Big Worries, Strong Spirit is a no-cost telephone and computer-based support program for BC parents/caregivers whose children (aged three to 12) are experiencing mild to moderate worries or anxiety. Most of the professional team are Indigenous and provide support using Indigenous perspectives along with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

welcome.cmhacptk.ca

Children with diverse needs, encompassing physical, emotional and cognitive challenges, require a robust support network to help them navigate their unique journeys and unlock their full potential in all aspects of living. Let’s explore the crucial roles played by the various individuals and groups needed to create an inclusive environment for children with diverse needs.

Immediate Family

Parents and any family members who are around the child regularly serve as the cornerstone of a child’s support system. Their understanding, advocacy and bonded love form the foundation for the child’s well-being. By actively participating in identifying their child’s needs, collaborating with educators and ensuring a supportive home environment, parents contribute significantly to fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Friends and Community

Friends within the school and neighbourhood communities all contribute to creating an inclusive environment where children with diverse needs feel accepted and supported. These relationships foster connections that go beyond differences, promoting a culture of empathy, inclusion and support.

Teachers and Special Education Professionals

Educators, including classroom teachers, educational assistants (EAs) and special education professionals, play a pivotal role in the academic development of children with diverse needs. Inclusive teaching practices, individualized education plans (IEPs) and tailored lesson plans are essential components of their approach. By collaborating with parents and other professionals on the child’s support team, educators create an environment where every child can thrive both academically and socially.

Healthcare Professionals

Family doctors, pediatricians, therapists and other healthcare professionals contribute to the support network by providing vital medical assessments, therapies and guidance. Regular check-ups, early interventions and ongoing communication between all healthcare providers and parents are crucial for addressing physical and developmental challenges, ensuring the child’s overall well-being.

Psychologists and Counselors

Mental health professionals, such as psychologists and counselors, contribute significantly to the support network by addressing emotional and behavioral well-being. Whether working directly with the child or providing guidance to parents and teachers, mental health professionals contribute to creating a supportive environment that nurtures the child.

Speech Therapists

Speech therapists play a critical role in supporting children with diverse needs by addressing any communication challenges. They help children develop and enhance their communication skills, enabling effective interaction with their peers and educators. Speech therapists collaborate with educators and parents to integrate strategies that foster communication development within the child’s overall educational plan.

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists bring a unique perspective to the support network, focusing on enabling a child’s ability to participate in their daily activities. They address sensory and motor challenges, among other barriers, helping children develop essential life skills and support the child’s independence and well-being.

Specialized Instructors

Other specialized instructors, such as behaviour specialists or learning support coaches provide targeted assistance to address specific challenges the child may have. Their expertise enhances the child’s learning experience by offering specific interventions and strategies to overcome obstacles and create a sense of accomplishment.

Adaptive Technology Specialists

Professionals specializing in adaptive technologies play a vital role by implementing technological tools and devices that enhance accessibility and independence for a child. From customized learning tools to communication devices, these specialists contribute to creating an accommodating, inclusive learning environment.

Community Organizations

Local community organizations focused on support groups for families along with recreational activities geared towards diverse needs contribute additional resources to the support network. These organizations provide a sense of community, offering both practical assistance and emotional support for children and their families.

Advocacy Groups

Advocacy groups, both at the local and national levels in BC, play a crucial role in promoting inclusive policies, raising awareness and supporting the rights of individuals with diverse needs. For children needing more support with equal access to education within the public school system, advocacy is also available through the district and provincial Parent Advisory Council levels in BC.

Government Services

Government agencies and other policymakers are instrumental in creating and implementing inclusive policies that guarantee equal access to education, healthcare, and all other essential services.

This can be an incredibly difficult question for parents of children with special needs or a disability to answer.

After a diagnosis, parents require time to process the information, learn about their child’s challenges and reach out to the professionals who can help them.

However, parent often don’t even talk to their children about the information they have learned.

Your child’s challenges are a part of their identity. Their disability effects how they live life day-to-day. They deserve to be part of the conversation.

Although it is important to be thoughtful about how you discuss their special needs with your child, it is crucial that you discuss it.

