Project Description
Accessible nature experiences for people living with disabilities to promote well-being, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion.
A Rocha Ontario has recently moved to a beautiful 55-acre farm at 1440 Westover Road in Millgrove, Ontario (the new A Rocha Ontario Centre).
The location is reasonably accessible but would not be suitable for anyone using mobility aids such as walkers or wheelchairs due to uneven terrain. In light of that, we are offering Operation Wild at our site, your site, or a public site to be determined together based on the accessibility requirements of your group. Please indicate your location preference in your booking request.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at ontario@arocha.ca.
Program Details
Here’s what you need to know! Take a look at our FAQ for more info.
It’s about more than making nature accessible
It’s an opportunity to explore the beauty of the world around us. It’s an inclusive space to make new friends and find belonging. And it’s an invitation to reconnect with nature and feel rejuvenated.
Session Themes
We offer two ways to experience nature. Choose the one that best suits your group and we’ll do the rest!
Meet Marcello
This Operation Wild participant describes the impact nature has on his life.
FAQ
- Seasonally appropriate clothing and walking shoes
- Any water, snacks, or lunch required for your day trip
- At least one support worker needs to be in attendance with each group
We require each group to attend with at least one support worker. While we are the nature experts, we ask support workers to be the experts of their group and their individual needs. We encourage support staff to fully participate in sessions.
We ask that you bring any water, snacks, and lunch your group requires for the day.
Please give us a call the day of your session if you have concerns about the weather. We are happy to offer programs in the rain as long as we can determine it is safe to do so!
We require a minimum of 5 participants for a group trip and can accommodate up to 12.
Our sessions are typically 2 hours in length. We understand that groups have different interests and abilities, and are happy to customize your trip to meet your group’s needs.
Between 2018 – 2021, Operation Wild has led 150 accessible nature experiences for 1475 people living with disabilities. Learn more about this program’s success during that time.
Our team continues to offer the program to support accessible nature experiences for as many people as we can!
Special Thanks to the Hamilton Community Foundation
This project is funded in part by the Hamilton Community Foundation. Working in partnership with this funder and our other supporters, Operation Wild is committed to providing accessible services to people with barriers or disabilities, building inclusive and engaged communities, and encouraging others to support a healthy and sustainable environment.
