December 18, 2024, Toronto, Ontario: The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) and the School of Environmental and Earth Sciences at McMaster University are pleased to announce the release of the Rockway GeoHike, located on the north side of the Niagara peninsula, in the Niagara Geopark and the Rockway Conservation Area.
December 18, 2024, Toronto, Ontario: Article By Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., FGC, Chair APGO Education Foundation and Founding President Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario.
September 25, 2024, Toronto, Ontario: The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) and the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering at Queen’s University are pleased to announce the release of our first ever GeoPaddle – the Wolfe Island GeoPaddle!
September 22, 2024, Ottawa, Ontario: The APGO Education Foundation ("APGOEF") attended the 56th annual OLMC Gem and Mineral Show in Ottawa, September 21 and 22, 2024, hosted by the Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Club. We welcomed over 580 people to our "Geology Rocks" booth, which we once again delivered in partnership with our educational partner Mining Matters. Our theme centred on the fossils of Ontario - visitors were encouraged to touch our fossil display and ask questions. We had a wonderful time talking about fossils and rocks with kids as we led them in a shell necklace making activity for our young learners and a pendant making activity using minerals found in Ontario for our teenaged learners. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth to chat this year, we always look forward to seeing you!
September 9, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) and the Department of Earth Sciences at Western University are pleased to announce the release of the Western University Campus Urban GeoWalk in London, Ontario.
September 3, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (“The Foundation or APGOEF”) is pleased to announce the release of its Annual Report for 2023 which is available on our new website at https://apgoef.ca.
August 27, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) and the Environmental and Earth Sciences department at McMaster University are pleased to announce the release of the Cheltenham Badlands GeoHike just northwest of Brampton, Ontario.
August 27, 2024, - The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) and Dr. Quentin Gall from the University of Ottawa, are pleased to announce the release of both the Lime Kiln GeoHike and the Downtown Ottawa Urban GeoWalk.
August 12, 2024 - APGOEF along with educational partners Mining Matters hosted an interactive booth at the Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree. Our theme this year was "Fossils of Ontario", where we had a comprehensive display of fossils from Ontario that visitors were encouraged to touch and get to know. We led two activities aimed at young learners: a fossil necklace making craft, and a gem pendant making activity - all free! As always, we were led into great geoscience discussions by visitors. We look forward to the diamond anniversary of the Gemboree in 2025.
July 8, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (APGOEF) and the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University are pleased to announce the release of the Wainfleet Wetlands GeoHike, located on the south side of the Niagara Peninsula, in the Niagara Geopark.
May 28, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation welcomed new and returning science enthusiasts at our annual booth at Science Rendezvous Kingston, held at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston, Ontario on May 11, 2024. We had a hands-on suite of fossils from southwestern Ontario, a Paleozoic seafloor station where everyone was encouraged to find small fossils using real hand lenses, a Play Doh station for kids of all ages to learn about trace fossils, and even a Paleozoic ocean photo booth! After learning about the animals that lived here over 440 million years ago, everyone got a fossil sticker and entered to win a fun geology-themed prize pack! We love our friends in Kingston and look forward to seeing everyone in 2025!
May 13, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) in partnership with the Bruce Trail Conservancy is pleased to announce the release of a new informative tab describing common flora on the Chedoke Radial GeoHike in Hamilton (see Figure 1 for location). This feature is the first of a series of upcoming flora tabs that will highlight the main vegetation types encountered in particular ecozones along the Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail. To see the new flora tab, visit the Chedoke Radial GeoHike page.
May 9, 2024 - The APGO Education Foundation (“APGOEF”) in partnership with the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering at Queen’s University is pleased to announce the release of two (2) inaugural Urban GeoWalks in the Kingston area (see Figure 1). These are Fossil Park and the Kingston Waterfront Urban GeoWalks. To see these as well as all our Urban GeoWalks, visit our Urban GeoWalks website.
Dr. Heidi Daxberger, professor at the University of Toronto, Scarborough presented an engaging poster on the use of virtual tours in geoscience education at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) annual General Assembly in Vienna, Austria on April 18, 2024. The Downtown Toronto Urban GeoWalk and the University of Toronto Campus Urban GeoWalk, both from GeoscienceINFO.com, were highlighted as successful education tools. She also discussed three future Urban GeoWalks that will be released on GeoscienceINFO.com: Mud Creek, Wilket Creek, and Humber River. Way to go Heidi!
The APGO Education Foundation attended the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention from March 2-5, 2024. For the third year in a row, we were located in the South Building, on the 800 level, at the Mining Matters booth – our partners in geoscience education. We showcased our GeoHikes, Urban GeoWalks, and chatted about exciting upcoming releases that we will be delivering in 2024 with everyone who stopped by!
Cootes GeoHike takes you on a 1.5-hour hike through Cootes Paradise, located just west of Hamilton, Ontario. Recognized as a National Historic site, Cootes GeoHike takes you through valley slopes that were scoured out by meltwaters that were released by the last glacial ice that covered the region. Get some fresh air and take the hike in person or visit from the comfort of your home or classroom.
The APGO Education Foundation and geoscience education partners Mining Matters had a booth at the Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Club (OLMC) Gem & Mineral Show for the third year in a row in Ottawa, Ontario on September 16-17, 2023. This event was a huge success, and we had a wonderful time talking to over 600 geoscience enthusiasts at our booth! We led kids in two educational activities to promote geoscience learning. Kids aged 12 and under used paints in colours similar to those made by minerals and engaged in conversations about how minerals have been used to make pigments throughout history. Youths aged 13 and older were invited to make gemstone pendants using minerals found in Ontario. Lots of fun was had and much geology learned!
The APGO Education Foundation and geoscience education partners Mining Matters had a booth at the Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Club (OLMC) Gem & Mineral Show for the third year in a row in Ottawa, Ontario on September 16-17, 2023. This event was a huge success, and we had a wonderful time talking to over 600 geoscience enthusiasts at our booth! We led kids in two educational activities to promote geoscience learning. Kids aged 12 and under used paints in colours similar to those made by minerals and engaged in conversations about how minerals have been used to make pigments throughout history. Youths aged 13 and older were invited to make gemstone pendants using minerals found in Ontario. Lots of fun was had and much geology learned!