Learning about their challenges will help reduce feelings of shame, embarrassment or confusion about their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Here are some pointers on how to talk to your child about their special needs:

Getting started

A good way to broach the subject is to read a book together about a child with special needs. Some great options include It’s OK To Be Different by Todd Parr, Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts by Julia Cook and Don’t Call Me Special by Pat Thomas.

Books are a great way to start the conversation and find parallels between the characters and your child. Try asking them some questions about the struggles the kids in the book face and whether they have ever felt that way. How did the character seek help? What steps did they take? What did they learn?

Talk about uniqueness

Books are also a great way to open the conversation about the fact that everyone is different—not just those with disabilities. Starting the discussion in this vein can help children feel less isolated and “weird.”

Let them know that everyone has strengths and challenges. Talk about the things you find tricky and tell them it is okay to ask for help when something is difficult for them. Share a success story about the time you reached out for assistance.

Then, point out the things they do incredibly well. We all thrive on positive feedback and knowing they are good at something can sometimes give a child the self-confidence boost they need to overcome a struggle.

Be honest

As parents, we have an innate instinct to protect our children. This can translate to keeping certain aspects of their disability from them. However, being as open and honest as you can with your children will help them process the information and give them the tools they need to talk about their challenges with others. This can help them to advocate for themselves when you are not around, in settings like school.

Make sure you use age-appropriate language and if they ask you something that you don’t know the answer to, be honest about that and work together to find the answer.

Ongoing conversation

As you probably know, trying to learn everything about your child’s disability can be overwhelming. It is best to introduce the topic to your child in a gradual way with small bits of information.

Their challenges will also change and evolve over time, so it is important that you leave the door open to discussion. Let your child know that they can come to you and ask any questions they have about what they are going through.

As they get older, they will be able to understand more about their condition and learn to use more advanced tools to help them cope.

Things to avoid

It is just as important to know what not to say and do when talking to your child about their disability.

Avoid long, complicated conversations with a lot of medical or technical jargon. Although their condition or diagnosis may be very involved, it is important to talk about their challenges as they relate to their daily lives.

Keep conversations simple like, “It is hard for you to sit still for a long period of time, so we are going to use this wiggle seat to help you focus.”

More than anything you want to be there for them to answer their questions, rather than inundating them with too much information and overwhelming them.

Also try to limit the amount of negativity you use when describing their disability. Try to focus on their strengths as much as possible and let them know that you are here to help them solve the problems they are facing. Give them some ownership and let them help come up with solutions as well. Ask them what would help them. We all know kids are more willing to try something when it is their idea.

Creating and keeping an open dialogue about your child’s challenges will help mould their self-image and let them know that they have a support system that can help them when things get tough.

We all know the benefits of getting outdoors and experiencing nature. Many studies show that time in nature reduces stress and anxiety, promotes calm, promotes healthy movement, can improve concentration, lowers the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. Of course, we all should be getting outdoors and experiencing nature on a regular basis.

Being in nature can be especially important for children who are experiencing challenges. Playing outdoors allows children freedom, exploration, friendship and fun. All children can and should experience time spent enjoying nature.

Enjoying Nature

Unfortunately enjoying nature isn’t as easy for some as it is for others. For people living with a variety of other challenges, getting into nature isn’t as easy as walking out the door or getting into the family car and heading to the park. Challenges can deter families and people from using what should be easily accessible. That is why many local parks and recreation departments are working to make their parks more accessible to everyone.

Making a park more accessible can mean many things. It can mean looking at local transportation connections; building more accessible play structures and trails; offering introductory tours of parks; offering hikes with transportation included or partnering with other organizations to use their expertise. Making a park more accessible can also be as simple as communicating better. To let the public know that there are ways to access a park or trail that may not be the typical way.

Most newer play structures are now built with differing abilities in mind. Some are accessible to every ability, and many have components that allow children to play freely regardless of mobility challenges. The same can be said for trails. There are trails and hikes all over Vancouver Island that are accessible. Offering a flat grade, smooth path and tapping rails for visually impaired, among other amenities. The Lighthouse Country Regional Trail in the Regional District of Nanaimo is one of these. Offering a 5km out and back fully accessible trail that meanders through the forest over bridges and around trees. This trail is popular with all ages and abilities and offers a trail that can be easily walked by anyone.

