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Community Day

Dalhousie's tiger and ram mascots pose for a photo with a group of children.
Two guests smile holding ice cream cones at Community Day held at Dal's Agricultural Campus.
A black garden sign reads 'This way to the animals'.
this way to the animals sign

Activities

AC grads, stop by the alumni tent to say hi, get your Proud Aggie sticker and enter to win a basket full of delicious alumni-made products! Location: Cumming Hall

Come see our student-run vegetable (and cut flower) farmers.  These students are putting their theory to practice, learning to become sustainable future farmers, and are providing top-quality local veggies for sale in Bible Hill! Location: Cumming Hall tent

Come explore how residence brings the world home! Here you can explore the world map and see where our staff are from and leave your mark on the world too. We will have lawn games and temporary tattoos as well Location: Residence Horseshoe

All ages colouring booth for campus visitors Location: Cumming Hall

Dairy Building: Community Day Dunk Tank in support of the Colchester Food Bank – Dairy building parking lot.  Cash or e-transfer available.  Balls are $5 each or 3 for $10.  Donations of five items for the food bank accepted in lieu of cash.

The Bubble Barn is back! – Be sure to bring a towel and a change of clothes for the little ones; It is a fun and wet time. Slip and slide down a foam-covered hill Location: Outside the SLC

Cool off with a free Chapman’s lollys supplied by Superstore on Elm street. Location: Learning Commons

Come learn about some of the wonderful insects that can be found locally! Bring in mystery insects (specimens or photos) for identification by our team. Try your hand at games about insect camouflage and get excited about the incredible biodiversity of insects that can be found all around us! Location Cox Institute room 277

Unlocking the secrets of soil. Find out how beneficial microbes enhance soil health and resilience, promoting sustainable agriculture. Location Cox Institute room 255

Follow your nose to our Food Lab and enjoy fresh-popped popcorn!  Play our seed matching game and win a prize! Location: Food Lab Cox 275

The Truro Start Science program is proud to partner with SuperNOVA for a hands-on activity! Dive into ocean science as participants learn all about whales, from exploring whale bones to experimenting with different feeding techniques! Location: Cox 251

Visit the Computer Science booth located outside Cox room 251 and experience wearable technology along with educational hardware boards for programming circuit designs. Location: Cox Institute

Come visit the Business and Social Sciences Department and learn how foods get from farm to table, make your own buttons or just take a break in our children’s play area. Visit our cricket tasting booth! Location: Top of centre stairs, Cox Institute and Cox 274

Discover the future of farming with our vertical farming-hydroponics unit! Explore a wide collection of tropical plants from our research, examine fascinating microbial culture plates, and take-home cuttings of Jamaican thyme and other seedlings. Join us for an engaging experience in sustainable agriculture! Location: Header House

Join young agricultural researchers from the Canadian Society of Horticulture Science and take some plants home!  Location: Header House

The campus Bookstore is open 10-2 during Community Day. Location: Cox Institute

The Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture team has tons of fun resources and activities for the whole family! Learn all about cover crops, pollinators and soil while witnessing dung beetle burrows in action with the Living Labs research project team. Our from “Apples to Apple Pie” displays a wide variety of careers in agriculture and what it takes to make the whole system work! We will also have tons of fun Meet Your Farmer activities for kids including a butter-making demo! Location: Cox Institute

Come to the Langille Centre for all your fitness needs!  Whether it's working out on our brand-new equipment or playing some sports on our indoor courts, the Langille Centre has what you need.  Come in for a tour and to cool off.  Community memberships available. Location: Langille Athletic Centr

Did you know some plants do not need soil to grow?  Come to our tropical greenhouse and see a large selection of tropical, succulent, orchid and epiphytic plants just hanging around the greenhouse. It also houses a small water feature surrounded by desert cacti. Location: Collins Greenhouse

Visit our Landscape Studio and view a display of vertical plants.  Check out our landscape architecture student works and studio spaces. Location: Extension Engineering Building, 20 Rock Garden Road.

