Be Bear Smart

In the fall, bears go into hibernation. When bears hibernate, they sleep in their dens. They do not eat or drink. Bears lose a lot of weight when they hibernate. So, they spend the summer eating. Why do bears like garbage? Most human food is calorie-dense. This means that a bear needs to eat only…

Pet parrots taught to make video calls

Parrots are special birds. They are very smart. They can copy sounds and talk. Parrots like to talk to other parrots. Parrots get lonely when they cannot talk to each other. Lonely parrots Some people keep parrots as pets. Because there are no other parrots to talk to, they get lonely. Sometimes they harm themselves….

Dogs in hot cars

In warm weather, cars and other vehicles heat up very fast. Pets can get very sick if left in a hot, parked vehicle. What happens to your dog in a hot car? Dogs cannot release heat by sweating like we do. Their body temperature rises much quicker than ours. Hot weather is worse for some…

Be Kind to Animals Month

May is Be Kind to Animals Month. It celebrates our love for animals and brings awareness to animal welfare. Being kind to animals includes taking care of your pets and treating local wildlife with respect. What if you find a wild animal? If you find a wild animal alone, sick or injured, they might need…

Make a bird feeder

  Birds have trouble finding food in the winter. You can help birds by making a bird feeder. Pine cones fall from pine trees in the fall and winter. You can use a pine cone to make a bird feeder. What you need:   pine cone string – 8 to 10 inches long peanut butter…

PNE and Playland

What is the PNE? The PNE is a fair. It is held at Hastings Park in Vancouver. Prime Minister Laurier opened the first PNE fair in 1910. The fair is open 17 days a year. It starts the third week in August and ends on Labour Day. Every summer, more than 900,000 people go to…

Rattlesnake gets a ride in sports car

In June, employees at a car dealership in Vancouver got a surprise. They found a snake in a Ferrari. The dealership called the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. Support Centre Helpline. “To our surprise, a photo determined it wasn’t a local Garter snake, but a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake,” Wildlife Rescue posted on Facebook. Employees had…

Frances likes to walk

Frances likes to go on long walks. She walks an average of 12 kilometres per day. We asked Frances why she likes walking. When did you take up walking?  When I was young, I worked on a farm.  I walked between the dairy farm and the sheep farm. It was 10 kilometres a day. Sometimes, I did it twice in a day. Why do you…

The Marine Detective

Jackie Hildering lives in Port McNeill on Northern Vancouver Island. She is the co-founder of the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS). She calls herself “The Marine Detective” because the ocean is full of mystery. Jackie taught biology in the Netherlands. Then, she did a whale watching trip at Telegraph Cove, BC. “It changed my…

Make a mason bee house

You can make a simple mason bee house. Use things you have around the house. What you need: Empty milk carton  Paper bags Tape measure or ruler Scissors Pencil What you do: Cut the top off the milk carton. Cut at an angle to make a roof for your house. Cut the paper bag into…

Bobcat rescued

A bobcat was on a railway track near Trail, BC. It was eating a duck. It was cold out. The bobcat’s back paws stuck to the frozen rail. Train workers saw the bobcat. The workers came to help. They tried to cover the bobcat with a coat. But it hissed and growled. It tried to…

Nietzsche the cat

Nietzsche was a famous cat. He lived in a bookstore in Chilliwack, BC. He died on February 22. He was 18 years old. Nietzsche was a stray. He was brought to a shelter. The shelter named him Peppin. He was adopted three different times. But each time, he was brought back. In 2008, he was…

Worm-picking

A worm picker is a worker who gathers worms. The worms are sold as live fish bait.  Worm-pickers work at night. They travel by trucks to different fields. They wear headlamps.  Each worm picker has two coffee cans strapped to their ankles. One is for worms. The other is filled with sawdust to dry off…

May and Ham

May and Ham are cats. They live in a barn in Maple Ridge. May and Ham live with goats and chickens. May and Ham help The barn has rats. The rats eat the goat and chicken food. May and Ham hunt the rats. They keep the food safe. Their owners give them lots of love….

Dogs in cars

Do you leave your dog in your car when you run errands? Summer weather can be dangerous for dogs. It can get hot inside a car very quickly, even when the windows are rolled down or the air conditioner is on. How hot can it get? Temperature rises quickly in cars, even when the car is in…

Protecting the eagles

A homeowner in French Creek wanted to cut down an old tree. Workers came to check the tree. They saw bald eagles making a nest. Don’t cut it down! People were worried about the birds. The eagles needed the tree for their nest. The Ministry of Forests and Lands put a sign around the tree….

