • School groups are limited to 30 students.
  • Transportation is the responsibility of the school/teacher.
  • School classes may use classroom or outdoor areas for lunch or snack if not in use.
  • Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to ensure that your program begins on time.

Attention Teachers: Plan Field Trips Early!

Secure your preferred dates now for an enriching marine education experience. 

Classroom Program dates for SPRING 2025. We really appreciate all the interest from teachers in marine STEM education. We have time in our schedules for 10 more programs this term. Here are the available dates. 

January 27, 30. February 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. March 10, 11, 18. April 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24. June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 18 (June 23, 24, 25 held for Intertidal programs).

We welcome field trip requests for fall 2025.

Intertidal Programs are tide-dependant and are only offered during the lowest tides. Many teachers book these place-based science activities well in advance so we have only a few remaining spring 2025 dates for Intertidal Exploration and Intertidal Assessment: June 23, 24, 25. Fall 2025 dates that are available are: September 4 and 5.

Full tide tables are published every December for the following year, but specific dates can be individually checked at the Fisheries and Oceans Tides page at https://tides.gc.ca/en/stations/07955 (this link is for Denman Island, our nearest tide station). If you want to book far in advance for spring 2026, please check there before requesting dates on this form.

Wanting to book more than one class, or more than one program for a single class on one date? No problem!

We often have two classes visit from one school on the same day to reduce transportation (bus) costs and carbon emissions. From September to mid-May we can only accommodate one VIU educator-led class activity at a time due to limited space and staff availability, but the second class can do a scavenger hunt activity while they wait their turn for the programmed activity. This teacher-guided activity is more structured than free exploration of the site, and includes worksheets, clip boards and pencils. For example, one class does Killer Whale Commotion while the other is outside.

You can also book two programs on one day for one class, one after the other, however for reasons of space and staff availability, one must be a Guided Tour (e.g. Amazing Adaptations and Guided Tour, not Amazing Adaptations and Killer Whale Commotion).

In May and June we have extra staff on hand and you can book multiple classes for simultaneous activities. e.g. Perils of Plastic and Guided Tour alternating between two classes back to back. These are also the most popular months of the year for K-12 bookings so plan ahead.

If you wish to build a specialized day of programming, you can indicate this on your booking form in the special comments section, but please also contact us by email at STEMantics@viu.ca to make arrangements.

Please allow for one-two weeks to hear back about your booking request. We check booking requests weekly but may need to do some schedule checking and juggling before we can get back to you.

The name of the teacher booking the field trip. This will be the main contact person.
Adult supervision is an important part of a successful visit to the station. The following student to chaperone ratios are REQUIRED for participation in our programs. You are welcome to bring more adults than required, however additional adults will be charged regular admission. Preschool & Kindergarden classes: 1 adult supervisor for every 4 students Grade 1-5 classes: 1 adult supervisor for every 8 students Grades 6-12 classes: 1 adult supervisor for every 12 students
Is another class/group joining you? (Max 30 students per program)
Additional Classes

If another class is joining on the same day, please fill out the class information here:

Please check date availability above.
:
Please arrange to arrive at least 5 minutes before the start of your program.
Which Program(s)?

Please note that if you have one class visiting for more than one program on one day, a Guided Tour must be one of them. This is due to limited staff for set up and take down between programs. If two classes are coming, then only one VIU-led activity can happen at a time due to space, so the second class must be outside while the other class is inside.

Review our current program offerings

When two classes visit at the same time, one can do a program in the classroom while the other group either does self-guided outdoor exploration. We provide a scavenger hunt handout, pencils, clipboards and map for this teacher-led activity.
This lab requires algae be tested to obtain data for lab worksheets. Classes have the option to return to the lab to complete their final sample/data collection, or alternatively, our staff can collect this information and send the data to the teacher over e-mail. Both options will be an additional 30 minutes of time, making this program $150 (1.5 hours of instructor time).
Low Tide Dates listed at the top of the page.
An outdoor space is available for snack/lunch. Indoor space may be available in poor weather.
Our email response to confirm your booking will include a quote of the cost of your programs. A more formal quote can be provided ahead of time to assist with preparing payment methods if your school requires it. Receipts are provided on the day of your program when you pay.