There is something special about late summer evenings. The air is cooler, the golden light lingers a little longer, and for many families, the countdown to a new school year is on.
Before the backpacks are packed and daily routines resume, GreenUP invites the community to gather and celebrate the season together at Ecology Park. On Thursday, August 27, GreenUP Ecology Park’s Family Night returns for the first time since 2019.
It may go without saying that the last seven years have changed the way many people spend time. While becoming more connected than ever through technology, both adults and children are increasingly disconnected from the natural world and, at times, from one another. Family Night is an opportunity to reconnect — with nature, with neighbours, and with simple joys like spending an evening outside in good company.
GreenUP Ecology Park has long been more than a collection of gardens and a local source for native plants. It’s also a public community space where children discover nature, volunteers help restore native plant species, and visitors are reminded that natural spaces can thrive in the heart of the city.
This year, Family Night will centre around the education shelter and extend around the five-acre park, with activities designed to help visitors (re)discover the area’s natural charm.
Throughout the 4 to 7 p.m. event, visitors of all ages can create nature crafts, tour the gardens, create giant bubbles, eat nourishing food, and enjoy face painting. Ecology Park program coordinator Jonathan Armstrong will be leading a guided tree tour, and there will be live entertainment featuring the Paddling Puppeteer, Glen Caradus.
“I am looking forward to performing at GreenUP Ecology Park,” Caradus says. “More than ever it’s so important for young and old to connect with the natural world around us, or what I call Peterborough’s ‘neighbourwood.'”
Caradus began volunteering at Ecology Park in 1994 and has been working on a new puppet show that he will debut on Family Night.
“My new puppet show, called Call of the Garden, is on that (neighbourwood) theme … a host of musical and colourful puppets turn an urban lot into a community garden,” he says.
At the close of the evening, participants will gather for the beloved lantern walk, carrying crafted lanterns along Ecology Park’s winding paths as dusk settles. It’s a simple tradition, yet one that has left a lasting impression on many who attended in years past.
The event also marks the end of a vibrant summer season at Ecology Park. Over the past four months, thousands of visitors have explored the gardens, volunteered, participated in Earth Adventures Camp or other educational programs, attended workshops, shopped at GreenUP Ecology Park Native Plant Nursery, or simply enjoyed a quiet walk through the urban oasis.
Family Night is GreenUP’s way of celebrating another wonderful year, while looking ahead to what’s next.
As GreenUP continues to cultivate Ecology Park as an environmental education destination, program staff are also reimagining how the community uses the space. Park features will continue to evolve through feedback and ideas from children and families on how they would like to spend time and interact with nature. After all, Ecology Park belongs to everyone.
Events like Family Night are a reminder that shared outdoor spaces matter. They offer opportunities to gather an intergenerational group, build connections, and foster a sense of belonging, all while deepening relationships with the natural world. In a time when so much of life feels busy and disconnected, those moments are worth celebrating.
All are welcome to GreenUP Ecology Park’s Family Night at 1899 Ashburnham Drive on Thursday, August 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. Parking is available at the Beavermead lot via Marsdale Drive. Enjoy a short walk, stroll, or roll along the Trans Canada Trail to reach the park. For more information and to RSVP, see the GreenUP event calendar at greenup.on.ca/event/ecology-park-family-night/.