Getting Informed

Taking a tour or park orientation session can help to reduce any stress and answer any questions you have about the park or trail. Many parks and recreation departments offer these types of activities, sometimes with staff and other times in partnership with others. Look to your local activity guide or call your local parks to see what they have to offer.

If transportation issues are what is holding you back from enjoying nature, there are solutions. Local parks and recreation centres are often on bus routes and can be accessed by the public. Busses often run close to or directly to parks and trails to make them more accessible and can be a fun mode of transport for young children with their caregivers. Look at your local transit area and see where busses run to see what you can access. For some of the harder to reach parks and trails, see if your recreation and parks department is offering transportation during their programs, or join a local group or school. Local groups sometimes offer rideshares or programs that include transportation.

In addition to your local parks and recreation departments, there are many other resources within your communities that you can go to for help in accessing more natural areas. Child development centres and other local medical supply can have equipment that is available for rent and may have other resources.

And always remember that even a little bit of nature works wonders. Look out those windows, sit in the grass, feel the chill of the snow or splash in those puddles.

As more and more institutions begin to look at diversity as a part of their plans for inclusion, it is hard as a parent with a neurodiverse child to untangle who or what the language of diversity is speaking to (often LGBTQIA2S, BIPOC and Indigenous) and how to find ways and resources to support our children and ourselves. The equivalencies between diversity and neurodiversity include access to community and supports and equality.

A class that is “open to all learners” might suit some diverse learners, but not necessarily all learners.

Not to stir up trouble for schools or teachers, but some students remain unseen, their needs unknown, their teachers and helpers and the work they do often unrecognized by the district and other teachers. Families with neurodiverse children—because they have Downs Syndrome, are on the autism spectrum or have other rare conditions—tend to be unseen or unconsidered. While there may be occasions for other diverse children to form community within the larger school, often special needs kids and families are separate, not celebrated in their schools for the additions they make and the insights they offer. They are often not a part of the larger school community and can be seen as people who have needs and are, in a sense, a burden.

A shift in thinking could allow them to be seen for the complexity of their lives, the strength of their perseverance, and what they can offer in the way of diverse ways of being in the world.

My son has a rare genetic condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome and is on the autism spectrum. He is relatively non-verbal and will not likely catch up to his peers in his academic abilities. That said, he can read and loves music, he is curious and understands everything that is said to him even if he doesn’t yet appropriately respond. He has a sense of humour and loves people.

Though there are resources for neurodiverse kids, accessing them and advocating is done by family members. Advocating feels much easier and straightforward when our children are little. From preschool to elementary, teachers and staff work to include diverse kids, because their differences, though present and real and outstanding, don’t seem as immense. Parents of kids in this age group can be hands-on and speak up, attend meetings, and be at the school observing and helping. Teachers, for the most part, are accustomed to parents of small children advocating.

That said, some experience discrimination—“if your son is in my kindergarten class, we will not go on any field trips.” Imagine a teacher saying this? I know that neurodiverse kids are not the only ones to experience such discrimination.

As neurodiverse kids move through school, the gap between them and their peers grows, and they become more and more isolated from the larger community that they may very much want to be a part of.

Advocating as a parent for a middle and high school student can be trickier as expectations shift from parents to students. High school can present a shift to a more adult approach for the kids. In some ways this can be good and in others quite scary; as a parent how do you know what is being expected of your child at school?

I sometimes feel uncertain if I should step in or not. As his ally and advocate I must navigate this uncertainty. If teacher’s underestimate what my son can do, he will get bored but won’t ask for more challenging material. But when I push for him to be offered more academics, it must also seem to teachers that I’m asking for work beyond his ability. One solution is to ask an external expert to visit, such as a Behaviorist.

Parents want to find that balance between supporting independence and autonomy but also inclusion and a proper education. You may want to know that your child is being pushed, is learning, is doing academic work and participating in school culture even though they are neurodiverse and would sometimes rather be on their iPad. You want kindness and you want the teacher to have expectations. You don’t want to hover, but you want respect for your son or daughter.

