Books

These are just a few suggestions of books that can be helpful when going outdoors or teaching kids about nature.  They range from guide books for species identification, general information books as well as activity books that are fun and interesting.  Included are some of the ISBN numbers to make them easier to find.

Both of these books can be found online:

• Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Lone Pine (ISBN 1-55105-530-9)
• Whelks to Whales – Coastal Marine Life of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska (ISBN - 10:1550171836)

Both of these books were formerly Sharing the Joy of Nature.  A lot of the ideas that were used in this booklet came from these two sources:

• Sharing Nature With Children – Joseph Cornell (ISBN – 1-83220-73-4)
• Sharing Nature With Children II – Joseph Cornell (ISBN – 1-883220-87-4)
• Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method: More Than 100 Hands-On Science Experiments for Children (Paperback) - Sally Kneidel (ISBN-10: 1555911188)

Classic children’s literature can be great:

• Wind in the Willows –  Kenneth Graham
• Winnie the Pooh books -  A A Milne (You can also find really interesting editions that have large colour illustrations)

Here are some general identification guides for hiking or walking, etc:

• Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Nancy Baron and John Acorn (ISBN-10: 155105082X)
• Butterflies of British Columbia by John Acorn and Ian Sheldon (ISBN-10: 1551051133)
• Bugs of British Columbia by John Acorn and Ian Sheldon (ISBN-10: 1551052318)

Golden Guide does some neat small books that usually cost about 7 dollars and are filled with tons of information:

• Insects: Revised and Updated - Herbert S. Zim
• Pond Life: Revised and Updated - George K. Reid
• Birds - Herbert S. Zim
• Trees: Revised and Updated - Herbert S. Zim
• Wildflowers - Herbert S. Zim
• Seashore Life - Herbert S. Zim

Websites

• http://www.gettoknow.ca/
• An interesting coloring book called High Tide, Low Tide
• A great website for sources for information on topics such as marine animal life cycles, along with brochures and information on classroom incubation programs.
• The CVRD Parks website is a great resource for finding out where parks are, information on volunteering, and trail master plans.
• An assortment of children’s songs that can be helpful in any situation.
• The hug a tree program for all ages (they do have different programs for younger and older children specifically).  This teaches them what to do if they get lost in the forest and tips that they can use to stay safe if anything happens.
• The homepage for the Nature House at Goldstream Park outlines which activities are available at different times of the year.
• Many children's resources can be found at:  www.cowichankids.ca
• The government site on Frog Watch that outlines information about invasive species as well as regulations pertaining to the capture of things like frogs and tadpoles as well as how you can help to prevent and communicate the movement of invasive amphibian species in your area.
• The website for the BC Forest Discovery Centre offers information on who they are, what they do, and then their prices as well as hours of operation.
• This is a link to information on the Young Naturalists Club and Stream Keepers in the Cowichan Valley. It has information on how to sign up and when the meetings are held.
• Here is a wildlife colouring book that is fun for kids to fill out.
• This is a link to the Municipality of North Cowichan Forest Reserve Brochures and Maps.  They give directions to the different areas and information on why they may be interesting.
• The BC Marine Mammal Response Network can be contacted at: 1 800 465 4336