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One of NIWRA’s main goal is to educate the public about wildlife and environmental issues. Discover & Learn Immerse your class in an environment that promotes observation, inquiry, and critical thinking. School Visits 2025 Group Tour Update See our work in action! Video Archive Videos Youtube Channel Use our free K-12 classroom video, "Animals Among Us" to learn about Invasive Species and more! Watch the Free Video Free Resource Wildlife FAQs Animal in distress Litter kills wildlife Avoid rat poison Found a baby animal Unwanted pet turtles Click the bullet points below to find out some interesting information about wildlife: Birds attacked by cats Invasive species Responsible Sportsperson Wild 'n Free Articles BY SYLVIA CAMPBELL Learn about animal behaviour, habitat, adaptations, and more from local wildlife expert, Sylvia Campbell. Go to articles Black Bear Rehabilitation In 1997, NIWRA made the decision to construct and manage a bear program for Vancouver Island bears. A captive-bred bear named Knut came to the centre and helped us perfect the design and operation of our facility by teaching us about: the care and feeding of bears bears' hibernation habits how to mimic an environment in which bears can thrive the influence of human contact, known as imprinting, on animals Read More black-bear-programs Bear Cub Program When a bear arrives at our recovery centre it means something has gone terribly wrong in the wild. Each year, orphaned babies are brought to us, and although we are completely captivated by these adorable, helpless, little creatures, we also feel sadness at the death of their mother. Without its mother, a baby cub has no chance of survival in the wild. Read More Raptor Rehabilitation Thanks to our salmon streams and forests, BC's west coast is one of the few remaining strongholds for bald eagles since they provide good breeding grounds and a place to spend the winter. One of the greatest threats to the survival of BC eagles involves human activity, which can include: gunshot wounds collision with vehicles electrocution lead poisoning from ingesting lead pellets We are happy to report that NIWRA is able to rescue, rehabilitate, and release most of the 50 - 60 eagles brought to us each year. Read More

EDUCATION > School Visits Plan Your School Visit Step 1: Choose Your Tour Type General Guided 1 hr 30 min I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Self-Guided 1 hr 30 min I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Discover Bear 2 hr 30 min I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Discover Owl 2 hr 30 min I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Proceed to Step 2

~wildlife education~ In the dead of winter, most of us are lucky to have heated homes and warm clothes to keep us cozy, but how do wild animals survive in frigid conditions?   Photo credit: istock.com/   Byrdyak Many animals hibernate or go into “winter sleep”. During hibernation, an animal appears to be dead and its heart rate and body temperature and movements slow down.  Creatures like the jumping mouse, little brown bat, and some species of ground squirrels are true hibernators.   Hibernators have regular white fat and special brown fat around the animal’s brain, heart and lungs that sends a quick burst of energy to the vital organs to let the animal know when it’s time to wake up.   Bears do not actually hibernate; instead they go into torpor.  Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Bears, raccoons, and skunks are all "light hibernators" that use torpor to survive the winter.  What is unique about bears is that they may not eat, drink, urinate or defecate for up to six months during their winter sleep. Most B.C. black and brown bears den for four to six months every year, entering the den in November or December and emerging in March or April. However, Vancouver Island bears may sleep for a much shorter time as our climate tends to be more temperate.    During torpor, the animal can wake up quickly to avoid danger, defend its territory or if there is an opportunity to feed.   Hummingbirds and the little brown bat practice another type of hibernation -- they become dormant during the day to conserve energy.  They may not have consumed enough food to get through the day, so their systems just shut down.   Brumation is another form of becoming dormant; it is hibernation for reptiles and amphibians. Ectothermic or “cold-blooded” animals such as fish, frogs, snakes and turtles burrow themselves in the mud or under leaves and rocks in the winter. Insects find shelter in holes in the ground, under the bark of trees or inside rotting logs.   You can help wildlife in your garden by leaving leaves on the ground to provide coverage for small creatures. And a heated bird bath can be a vital source of drinking water.   