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Explore the outdoors, investigate and collect what interests you, and earn points for sharing your discoveries and knowledge. Redeem your points and take home something new to add to your personal collection! The Trading Centre is located in The Nature Exchange Gallery.
Note: The Trading Centre experience is not available to school groups. If you are a student, teacher, or youth group leader who would like to participate in trading, please look into the Nature Exchange Educational Program.
Where: The Nature Exchange
Age: All Ages
Entry: Included with Science Centre Admission
Where: The Nature Exchange
Age: All Ages
Entry: Included with Science Centre Admission
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- Collect interesting specimens while exploring the nature around you.
- Investigate what you found. Make observations about the item itself and do research to learn more.
- Share your knowledge and trade in your item at the Trading Centre to earn points.
- Redeem your points to "buy" new specimens and grow your personal collection.
The Trading Centre experience is included with your Science Centre admission and is free for Members.
HOW CAN I EARN POINTS?
- Trade in items that you find in nature. The more that you can tell us about the items, the more points you'll earn!
- Create a project on a nature topic. Keep a nature journal, make some art, or choreograph a dance. It's your project - make it your own!
- Participate in a Citizen Science project. Become a naturalist yourself and earn points for contributing to scientific efforts.
TRADING RULES
- The Science Centre only accepts items from nature.
- Bring only 3 items to trade per day.
- Make sure your item is clean and safe for handling.
- Don't collect items from Coronation Park or the area around the Science Centre.
- Only legally collected fossils are accepted for trade.
- There are some items that are not accepted for trade. Those include, but are not limited to:
- bird nests, eggs, and feathers
- bones and antlers
- things that eat, poop, rot, are endangered, or are protected by law
RESPONSIBLE COLLECTING
Before collecting something, ask yourself if it's safe and responsible to do so:
- Never take the first specimen you find.
- Take only one of each item when collecting from nature.
- Leave living plants and animals where you find them.
- Never approach wild animals.
- Only collect in places where it is legal and you have permission to do so.
- Don't remove items from Provincial or National Parks.
- Don't collect endangered or protected species.
At the Trading Centre, experiences and sightings are also accepted. Those can be portrayed through drawings, photographs, written notes, or in some other way.
TRADING DESK HOURS
Weekdays: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed midday for lunch)
Weekends: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Trading desk hours are subject to change without notice.
F.A.Q.
Frequently asked questions about trading.
1. How long does it take?
The Science Centre loves learning about your experiences in nature and the specimens you trade in! These conversations usually take up to 10-15 minutes per person.
2. Where's the lineup?
Standing and waiting in line isn't much fun. Instead, "sign up to line up." Add your name to the whiteboard and explore the gallery while you wait for your name to be called.
3. Can my class, club, or youth group participate?
The Trading Centre cannot accommodate large groups of traders. If you are a student, teacher, or youth group member, please look into the Nature Exchange Educational Program.
4. Is this rock a meteorite?
It sounds like you found a really interesting rock! This website from the University of Alberta has lots of information that can help you determine if your rock came from space.
5. Can I collect items from Coronation Park to trade?
No, please do not collect things from Coronation Park. If all guests collected items from the Science Centre's backyard, it would be devastating to the park. Instead, you can draw a picture of what you discovered in the park and trade that in.