Educational Programs

Educate & Inspire

Offer your students a unique educational experience that will stay with them for years to come. Whether you teach Science 1 or Biology 11, your students will benefit from our animal school presentations. Nature documentaries are informative and wonderful, but meeting a six-foot boa and watching a ferret in real time brings home the magic of these creatures. Students who take part in our programs feel awe and gain a deep respect for the animals while cementing the concepts in the curriculum for life, rather than remembering them for a test. 

We bring approximately 10 to 12 animals as living examples of concepts such as adaptation, defense, reptile vs mammals, insect vs reptile, and so much more. So much more memorable than reading, watching a video or listening to a lecture.

A well-paced hour of dynamic learning

In a one hour animal presentation for kids, your students will learn grade appropriate material and see the animals in action/see the lessons in action as one of our animal educators guide them through a live exotic animal presentation, interactive activities, and answer their questions. You will receive an activity booklet with information about the rescued exotic animals we bring, games, puzzles, and colouring that you can photocopy and use in the classroom as follow up to the rescued animal program we deliver. 

Your class will also receive a 3 month sponsorship of one of the rescued animals at our facility along with a certificate you can display as a reminder of the experience and your sponsorship. We will add your school name to the animals’ enclosure at our facility for all to see.

If you have additional requests outside of the curriculum based teaching, let us know. We would love to tailor the experience to your and your students’ interests, whether rain forest animals, nocturnal animals, particular animal families, habitats, adaptations and more.

The Urban Safari Rescue Society has been teaching children for over 10 years about the vast biodiversity of our world, bringing exotic animals such as insects, arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals into the classroom. 

Our presentations focus on the BC Curriculum – Big Ideas and Content Connections. Here are the areas of the curriculum we focus on for each grade:

Kindergarten Science: Animals have observable features – basic needs of animals

Science 1: Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment – behavioural adaptations of animals.

Science 2: All things have a life cycle – metamorphic and non-metamorphic life cycles of different organisms

Science 3: Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems

Science 4: All living things, and their environment, are interdependent organisms in ecosystems and sense and respond to their environment

Science 5: Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment

Science 6: Multicellular organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment

Science 7: Explanation for the diversity and survival of living things – survival needs and interactions between organisms and the environment

Biology 11: All organisms have characteristics that define them as living and interdependent. Life can be organized in a functional and structural hierarchy ranging from cells to the biosphere; living things are interdependent; living things are diverse and evolve over time.

The theme of the Urban Safari Rescue Society and our animal education programs is that animals of all descriptions deserve respect and are important as the biological platform for all higher forms of life, including humans. The presentation also emphasizes the pitfalls of keeping exotic pets.

Pricing for 1 hour presentation:

Aldergrove to North Vancouver: $260 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $220 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

Abbotsford: $275 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $235 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

Chilliwack, Mission, Agazzis: $295 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $255 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

Hope: $335 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $295 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

West Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay, Lions Bay, Furry Creek: $290 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $250 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

Whistler: $390 + .35¢ per km + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $335 each + .35¢ per km + GST)

Squamish, Bowen Island: $330 + .35¢ per km + Ferry Fee + GST (multiple presentations the same day, same location: $290 each + .35¢ per km + Ferry Fee + GST)

Please note:  a $75 non-refundable deposit is required to book which will be subtracted from the final invoice. 

We have been successfully providing live animal education programs for over 10 years and are fully insured and permitted by the Department of Fish & Wildlife. Our Nature Club and Camp leaders and presentors have had criminal record checks by the RCMP.

EASTERN BOX TURTLE

Voted the cutest turtle at our rescue with its vivid orange and yellow markings and its ability to shut the front and back of its shell. This clever trick confuses predators, but they don’t gain the ability to hide like that until they are about five years old. Every time they do it at a party or presentation, they get squeals and giggles from kids and adults alike, so we always try to bring one along with us. Although they are active during the day, they like to find a quiet shady spot to relax during the hottest part of the day. Mostly found in the US and Mexico, they outlive many of their human neighbours, living up to 100 years in the wild.

Tomato Frog

Hedgehog

Red Tail Boa

Maya is an audience favourite. At 6 feet long, she is longer than most people are tall. She is majestic, strong and has a gentle personality. Rather than fearing her, meet her and revere her ability to open her loosely hinged jaw in order to eat prey three times as large as her head! Unfortunately, during the winter she stays at Urban Rescue as she is very sensitive to cold. She is used to the warmer climates of Central and South America… all the way to Peru.

Iguana

Mexican Red Knee Tarantula

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… Many of our students do not have the opportunity to have a pet but like all kids seem to love animals… Your interactive presentation literally brings their natural curiosity alive. You have a great collection, a well thought out presentation and a great way with the students.

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Thank you so much for the wonderful informative presentation today! My class loved all the animals. The ladies were kind and interesting! I was so impressed with the variety of animals and quality of presenter. I will be recommending this presentation to all my teacher friends!!!

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Jeanette S.
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The animals were amazing and we couldn’t get enough of them.  The instructors were really engaging and did such a fabulous job giving lots of great information, but also key concepts for a grade one level.  This was a wonderful complement to our animal adaptations unit. 

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J. Korchinski
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... Please consider this letter an overwhelming endorsement of your program. I am pleased to highly recommend your company for any engagements where people of all ages are interested in learning more about the animal world through a caring and educational presentation…

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Safarik
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….. all forms of education are necessary and important, it appears this program has encouraged a type of learning which often does not happen with traditional educational programs

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Sheila R.