Wanuskewin’s baby bison

A baby bison was born on Wanuskewin lands. She was born on Earth Day. She is the first baby bison to be born at Wanuskewin in over 150 years. Bison are special Bison are important to the local Indigenous peoples. The elders wanted to bring the bison back to their land. They wanted their children…

Finn and Traveller

Finn and Traveller are sniffer puppies. They work at Vancouver General Hospital. They started work on October 25, 2019. Sniffer puppies are trained to smell bacteria that makes people sick. They sniff for bacteria in hospital washrooms, hallways and waiting rooms. What is a sniffer puppy’s job? Sniffer puppies and dogs can smell the bacteria…

Polar bear on field

People saw a polar bear. They saw the bear in Churchill, Manitoba. They called for help. Two officers tried to catch the bear. The bear ran across a baseball field.   Everyone is safe The bear was caught. Everyone is safe. The bear was let go. It was let go away from town.   Watch…

Friendly Winston

Winston is a friendly dog. He is a mix of Labrador and golden retriever. He is two-and-a-half years old. Winston’s job Winston works at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC. What does Winston do? Winston greets guests at the hotel. He goes for walks with hotel guests. Too friendly to be a guide dog…

Ducklings need help

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Sometimes baby ducks are orphans. An orphan is a child without a parent. A baby duck is called a duckling. People find the orphaned ducklings. They take the ducklings to the Wildlife Rescue Association. The Association takes care of them. Read the PDF and do the exercise Ducklings need help…

Meet a cat for coffee

LEVEL 1 Come in. Drink a coffee. Pet the cats. Take one home. Meet the cats at the Catfé This café is in Vancouver. It’s called the Catfé. Michelle Furbacher owns the café. Michelle wants cats to live in the café. She wants people to come and enjoy the cats. Read the story and do…

Eagles flock to the dump

Level 2 “They are all over the place. I don’t think you’re going to see any other place with this many,” says Albert Shamess. Shamess is the director of waste management for the City of Vancouver. “Anything that sticks out of the ground has an eagle on top of it.” Sometimes a dozen or more…

The Great Bear Rainforest becomes a park!

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort LEVEL 2 The Great Bear Rainforest will become a park in the spring of 2016. People fought to make this area a park for over 20 years. It took 10 years to make a deal. The deal will protect the environment. It allows some logging and…

How old is a lobster?

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 1 Now scientists know the age of a lobster. They count the lobster’s rings. We do this with trees. We count the rings in the wood. Visit the link: Some interesting facts about lobsters for teachers Crustaceans, like lobsters and shrimp

The spirit bear

The Spirit Bear Adapted from CBC News by Nancy Carson Level 3 A creature of legend lives on the central coast of British Columbia. This is the only place in the world where it can be found! This creature is the Kermode Bear. It is also called the “Spirit Bear” or “Ghost Bear”.

Killer whale rescued from rocks

Killer whale rescued from rocks Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Level 2 On July 22, 2015, cries came from a young killer whale. The calf was caught on some rocks. She could not move. She was crying in pain. It was a hot day in Hartley Bay, B.C., a First Nations community 145 kilometres south of…

Bee B&B

Adapted from The Vancouver Courier by Nancy Carson Level 2 Travellers know that B&B means bed and breakfast. B&Bs are popular in many parts of the world. They are cheaper than big hotels. B&B rooms are in small hotels or in someone’s home. B&Bs usually do not offer other meals. You sleep, you have breakfast,…

Summer hazard – dogs in hot cars

Summer hazard: dogs in hot cars Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and the BC SPCA by Patti-Lea Ryan Edited by Nila Gopaul Level 3 The BC SPCA* reminds us that summer is here. This means that the weather is getting hot. Vehicles such as cars and vans heat up very fast in the summer. Your pet can…

Classical music calms cats

Classical music calms cats Adapted from the Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 3 Can our pets be affected by music? Research shows that classical music can calm cats and dogs. Music can also calm gorillas and elephants. Music and people We know that music affects humans in different ways. Yoga teachers play music with…

Herons return to Stanley Park

Adapted from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and The Province and The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul • Illustrations by Nola Johnston Level 2 In BC, people can see Great Blue Herons all year. Herons live on the coast. They also live in the southern part of B.C. The heron is a large bird: It is taller than many…

The Last Great Race

The Last Great Race Racing with sled dogs in Alaska Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 People remember the brave rescuers. And they remember their faithful dogs. Do you want to enter a race? This race is 1,609 km long. It lasts six to ten days or more. You will be…

Half-blind fish gets new eye

Half-blind fish gets new eye Half-blind fish fitted with fake eye at Vancouver Aquarium Adapted from CBC News by Nancy Carson Level 2 A copper rockfish lives at the Vancouver Aquarium. The fish is getting older. One of its eyes is blind. It looks weak and sick. Underwater bullying The other fish attack it. Dr. Martin Haulena…

Duke and Sophie are best friends

Level 1 Adapted from Castanet.net Duke lives on an organic farm near Armstrong, B.C. He is a big brown dog. He is five years old. The Quiring family owns the farm. They raise pigs and cows. Duke is the family’s pet. An interesting story A pig on their farm has babies. She has 12 baby…