Ideally, my son would be included and seen by all his peers as an equal student in the class, a valued member, a student worth making some adjustments for even if it is hard. In middle school a boy in a higher grade came to the special ed class and invited my son to join a lunch time band session. My son loved this. The more expectations are placed on him to do things, the more he can do. I believe the same could be true of inclusion: the more inclusive we are, the more easily we are inclusive.

If the number one priority is to teach all students, what are the results of that for everyone? Often the argument of accessible sidewalks is used; if sidewalk designs allow for wheelchairs, all kinds of other users benefit—from parents with strollers to delivery people. I wonder how that might work for neurodiverse kids in school.

Getting to know horses on the Island

Horses have a lot to teach us.

When people think of horses, horseback riding is the sole activity which comes to mind. It’s often limited to the pony rides at the local fair, riding lessons or a trail ride on vacation. Many don’t realize horse experiences come in many forms and we host a diversity right here on the Island.

There are activities that need zero horse experience, can be in or out of the saddle, hands-on or not, one-on-one or in a group, some are free, and many acknowledge horses as therapy animals. Many programs are inclusive, accessible and trauma-informed. Did you know horses can read human emotions?

Riding is a small part of horsemanship but not the whole story. The full scope includes caring for horses, handling them safely, training, learning about their instincts, behaviour and communication. Horsemanship is relevant to all disciplines (for example, English or Western) and important for beginners to advanced and age doesn’t matter.

Here are a few unique horse experiences worth looking into:

Humble Hooves

What: Tam and Jason Merkens celebrate the human and horse connection at their horse rescue farm. With a team of volunteers, a herd of eight, and a focus beyond riding, they see the possibilities that can develop from transformative relationships. “Our programs foster an environment of learning by utilizing horses as teachers, mentors and healers.”

Programs: They offer Equine-Assisted Learning and equine-assisted wellness sessions. Kids and youth can also enjoy Horse Powered reading (horses are the facilitators!) and summer leadership camps. Humble Hooves also hosts private events—kid’s birthday parties or corporate events—and can customize a program for your group.

Where: Cobble Hill, BC

Learn more: humblehooves.ca

Heart Lake Farm (HLF)

What: Founders/Directors Jess and Scott Lake created a home to equine-assisted services showcasing learning with horses and therapy with horses. There is no riding, and you won’t miss a thing!

Where: Saanichton, BC

Programs: HLF offers Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) led by trained facilitators. It’s an experiential learning program teaching essential life skills including communication, teamwork and leadership through group activities with horses. It’s possible to take a multi-week series or a one-day workshop.

HLF also works with mental health professionals. Sessions may be one-on-one or in small groups. One example of a small group program at HLF is an Indigenous Focusing-Oriented Therapy (IFOT)-informed group, and the Life Review program created at the UBC Centre for Group Counselling and Trauma (adapted to include horse work). Partnership examples include the Victoria Brain Injury Society (VBIS), WSÁNEC First Nations and Camosun College. Contact HLF if you represent a school, social service, or charitable organization interested providing unique learning experiences with horses. Group programs are funded and free.

Learn more: heartlakefarm.ca

Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA)

What: Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association is a registered non-profit organization offering a range of therapeutic riding and equine-based wellness programs. CTRA serves as a hub of inclusion and catalyst for human potential, enriching the lives of countless individuals and supporting key social determinants of health in our community.

Where: Duncan, BC

Programs: They offer therapeutic riding which provides physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Participants learn how to ride a horse and often have goals to develop mobility, balance, muscle tone and core strength. Other side effects include improving confidence, independence and social skills. It can be for fun or, some work towards competition in para-dressage. They also teach inclusive vaulting (aka gymnastics on horseback) and horsemanship.

CTRA is powered by volunteers. Want to get your hands dirty in the barn and soak up good horse energy? They need folks to help groom horses and be a “side-walker.” Training is provided. Not a horsey person but want to support their work? Check out the skills needed for their Board of Directors.

