The Mental And Educational Aspects Of The BC Wildlife Park

Educational Aspects

Wildlife parks provide a unique experience for travelers interested in both enjoying the outdoors and who value learning new information. Kamloops BC Wildlife Park allows visitors to observe British Columbia’s diverse species of wildlife, while expanding their knowledge on these various species. The park places a strong emphasis on education, as the park’s motto is, “conservation through education.” By means of offering educational opportunities for all ages with both on site and outreach programs the Park makes education accessible for everyone. The prevailing vision of the Wildlife Park is in the desire to foster themes of, “creating positive emotional connections to wildlife, experiencing the interconnectedness of nature, and emphasizing the importance and power of individual responsibility.” Some of the programs offered include virtual programs, kids camps, and a number of free learning resources. Furthermore, each enclosure comes with an informative plaque that provides an overview of the animal detailing aspect such as, diet, habitat, reproduction, habitat, and other fun facts. 

Help support a good cause: 

You can feel good about visiting BC Wildlife Park as you will be contributing to supporting the wellbeing of the many animals who inhabit the park. The park is a non-profit charity that is committed to rescuing and rehabilitating Canadian wildlife. 

Ways The Park Helps The Animals 

Animal Welfare:

The park strives to create the best possible environment for their animals and ensure their needs are being met. Ensuring well being includes, “proper housing, management, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, and humane handling.” Essentially, the park wished to see to it that its animals are, “free from pain, stress, or discomfort, [are] well nourished, comfortable, safe, and can perform natural behaviours.” 

Veterinary Services:

“The BC Wildlife Park’s Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre is a specialized hospital and rehabilitation facility dedicated not only to providing veterinary services for the resident animals of the BC Wildlife Park, but also to injured and orphaned wildlife in British Columbia.”

Conservation Initiatives:

“The BC Wildlife Park is involved in many Conservation Projects, including the Burrowing Owl Captive Breeding program, in partnership with the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society.”

Additionally, on the Parks webpage there is a spot for making donations, if you are further interested in providing support to the organization and its mission.

Mental Health Aspects

It has been said that traveling, especially within your community, has a tremendous positive impact on mental health.  This proved to be true when the creators of this blog went on a trip to test the theory at the BC Wildlife Park.  The BC Wildlife Park is located about 20 minutes outside of Kamloops heading east along the Trans-Canada Highway.  This wildlife park includes almost 200 rescued animals that are all native to BC and in the process of rehabilitation back to the wild.

Reducing Stress:

For students, affordable and easily accessible travel is primary, so, when deciding to visit the BC Wildlife Park we considered this and brainstormed the best time to go.  The beginning of mid-term exam week proved to be the best option.  We got to experience first hand the impact this trip had on every individual.  Spending an hour walking outside, breathing fresh air, and letting the worries of school slip away is incredible and highly recommended.  Being exposed to nature and wildlife up-close relieved pent up stress and anxiety which, for students, is a much needed travel criteria when heading into exam week.

The Rewarding Feeling:

Being a student, you carry much stress and accountability within your life.  Many students struggle with achieving a rewarding feeling in life and a sense of place in the world.  Visiting a place like the BC Wildlife Park grants you the feeling of not only giving back to your community, but also enriching the lives of every animal you get to see.  Because this park is a rehabilitation center all of the money you spend goes back to the animals in need and helps the park in rewilding these animals back into their natural habitat.  Knowing this while touring around the park offers every visitor a sense of reward and fulfillment which can boost mental health, especially for students!

Student Values:

While this travel option is enriching for the mind, it is also highly encouraged to better your physical health.  One of the most valued aspects of mental health is physical health, which many students lack due to workload and time limits.  By being outdoors and touring around the BC Wildlife Park you will be boosting your energy levels and stimulating your focus.  Surrounding yourself with positivity, fresh air, and nature will have a direct impact on your grades and overall life as a student!

Overall

As students, having the opportunity to visit such a beautiful and engaging place within our community was enriching to our minds and mental health.  For this reason and so many others, the creators of this blog highly recommended a trip to the BC Wildlife Park.  The rewards that come from this are a happy and healthy mindset towards every relationship and responsibility in your life, a new and enriching form of education, and a sense of belonging for any struggling student in and around Kamloops.