Our educational backpacks contain many exciting things! Get outside and explore with one.
Education Backpacks
Birdwatching Backpacks are now part of The Library of Things at PPL. They are available for loan – free with your PPL card!
You can put one on hold here: Birdwatching Backpacks
Birdwatching Backpacks at PPL
Birdwatching has come to the library! Humans have studied birds for generations, and more recently birdwatching has become popular as a way to reconnect with nature. It’s now one of the fastest growing pastimes in North America! No matter your age or background, birdwatching is a relaxing and educational activity the whole family can enjoy.
Birdwatching supports STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) through observation of the natural world. The study of birds and their habitat can provide a deeper understanding of ecology, biodiversity and the environment.
Borrowing a Birdwatching Backpack With Your PPL Card
Want to borrow a Birdwatching Backpack? It’s easy! All you need is an PPL card, or a BC One Card.
You may check out your Birdwatching Backpack for two weeks. Please return your Birdwatching Backpack to a service desk. Do not put it in a book drop! Overdue items are subject to Fines and Fees.
What's Inside
Each Birdwatching Backpack contains:
A pair of Vortex Crossfire high-quality binoculars with soft case
The National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Birds of North America
British Columbia Birds: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
“The Okanagan Valley Birding Trail”
A laminated birding guide with helpful tips
A list of everything in the backpack
A customer survey for your feedback
Birdwatching Resources - Keep Learning
Want to learn more about birds, birdwatching, nature and wildlife? Borrow other library materials on birds or birdwatching. You can also access Birdwatching and Audubon magazines online through Overdrive/Libby.
Want a currated list of local birds with photos from the South Okanagan Naturalists Club? Go here: Birds of the Okanagan Valley <link currently unavailable, we are working on it.
Check out these free birdwatching apps (available from Google Play and the Apple App Store):
If smartphones aren’t your style, try these websites:
Atlas of the Breeding Birds of BC
You can also learn more through local organizations and their websites!
BC Nature: Federation of BC Naturalists
Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society (OSS)
South Okanagan Naturalist Society
Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance
Beginners Guide to Birding
Okanagan-Similkameen Stewardship Society videos
I have another question that hasn't been answered here.
Please email sjames@pentictonlibrary.ca for more information about Birdwatching Backpacks.
**Some of the wording here was borrowed from FVRL and their amazing Birdwatching backpacks
Our new BAT PACK backpack is now part of The Library of Things at PPL. They are available for loan – free with your PPL card!
You can put one on hold here: BATPACK Backpack
Bat pack Backpacks at PPL
BC bats contribute to the Okanagan Valley economy and biodiversity, but little is known about them. Our Bat Pack, complete with an echometer bat detector device, provide borrowers an opportunity to develop an understanding, appreciation and support for bats through citizen science opportunities, such as:
Participating in summer bat counts.Installing bat boxes on your property.Helping to preserve endangered habitats and species.Encouraging your city’s Council to have the city certified as a Bat Friendly Community (e.g. the City of Delta).Joining or supporting community bat organizations.Half of the bat species in BC are considered species at risk and are vulnerable or threatened. The bats play an important role in controlling nocturnal insect populations and cycling nutrients from wetlands to forests and are a critical part of our ecosystem. No matter your age or background, locating and learning more about your local bats is a fun and educational activity the whole family can enjoy. The Bat Packs supports STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) through observation of the natural world. The study of bats and their habitat can provide a deeper understanding of ecology, biodiversity and the environment.
Borrowing a Bat Pack With Your PPL Card
Want to borrow a BATPACK? It’s easy! All you need is an PPL card, or a BC One Card.
You may check out your Bat Pack for two weeks. Please return to a service desk. Do not put it in a book drop! Overdue items are subject to Fines and Fees.
What's Inside
Each Bat Pack will contain:
- A Bat Echo Meter detector device (place a hold on either an Android or iOS Bat Pack dependent on your mobile device type)
- A laminated quick-start guide with helpful tips and Bat Pack parts list
- A copy of BC’s Bat-Friendly Communities Guide, a bat identification book
- A copy of Bat Citizens- Defending the Ninjas of the Night
- A customer survey for your feedback
I have another question that hasn't been answered here.
Please email sjames@pentictonlibrary.ca for more information about Bat pack.
**Some of the wording here was borrowed from FVRL and their amazing Bat Packs