Therapeutic Riding uses horses to help people with various disabilities. Participants work with horses to achieve physical and mental health, and cognitive, behavioural, social and communication goals.

Learn more: ctra.ca

Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association (VTRA)

What: Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association is a registered charity with seven staff, 12 horses and over 250 volunteers. VTRA recognizes horseback riding as a therapeutic aid and serves more than 200 kids and adults with a diversity of equine-assisted activities. Their mission is to build individual capacity through human and horse teamwork.

Programs: VTRA teaches Adaptive or Therapeutic riding and Adaptive Driving programs. Driving means using a horse-drawn cart. They also host summer camps for kids and youth six to 20 years of age, offer affordable workshops (e.g. grooming, horse behaviour, horse body language and more) and have volunteer opportunities.

Where: Saanichton, BC

Learn more: vtra.ca

Children have problems with their feelings. Some, a little more than others. Although immaturity is a factor, a lot has to do with temperament, which is why a younger child can appear more flexible, calmer, and easier to handle. We come into the world with a genetic blueprint of nine traits. Is your child high in any of the following?

· Active children often use their bodies to learn and to express themselves, so it isn’t unusual for this child to come out swinging when they are dysregulated or having a hard time managing their emotional response. Yes, even past the preschool years.

· Perceptive children can quickly absorb other people’s stress; they see it, they feel it, they act it out.

· Persistent children have difficulty letting go of their agenda. They grieve the loss of their ideas.

· Cautious children experience strong, overwhelming emotions when they are faced with a new situation or person.

· Children who aren’t adaptable like things to be fair, and of course, life rarely is.

· Very regular children like routine and can easily be triggered by hunger and fatigue.

· Sensory sensitive children often feel overwhelmed by their environment. This leads to depletion and an empty reserve of patience.

· Intense children feel things in a big way and have difficulty keeping their reactions to a dull roar. Remember, adults have temperament too.

· Some children come into the world with a more serious mood.

What to do:

Stop seeing a child’s eruptions as a problem to be fixed. Time will take care of this if handled well.

Regulate yourself. Focus on your breath and your inner dialogue. “My child isn’t giving me a hard time; they are having a hard time.” (Dr. Ross Greene)

Keep everyone safe and stand by without words, lectures, threats, or lessons. Breathe.

Be present if you can, and if you can’t, say you will be back and that you love them.

Your task is to protect your children from getting stuck in the bad kid role. It does not make sense to punish a child for dysregulation. Remember this is simple immaturity plus temperament. It’s normal.

Children need to know you can handle their big feelings. If they see fear or helplessness in you, they will believe that there is something wrong with them. This will lead to more dysregulated episodes and low self-esteem.

Remember to translate I HATE YOU, into HELP, I’M STRUGGLING.

When it’s over, just connect. You don’t have to talk it out but show that you get it and you’ve got their back.

With our first Spring Break—à la Covid-19—I remember a lot of pacing.

Our niece had to cancel a visit, school didn’t restart, the playgrounds shut down. Each change created anxiety in Colwyn, my teenaged son with the dual diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Prader-Willy Syndrome that manifested in skin picking, and nail pulling. But we were together and we nested big time. Colwyn began speaking more so he could really let us know how he felt. Now three years in, we are facing Spring Break with big hope.

Constant change does not make us better adapted to it; this is my number one lesson.

Years ago, Colwyn’s dad Rupert and I cycled for over three months in Southeast Asia. We loved it, it was amazing, but it was also exhausting. We had to manage long rides, daily changes, new things, new people, new languages, new bike problems all while also getting along. We did this by choice (of course), it was awesome and yet: anxiety. We experienced homesickness, that deep longing for the familiar which many of us, though we may be sick of our homes, are experiencing. We are longing for that time when we could hug a friend or attend an event. My son longs to see people and to join the neurotypical kids at school.

Anxiety reaches us all. For any kids, “behaviours” can also be signs of medical-related issues. There could be a septic tooth, an ingrown toenail that is getting worse, or undetected ear infection your kid doesn’t know how to tell you about. It is always good to do the things we do to reduce anxiety, but it is also important to check if behaviours are a sign of illness with a visit the doctor or pediatrician.