Lucy the emu is found

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and Wikipedia by Patty Bossort Level 1 Lucy is an emu. An emu is a large bird. Emus do not fly. Lucy lives on a farm near Cassidy, BC. Lucy ran away from home. Lucy was gone several days. She walked about 20 km to Nanaimo. Searchers found Lucy at Vancouver…

David Booth kissed a grizzly bear

Adapted from The Province and The Vancouver Sun Level 1 David Booth plays hockey. He is a Vancouver Canuck. Booth went to Abbotsford. He visited Mark Dumas. Dumas trains animals. His animals are in movies. Dumas trained Billy. Billy is a grizzly bear. David Booth and Billy kissed. Billy weighs 600 pounds. He is a teenager. Dumas…

Bunnies run and jump

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Ridge is a rabbit. Rabbits are also called bunnies. Ridge is good at sports. He loves to run and jump. The bunnies jump and run in the Abbotsford Pet Lover Show. Children cheer for the bunnies at the show. Read the PDF and do the exercise Bunnies run and jump…

Sea otter recovers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Walter is a sea otter. He was found on the beach near Tofino. Someone shot Walter with a shotgun in October. He was shot many times. Read the PDF and do the exercise Sea Otter Watch the videos Watch sea otters swim and play at the Vancouver Aquarium. He…

Tinsel the bear cub

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Tinsel is a black bear cub. In December, he was 10 months old. He was starving to death. He weighed only 20 pounds. Tinsel found a chicken coop in Midway, BC. He moved in. Read the PDF and do the exercise Tinsel the Bear Visit the links Learn more about…

The world’s newest mammal – the olinguito

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and The Smithsonian Level 3 Researchers found a new mammal in South America. The new mammal is called an olinguito. Olinguitos are small. Their fur is reddish-brown. Olinguitos are cute! They have faces like teddy bears. They jump through the trees and travel at night. Olinguitos live in Ecuador and Columbia. They…

Snow geese

Adapted from The Province Level 3 Snow geese migrate over the coastal area in Delta, BC. They rest in the fields around Delta. Snow geese fly here from Wrangel Island. Wrangel Island is north of Siberia. They fly about 5,000 km each direction. They arrive at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta between the middle of…

Dolphins remember sounds for a long time

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Imagine an old friend calling you on the phone after 20 years. You have not heard this person’s voice in all that time. Could you recognize him or her just by the sound of their voice? A dolphin could. Every dolphin has a name. The name is a special…

Thousands of crows gather in Burnaby

Adapted from The Province Level 2 In Burnaby, thousands of crows gather. Watchers say that 3,000 to 5,000 crows gather here every night. They stay for the whole night from sundown to sunrise. You can see them at Still Creek at the corner of Willlingdon Avenue and Highway 1. They gather here every evening during the…

Young eagle rescued

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 A young eagle was hurt. She was caught on a tree branch. The cottonwood tree was 25-metres tall. Gordon Sasa climbed the tree. He put the eagle in a net. Read the PDF. Young eagle rescued-PDF

The Great Blue Heron

Adapted from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and The Province Illustrations by Nola Johnston Level 2 May 2011 In BC, people can see Great Blue Herons all year. Herons live on the coast. They also live in the southern part of B.C. The heron is a large bird: It is taller than many 8-year-old children….

Injured bird gets a peg leg

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 1 Rare birds are living near a golf course in Richmond. The birds are called sandhill cranes. About 12 are in Richmond, Delta and Pitt Meadows. Years ago, many cranes lived in those places. But humans now have homes there. The cranes are losing their habitat. Visit…

Lonely elephant tries to “talk”

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Koshik is an Asian elephant. He can imitate or copy human speech. He puts his trunk in his mouth. Then he mimics the sounds he hears. These words are in the Korean language. Koshik lives in a park in Korea. And Koshik’s trainer is Korean. Visit the links:…

Are winter snacks killing birds?

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Bird feeders are not a good idea. Other animals eat the food, also. Squirrels can climb into them. Rats and coyotes can eat the food that falls out. Bears like bird seed, too. Visit the links: Greening the desert (permaculture) Youtube Solving all the world’s problems – in…

Nunavut’s first guide dog

Adapted from CBC Radio and information courtesy of B.C. Guide Dog Services and Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Level 1 Noah Papatsie is a very happy man. He lives in Nunavut in northern Canada. Noah has a beautiful new dog. The dog’s name is Xeno. Xeno is a guide dog. Guide dogs help people…

Pikas are tiny farmers

Written by Alice Weber – Glacier National Park Level 1 What is a pika? Pikas are part of the rabbit family. They are the size of a very large mouse. Their ears are big and round. Their legs are short and their tails are very small. Pikas like rocks Pikas live in rock piles in…