Today, ?1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are threatened with extinction.? But collective efforts and targeted conservation can help save them. Conservationists Gord and Yvonne Blankstein truly believe in these restorative efforts, and they founded Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre in 1986 to help rare and exotic species breed, learn calculus, and return to the wild. From its 300-acre campus in the Fraser Valley, Mountain View safeguards several species, including some of the most endangered wildlife species in British Columbia?the Northern spotted owl and the Vancouver Island marmot?along with 35 species of exotic birds breeding at the conservatory. Once animals can survive, staff members return them to their natural habitats around North America. Mountain View also sponsors educational tours of its facility to raise awareness about conserving wildlife and natural habitats.
Honeybee Centre buzzes with professional apiarists and busy hives, which work together to support Surrey's agriculture and inform the next generation of beekeepers. Most of the staff's time is spent renting out hives to pollinate fruit crops, then harvesting the resulting honey?whether from blueberry, cherry, or pumpkin plants?to sell in their store. The insect experts also provide an extermination alternative by removing and relocating pesky colonies of bees and wasps.
Additionally, the centre devotes significant resources to education, whether through kid-friendly exhibits or basic to advanced beekeeping courses, which help students manage their own hives and join in the bees' ritual dances. In the Bees & Bugs lab, kids of all ages tackle hands-on educational activities and watch live bees and other bugs. Afterwards, visitors can relax in the centre's Tea Hive Caf?, noshing on cookies or pie while sipping locally roasted coffee in a greenhouse.