During the session about wildlife on July 22, PAWS’ Humane Education Manager Sandy Warner (left) guided camper Christopher Dokken’s hands across two Great Horned Owl wings to show him how large the wings are. PAWS’ educators also used branches and pine cones to demonstrate what makes up a wild animal’s habitat.  

PAWS’ educators filled tubs with water, leaves, trash and food that wild animals might eat in their natural habitat, to help campers understand and experience the challenges wild animals face in foraging for food. As summer camp helper Gina Lyndsey (left) looks on, PAWS’ Humane Education Coordinator Tiffany Ong (right) explains to camper Brett Wheeler (middle) how important it is to recycle and get rid of trash appropriately so as not to harm wild animals.

PAWS’ Humane Education Coordinator Tiffany Ong helps camper Chloe Larimore feel the difference between a hawk’s foot and a grebe’s foot (grebes live most of their lives on the water).

Photos courtesy of PAWS

The Lynnwood, WA-based animal organization  "http://www.paws.org/"PAWS has joined up with the  "http://louisbrailleschool.org/"Louis Braille School for sight-impaired children for the first time to teach campers an appreciation and understanding of cats, dogs and wildlife during the school’s annual summer camp this month.

Through a variety of hands-on activities, PAWS’ educators are not only teaching the children about animal behavior and needs, but empowering them to help animals in their own communities. During the PAWS sessions, campers have made toys for shelter cats, and next week, they will create enrichment items for the wild animals currently in rehabilitation at PAWS Wildlife Center.

“Our goal is to help the campers understand the different ways they can appreciate, learn about, and help animals,” explained Sandy Warner PAWS’ Humane Education Manager. “We engage their other senses by sharing wild animal artifacts they can touch, identifying foods and habitat materials through scent, and listening to different animal sounds.”

“We are extremely pleased to team up with PAWS this summer,” said Carolyn Meyer the school’s director. “Their interactive workshops and wonderful instructors enrich our theme of ‘Animals, the Environment and You,’ and are a big hit with both children and helpers.”