In December while we were visiting my dad in Nanaimo, the snow threw a curve in our plans. Though Colwyn loves being at his papa’s house, he was only prepared to be there for just two sleeps. Then we got snowed in. The problem for Colwyn isn’t so much the change—well yes, it is—but it is also the loss of control over what is going to happen next. Even though we went home the next day, Colwyn was still anxious. He moved to the next worry, and we entered a series of countdowns. Number of sleeps to school, number of sleeps until we’d go back to Nanaimo, number of sleeps until we’d visit with a friend on Zoom. I am relieved when one worry is resolved, but then he finds the next thing to worry over.

So…what to do?

1. Write down the day’s plan.

Colwyn has a homemade booklet where each day we write the schedule: 1. get up. 2 make breakfast. 3. get dressed. 4. eat…etcetera. Colwyn then can cross things out as we go and can see that we are following the plan. This is especially helpful on weekends when the days are looser. For school, I write the first few, and his EA and he do the rest of the day together. Once he’s settled back in, we don’t need it, but I will reinstate it right away when Spring Break begins.

2. Go for daily walks.

This helps a lot, for me too as I get quite stressed by his intensity and repetition. A lot of PWS experts say we should limit the number of times he’s allowed to repeat, but I haven’t quite found the perfect way. Usually, we get him to make a full sentence and repeat that. So, instead of “Papa’s house” over and over he says, “I want to go to Papa’s house, but we are going in 16 sleeps.” It works, but then sometimes it doesn’t. My husband Rupert asks, “Are you doing that to bug mom?” and Colwyn always says yes, so my job then is to try not to be driven crazy by it. Sometimes, to give us both a break, we take Mom away.

3. Music or a movie.

Music is nearly guaranteed to give Colwyn a chance to stop being anxious, a movie can do the same. A car ride and music are the perfect combo as he sits back in the car and sinks into the music.

4. Have a plan and do your best to stick with it.

For my kid, Christmas and Spring Breaks are a bit long. Even if we do a lot of fun things, keep busy, see friends and spend time outdoors, Colwyn’s anxiety begins to go up. Camps help thanks to their familiarity, peers, and routines.

5. Keep talking about it.

Colwyn might not add a lot to a conversation, but I find the more we chat, and talk about how things might change the better. If we add this to him making a full sentence about the planned thing he begins to relax.

Each time Colwyn’s anxiety comes up hard, the smiling happy kid disappears behind glazed eyes and worry. Each time he comes back again, we celebrate. Even though we don’t always succeed, we try to keep things light, stimulating and fun.

Even if you have great communication skills, you will find it hard to use them when you are feeling upset or defensive. We don’t usually notice that we are going there until it is too late. We’ve said that thing, lost our temper or stormed off. It’s valuable to notice the early warning signs:

• You find yourself taking things too seriously.

• You react and over-focus on an issue.

• Your conversation picks up speed like a ping-pong game, a rapid fire of words.

• You begin to see the person from a critical viewpoint, a caricature of their worst traits; controlling disrespectful, mean, selfish.

• You lack empathy and find it hard to care about what the other person has to say or how they feel.

• You might feel tension in your body or feel fired up.

• You can’t, let it go.

• The issue becomes magnified and feels catastrophic.

• You see yourself as the victim of the other person.

• You hear what you fear and make negative assumptions of the other person’s intent.

All of us can go there, especially during stressful times. It’s part of our make-up. Once we accept this, we can think about strategies to put in place. Planning for emotional meltdowns makes sense. What could work?

• Slow the conversation down. Make it more like a game of catch, breathe, listen, think about what you are going to say.

• If things aren’t improving, agree to stop and revisit the issue later. Be careful that you don’t dive back in too soon. If you’re still feeling triggered, it won’t work.

• Your best clue that you are ready is when you start to feel care and concern about the other person. This means you’re back to thinking relationally.

• Be open to hearing the person’s needs and values, even if it means you have to ignore some criticism or attitude.

• Commit to taking turns at listening by just hearing to understand until you get it right.