Leave your mark in your community and spread kindness by visiting Extended Learning’s booth and participate in rock painting! Come explore careers in agriculture & agri-food and learn about opportunities to broaden your horizon through Extended Learning! Location: Upper parking lot Haley

Atlantic Equine Symposium: Get up close and personal with a life size replica of an equine gastrointestinal track illustrating the amazing complexity and workings of the equine digestive system. Location: Haley Foyer

Intertidal touch tank supplied by Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, visit our photobooth and catch your own fish with our fishing game. Location: Outside upper Haley entrance

Did you know we also farm the sea? View our fish displays with underwater cameras, visit sea monkeys of all shapes and sizes. Check out our wave tank and interactive demonstrations of the hazards of coastal erosion Location: Haley 1st floor corridor

Watershed mapping using unique interactive map from Canadian Geographic

Can you tell the difference between Farmed Atlantic salmon fillets vs. fillets of wild salmon species: Find the differences!

A day in the life: Vet Tech photo booth.  Calling all future vets and vet techs! Visit different vet and lab stations, dress up and have your picture taken. Location: Haley 116

Visit the farm and see all the animals who call campus home including cows, sheep, baby chicks and Lucy the barn cat.  Casey the Talking Tractor is all around.   Want to know how we feed all our animals?  Check out our Feed Mill Location: Farm complex

Meet Chloe the Cow and learn how to milk the old-fashioned way and play our diary matching game

Check out Baron’s Pride stable.  Meet our horses and paint your own horseshoe.

Ever wonder how engineers create prosthetic body parts? Dive into the world of biomechanics and engineering by building your very own paper bionic hand. Discover the amazing applications of technology in biomedical engineering Location: Banting Building

Precision and Digital Agriculture Equipment Showcase.  See how machine learning, systems thinking, and automation are improving tractors, harvesters and other farm and commercialized equipment. Featuring Agricultural Mechanized Systems and Applied Intelligent Engineering Systems Research Groups. Location: Banting Building

The Biofluids and Biosystems Modelling Lab members identify the causes of algae blooms in local waters to minimize the effect of toxic algae on human and animal health. Students will be on hand to highlight their projects and talk about the impacts. Location: Banting Building

The Innovative Waste Management Research Group will have displays and activities on the impact of waste materials on the environment. Students and faculty will highlight how everyday actions can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food waste and other organic materials. They will also be showcasing skeleton and interactive displays from a Blue Whale and North Atlantic Right Whale that were part of a marine conservation and education project through Dalhousie University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Location: Banting Building

The Sustainable Nanoengineering Lab will have students and faculty available to chat about advanced nanoengineering of materials and how this plays a key role in achieving Net-Zero emissions. Location: Banting Building

PEI Potato Board: Try our Potato virtual reality experience with goggles and media. Pop-up banners, information pamphlets about the industry, handouts. They may bring their mascot Tate, but this isn't confirmed as he's a bit bigger to transport. Location: Banting Building

Take a trip around the world, put your skills to the test to win prizes! Start your global adventure at the Barley Arch entrance to pick up your passport, and then set-off on your journey to Dominica, South Africa, Kenya, the Philippines, and the UK! Be sure to stop in for some free snacks and to learn about how Dal AC International can take you around the world! Location: Alumni Gardens

Campus maps for community day

FAQs

What time does Community Day start?

  • Community Day runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm 

Will we be able to see any animals?

  • Yes! The Farm will be accessible to all.

What types of things will we see at the event?

  • We will have hands-on interactive exhibits, cold treats, live music, scheduled events with demonstrations and more!

Where can we park?

  • Most of our attractions are within a reasonable walking distance. We invite you to park in any of our available lots on campus. A volunteer will be ready to greet you in each parking lot across campus, provide you with a map for the day and direct you to your first station.  

What happens if it rains?

  • Community Day happens rain or shine! You just have to decide if you should strap on those rubber boots or pack the sunscreen and sun hats. Either way, come!

What kinds of things should I/we bring?

  • We suggest bringing a water bottle to refill, sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes! If you will be using the Bubble Barn a change of clothes and a towel

Is there food at the event?

  • Yes! We have an onsite BBQ for purchasing food, such as burgers, hotdogs, chicken on a bun, drinks and other snacks. Cash, credit and debit accepted.

Do you have a question that hasn’t been answered here or do you need some extra detail? Send Stephanie a question now.