Students will spend as much time as possible outside enjoying natural surroundings of the Toronto Island, (with the exception of high winds, electrical storms and extreme cold/heat). As our "classrooms" are mainly outdoors, students will need to wear appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. Please check what the weather will be like during your visit, here is the website from Environment Canada weather office. The Island Public School and Island Natural Science School we have a plan for pests.
Mosquitoes/Blackflies/Deerflies: The island is home to a small number of biting insects the same that you would find in any green space in Toronto. Most students choose to wear bug spray though it is often unnecessary between September through to April. May and June we have some biting insects that may bother students. We advise to:
- wear long clothing
- wear a bug jacket/bug head net
- if comfortable, put on bug spray
Ticks: Ticks have been found throughout the city of Toronto including on the Toronto Island. They can (but not always carry tick borne diseases such as Lyme.
It is good practice in weather that is above -1 degree Celsius to:
- wear long tucked in light coloured clothing and
- wear bug spray
- to conduct tick checks on a daily basis.
If one is found, please get it off quickly as tick borne diseases can set in only after 24 hours or more of continuous attachment. See the attached sheets for more details.
Lyme Disease Presentation
Tick Information Sheet
Tick Check Poster
Bed Bugs: Bed bugs are biting insects that make their home indoors and bite while sleeping. At all our outdoor education centers we have a plan to ensure no active bed bug populations get established within our buildings. We also inform visiting teachers and students to put clothes and bedding through the dryer and bag it immediately to ensure to transportation of bed bugs to our centre. Any issues we have had in the past are very rare and have been addressed quickly and efficiently to not affect any visitors.
Bed Bug Poster