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May 2022
 Do you know the number one animal helped by the staff at Wild ARC? Birds! The spring issue of Bark! magazine is bursting with creative ways to help our flying friends this spring. Learn some baby bird basics, how to make a DIY nest helper, different ways to prevent window collisions and MORE.
This issue also features young animal heroes who have shown us that it’s always cool to be kind! From holding pet food drives to assist those affected by devastating floods, to getting creative with community compost runs and climbing the Coquitlam Crunch all to raise funds to assist those in need, youth are soaring high in the name of kindness this year.
Plus, show your students their voices matter. Head to page 7 to find out why we’re thanking Georgia and Kiele for helping us take a big step forward in reducing our plastic footprint. Perhaps your students will be inspired to make change, too. This spring, let kindness take flight!
Also in this issue: Kindness Bingo! And now you can download our free printable to hand out to your students.
If you are a teacher in B.C., request a free hard copy class set by emailing education@spca.bc.ca. Please include your school, grade and number of students.
 May is Be Kind to Animals Month. It’s also the perfect month to engage students in nature studies, both as a way of getting out to enjoy warmer days and also to encourage mindful appreciation of the plants and animals around us.
This simple but fun project uses recycling material with some basic craft supplies to create a personal nature journal. To take it to the next step, students can also create a custom checklist of birds to look for in your own area. Visit Explore – eBird Canada and enter your region, and the website will generate a list of birds in the area! Look at the menu on the left side and click “Printable Checklist.” Students can then print and cut up the checklist to glue into their journals for reference.
The website and app iNaturalist is another amazing resource to help students build a list of what they want to include in their journals. Whether they are into bugs or fungi, reptiles or arachnids, they can find a list and become citizen scientists on their favourite topic. Nature journals can also be used to just sit quietly and create a sound map, the ultimate mindful nature activity.
The Sockeye Mother
Written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett David Hudson), illustrated by Natasha Donovan
Reading Level: Grades 4-7
This artfully illustrated book is an exploration of the interconnectedness between animals, the natural landscape and its people. The author shares the cultural lens of the Gitxsan, describing the life cycle of the sockeye salmon and its significance to the people of the Pacific Northwest Interior. We are guided through the seasons as we follow the Sockeye Mother’s life cycle down the Xsan (Skeena) river to reach the ocean, through to her later return upstream to the spawning grounds where she experiences a “replenishing death.” With the increasing decline of salmon habitat in British Columbia, the knowledge this book shares is of particular current significance. Throughout the book, Gitxsan terms for places, seasons and animals are accompanied by English translations, allowing the reader to glimpse how the Gitxsan language is closely connected to the natural world.
Read more reviews of our recommended books.
 In December 2019, four adult dogs and 17 puppies were rescued when a concerned citizen contacted the BC SPCA about their living conditions. One of those adult dogs was Koa. She was pregnant at the time, giving birth to six puppies just 10 days after arriving at the Kelowna SPCA. Branch manager Sean Hogan describes Koa as a “great mom” who cared for her pups until they were old enough to be adopted. Eventually, she found a forever home of her own – the last husky to be adopted.
Two years later, we are pleased to share that Koa is thriving. Her family includes two other dogs as well as two cats. She is especially bonded with her Astra, a St. Bernard mastiff cross who Koa likes to “mother.” Her guardian, Clara, says she has taken time to learn to trust people, but has come a long way and now lets people pet her and lift her up.
Clara says, “Koa is just the strongest dog. She proves to everyone that you can be living the worst time of your life but if you just keep moving forward you can get out of it.”
Read more about Koa and other BC SPCA news here.
 Would you like to be the voice of the BC SPCA in your school? We are looking to connect with a teacher in every school in the province to share information about new lessons, student opportunities and more. If you would like to be the teacher contact for your school, email us.
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The BC SPCA has classroom resources for grades K-7. The lessons integrate animal issues and information into existing provincial learning outcomes.
Click on a lesson plan below to learn more.
Kindness counts
(Primary)
Bite free
(Primary/intermediate)
Making the right choice
(Intermediate)
You can make a difference
(Intermediate)
The farm-food connection
(Intermediate)
Cats in the community
(Intermediate)
Including animals in social justice
(Intermediate/Secondary)
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