Critter Camp 2014

The Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley held a week long camp for kids July 14-18 where they got to meet various animals and learn how they can be better human beings not just towards animals, but to each other and to the planet. Put together by Lynn Hildebrand, Humane Education teacher and a group comprised of teachers, parents and community volunteers, the Critter Camp provided activities that fostered the four components of humane education set by co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, Zoe Weil in the book The Power and Promise of Humane Education (2004) including: - providing information on current challenges of the times and how it affects animals, people and the planet - foster curiosity, creativity and critical thinking - instill reverence, respect and responsibility - offer positive choices and tools for problem solving These activities allowed the kids to showcase their creativity while also help teaching them how to follow instructions as well as being kind and respectful in helping others complete the activities. Some highlights from the week: - A presentation on bugs from the San Bernardino County Museum - Lucky, a 3-legged dog - Therapy/service animals including Rumor a dog that can help detect low blood sugar levels by licking a persons' hand - The world of miniature horses - Jasper the therapy Alpaca as well as crafting with alpaca fur - A "Wonders of Wildlife" presentation where they got to see snakes, lizards, and a possum among other wildlife - Crafts, journal writing and a tour around the Humane society facilities and some of the different jobs associated with them. Paul Minert, a six-year volunteer said, "There are no two years that are the same." He along with other volunteers like Jacinta Valdez, a 22-year volunteer, teacher and parent, agreed that the camp allows for the children to learn more about how to treat animals out there as well as help them understand the importance of treating animals and humans alike with kindness and respect. The kids were excited about many of the presenters that came to visit throughout the week. When Lisa Medina, a volunteer, therapy/service dog owner and part of the Pet Partners Organization, brought in her dogs Rumor and Haylee Sue, the kids were introduced to the world of therapy and service animals and how they can help in every day activities. Medina said they go and visit hospitals, rehab centers, and schools in the San Bernardino Unified School District, educating people on the works of therapy animals. She even demonstrated how Rumor can detect low blood sugar levels by having her lick the kids hands and then licking Medina's hand. Sure enough Rumor was all over Medina, indicating that she had low blood sugar. When Medina checked her levels, it turned out to be very low. Another favorite was Kaylynn Turner and her 3-year-old Alpaca, Jasper. As a registered therapy animal, Jasper visits Hospice patients, goes to senior centers and physical therapy centers, as well as visit schools from time to time. The miniature horses were also a favorite among the kids, as they got to learn more about miniature horses, how to tell the difference between a miniature horse and a pony, and other fun facts. They also got to take plenty of photos with them. To end the week-long camp, the kids were introduced to snakes, lizards, and other wildlife brought by Cheryl Rendes. Hildebrand was truly amazed by the love and compassion the kids bestowed throughout the week. When Turner told the group that she, along with the help of Jasper, was raising money to get a wheel chair accessible swing put in a park in the city of Wildomar as part of a philanthropy project, the parents/volunteers started collecting money, and soon the kids caught on and were coming up giving whatever they could get to give to Turner. "It brought tears to my eyes," Hildebrand later mentioned, stating that the kids demonstrated the value of "random acts of kindness" and becoming "a seeker of solutions" which they then will hopefully use once camp is over. The volunteers also had a blast all week as they got to watch how excited the children were upon seeing the different animals and their special abilities. Recent addition to the volunteer family, 15-year-old Marisol Garcia, loved meeting Lucky the three-legged dog and stated that seeing all the different animals was a definite highlight of the camp. This Critter Camp had it all, animal presentations, camp songs, vegan snacks served family-style, crafting and other fun activities. The kids learned the concept of being "choice-makers and change-makers" as well as being the "Power of One", an idea that came up in a 2002 Time Magazine article on Jane Goodall. Kids were given the opportunity to show appreciation and kindness towards others through helping other students with projects, cleaning up their table after snack time, or writing thank you cards to the presenters.