Volunteer Positions

Nature School Assistant (Fall 2025)

Role: Nature School Assistant
Organization: Evergreen
Location: Evergreen Brick Works, Don Valley, Toronto ON

Date Posted: 2025-09-15
Date Needed: 2025-09-30
Primary Category: Activity: Teaching, Facilitation & Coaching
Type of Position: In Person - Weekdays

Evergreen’s Nature Play and Learning programs connect children, youth and educators to nature through immersive, creative, and urban exploration activities. 

Nature School Assistant (Fall 2025)

Apply today to become a volunteer with Evergreen’s Nature School as a Nature School Assistant for our Fall Session (October 24 – December 12)!

Evergreen’s Nature Play and Learning programs connect children, youth and educators to nature through immersive, creative, and urban exploration activities. 

Evergreen’s Nature School is a seasonal, 8-week immersive outdoor play and learning program designed for children ages 6 to 10. This is a great program for volunteers looking to give back to children and build special bonds with our students. 

Please note we are currently recruiting for the Fall Session 2025 (Fridays, October 24 – December 12, 2025)! Depending on volunteer availability and schedules, recruitment for Winter Session 2026 and Spring Session 2026 will begin closer to the sessions. Qualified and accepted Nature School Assistants for the Fall Session 2025 will also be welcome to see and sign up for Winter/Spring 2026 Nature School Shifts should they wish to continue in this role.

Nature School Sessions (2025-2026)

Fall Session 2025: Fridays October 24 – December 12, 2025
Winter Session 2026: Fridays January 16 - March 6, 2026
Spring Session 2026: Fridays April 24 - June 12, 2026

Building on Evergreen's extensive experience in outdoor learning, play and placemaking, this program is perfect for students being schooled at home or for families interested in providing their child with an opportunity to take a day off from school to spend time outside learning from nature, building strong connections to the local landscape and community, and developing lasting relationships with peers outside of the home or classroom environment. 

As a Nature School Assistant, volunteers will support staff in delivering Forest & Nature School-inspired programming, with a focus on experiential learning, engaging in healthy risk taking, and letting curiosity lead their learning as the students connect with nature in a hands-on way. 

Program Details:

• Participants: Junior Group (ages 6-7) and Senior Group (ages 8-10) each group has around 8-10 participants.
• Nature School sessions: Fall 2025, Winter 2026, and Spring 2026.
• Shift Day: Volunteer Nature School Assistant shifts will take place on Fridays, between October 2025 – June 2026.
• Shift Length: Programs are full days starting at 8:45am. Nature School Assistants will be required to volunteer for full day shifts from 9:00am-3:30pm.
• Curriculum-linked.

✨ What you bring: 

• You have an enthusiasm for nature.
• You want to grow your teaching skills and experience. Applicants are not required to have formal teaching credentials, but an interest and/or related experience in teaching or outdoor educational environments (ex. summer camps) would be considered an asset.
• You are interested in place-based, hands-on learning. 

• You are a team player and reflective practitioner, learning by doing, debriefing each day and continually developing our program and your skills. 

• You are at least 18 years old.

When & Where: Programming takes place throughout the school year on Fridays, with the first session beginning October 24th until December 12th.  A typical shift for volunteers is 6.5 hours long from 9:00am - 3:30pm. Activities are based at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave) with explorations into the surrounding ravine system.


Commitment: We ask that Assistants commit for a minimum of one full 8-week session (fall, winter or spring). Shifts will be every Friday from 9:30am-3:00pm, with the first session beginning this October 24th until December 12th. Volunteering for more than one 8-week session, either the Winter or Spring session, is also an option.

How we’ll support you: There will be one 2-hour training session at Evergreen Brick Works between Oct 17- 22 based on candidate availability. Evergreen education staff provide the overall program leadership while assistants primarily work with small groups of students who are engaged in hands-on experiences. There will be continual opportunities for de-briefing your work and receiving feedback from staff. 

Perks: Be a part of expanding an exciting educational program into its seventh year at EBW, build your teaching skills and be a part of inspiring children/young people, seeing the transformative power of nature-based programs. Volunteers completing 20+ hours will also receive a volunteer t-shirt (pending inventory supply), 15% discount at the Evergreen Garden Market, access to the Toronto Attractions Council’s Reciprocal Program, and more. These are just some of the ways in which we thank our volunteers for their dedication and much appreciated contributions. 


Good to know: 

• Most activities take place outside, sun, rain or snow, so be prepared!
• After candidates submit their application, successful applicants will be invited for a short phone call interview to learn more about the role, Nature School, and your skills, experiences, and interests.
• Successful candidates will be required to have an acceptable Police Records Check.
• Free shuttle bus transportation from Broadview Station is available.
• Volunteers in this role will have transferable skills to our other Outdoor Learning and Play and Adventure Camp Programs.

Fulfillment of Educational Program Requirement:
If you are hoping to use this volunteer opportunity to fulfill an educational program requirement, we are happy discuss how this role may fulfill your program needs. Mentoring educators who are OCT certified are available to work with Nature School Assistant volunteers who are completing community placements, practicum hours, Co-Op terms, and/or other educational program requirements.

How to Apply:

If you are a new Evergreen volunteer, please create a volunteer profile with us here: https://app.betterimpact.com/Application?OrganizationGuid=f2bbf2fe-0a9b-4b14-b71f-a9262b5aa3cd&ApplicationFormNumber=1

Once you register for a volunteer profile, you will be able to review the Nature School Assistant posting here: https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/f2bbf2fe-0a9b-4b14-b71f-a9262b5aa3cd/Activity/1cf50057-662b-45c3-81af-12012c28b121/3. If you have trouble viewing the posting, select the "Opportunities" tab and then click on "Opportunity List". Scroll down until you see the activity "Nature School Assistant (Fall 2025)".

To apply and become a Nature School Assistant, please select the "+ Fill in an application" button on top of the posting page.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Questions? If you have questions about this posting, please reach out to Evergreen's volunteer engagement department at volunteer@evergreen.ca .

Accessibility Statement: Evergreen welcomes volunteer applications from persons of diverse backgrounds and is an equal opportunity organization. Accommodation will be provided as required under Evergreen’s Accommodation policy. Please make your needs known in advance.