You can learn more about wild animals by visiting the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~wildlife education~ Wild animals face calamity from many sources.  Injuries from motor vehicles, power lines, window strikes, cat or dog attacks, wildfires and deforestation, encroachment, hunting… the list goes on.      Photo credit: istock.com/ Santi Wiwatchaikul How do you know if an animal needs help? Here are some signs that an animal is sick or injured:   ·         There is blood, wounds or swelling on the body ·         It is vocalizing and/or following humans around ·         It has been attacked by a domestic cat ·         It has difficulty breathing ·         It has a dangling appendage ·         Its eyes are closed ·         Its head is tucked under a wing.   A good rule of thumb, if a wild animal allows you to walk up to them and pick them up, they are in need of medical attention. Catching injured wild birds or animals can be tricky but here are a few helpful pointers.  If you find a small, injured bird, carefully throw a towel or blanket over it.  Gently pick it up and take it to NIWRA or your local wildlife rehabilitation centre.  Some wounded mammals can be treated in the same way.  However, if you come across injured wildlife with dangerous teeth and talons, you should get some help and not try to deal with them alone.  The occasional brave soul has brought in bald eagles on their own to NIWRA, but that’s because there was no help around.    Keep rescued wildlife in a dark ventilated box away from human contact until you can get to the rehabilitation centre.  Stress can be harmful or even fatal to a wild animal.  The animal could die of a heart attack.  Gently covering the head with a towel should calm it down.  Do not put injured animals in the trunk of your car or leave them in an unventilated hot back seat.     It is stressful for an animal to be taken away from their own species or when improper handling or feeding techniques are used.    A stressed animal may exhibit behaviour such as struggling, screaming, or biting. Parasites will flourish on a stressed animal. Stress can make an animal go into shock and die, a syndrome known as Capture Myopathy .  When rescuing an injured animal, be gentle and do your best to keep it from becoming stressed.    You can help care for future generations of wild animals by leaving a legacy in your will to a rehabilitation centre like NIWRA. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~wildlife education~ Photo credit: istock.com/John  Kevin Millions of birds die each year in North America from collisions with windows. In Canada, estimates range from 16 to 42 million migratory birds killed annually. These collisions are primarily due to birds not recognizing glass as a barrier, whether it's transparent or reflective.   In the daytime, reflected light poses a severe threat to birds. Birds can see through glass and what is reflected on glass, but they cannot see the glass itself. At night, artificial light from buildings and cityscapes are dangerous for birds. Many species of birds migrate at night in the spring and the fall, using light from the moon, the stars, and the setting sun to navigate. The bright lights of our urban areas confuse these birds. Birds migrate in the fall between August 1 and November 15. If a bird strikes your window and is stunned, give it time to rest and heal. Gently pick up the bird and place it in a ventilated box or sturdy paper bag and keep it in a quiet area protected from prowling cats for up to one hour. Watch to see if the bird flies out, making sure it won’t be towards a window. If it does not fly out, call your local wildlife rehabilitation centre for advice. If a wing is drooping, you may want to bring the bird into the rehabilitation centre for care.    There are various things you can do to try to prevent window strikes at your home, cottage or business: apply decals or a tight spacing of dots to windows, hang streamers, or cover the whole window on the outside. One method that does not work is closing your curtains.  Bird proofing must be applied on the outside of the window. Window decals with UV reflecting properties which can be seen by birds but not by people may help reduce collisions. “Zen curtains” are closely spaced cords that hang down over windows. They do the work of tape or decals but are easier to install and can be aesthetically pleasing. One-way transparent film enables people on the inside to see out, but makes the window appear opaque on the outside. They can reduce the amount of light that comes into your window (and provide the benefit of reducing your cooling costs).   Many window decal options are available in the NIWRA gift shop. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website . Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!