• Stick to the issue and be specific. General terms don’t provide clarity.

While this isn’t easy, it is a more mature way of showing love to those who matter. It feels good when we open our hearts to learning about the other and about ourselves. If discipline means to teach, perhaps this is the most effective form of discipline that there is.

What do you think of when you hear the word “winter”? Does the word invoke visions of crunching through snow, a toque low on your head, a scarf tucked carefully in your jacket, and your toes warmed by thick socks? Do you picture walking through the forest in a regional park, hearing rain patter on the ground and children laughing as they explore?

When I think of ‘winter’, I think of all those things and how we’re lucky to be living on Vancouver Island. Southern Vancouver Island has the mildest winter climate in Canada. We don’t have metres of snow or bitter winds. The Olympic Mountains in the United States help shield intense winter weather. This means we can generally go for walks in our regional parks year-round!

Even with mild winters, animals in our regional parks have to adapt to the changing climate in different ways. Some of these animals are so few in number, they’re considered to be at-risk. How can Townsend’s bats, sharp-tailed snakes, and Marbled Murrelets survive winter in our Regional Parks? And how can we help?

Bats, the only true flying mammals, either migrate south to warmer climates or hibernate here during the winter. Townsend’s bats are one of the few bats that consistently overwinter in BC. They have a wingspan of about 30 cm (almost one foot) and enormous ears that are half their body length. They spend their winter hibernating in a cave, where they hang by their 10 toes, fold their wings in tight, and then coil their ears tight like a spring to reduce surface area and heat loss.

Easily woken up, these bats waste precious fat reserves relocating if their hibernation place is disturbed. Without these fat reserves, they may not survive the rest of hibernation. Since they only have one offspring a year, their population is slow to recover if numbers decline. While we may not see the bats when we’re out in regional parks in the winter, we can help them by staying on the trail to protect hibernation sites and wetland areas that provide homes for the insects the bats eat in the summer.

Snakes, on the other hand, don’t have the luxury of flying south for winter. As thick as a pencil and a bit longer than a ruler, the sharp-tailed snake is the smallest snake on Vancouver Island. They have a sharp scale at the end of their tail (hence their name). Being elusive nocturnal creatures, these snakes are hard to find.

In BC, these snakes are found only on Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in open woodland habitats, which are found in some regional parks. While the snakes do hibernate during the cold months, more research is needed about their winter habitat. In one study, researchers found one snake had a home range only the length of two school buses (25 metres)!

With encroachment from development, these snakes live in increasingly fragmented habitat. If you think you’ve seen a sharp-tailed snake, take a picture and report it to the BC Conservation Data Centre. These sightings help researchers know where these snakes live and therefore which areas to better protect.

One of my favourite birds, the Marbled Murrelet, is a black and white robin-sized seabird that is usually found foraging within a few kilometres of the shore in winter. While some migrate south for winter, others stay in protected waters in the Salish Sea, such as Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. These sheltered coves and bays provide protection from the cold winds and high waves of the ocean—important when you’re a tiny seabird!

While diving for schooling fish, these birds can reach up to 100km/hr and “fly” underwater using their wings. While Marbled Murrelets feed in the ocean, they have a surprising summer breeding location—old-growth forests up to 80km inland. But with old-growth forests disappearing due to logging, these birds can have trouble finding large mossy branches to lay their eggs. For the Marbled Murrelets, protection of the ocean and forests is vital.

These animals are just three of the over 1,800 plant and animal species considered at-risk in BC and it’s not the challenges of surviving winter that put them at risk. Habitat fragmentation and human development means their small numbers could get even smaller. That’s why regional parks are so important. While they provide a place for recreation for us, they also provide homes and food for species we may not even see. Balancing recreation and conservation is everyone’s responsibility and teaching this to our families today allows future generations to also appreciate regional parks.

So when we’re out in regional parks in the winter, we can still crunch through the snow on the trail, but we can also be mindful of our family’s impact on other animals that rely on the park. By reporting sightings, respecting hibernation sites, and supporting the protection of habitat in regional parks, we can all help ensure these bats, snakes, and birds can survive many more winters to come.