Wild Wise: Quirky Quills (Porcupines)

There's more to porcupines than their prickly reputation! Discover the fascinating adaptations, surprising behaviours and important ecological role of one of Alberta's quirkiest rodents. Full Description Prickly, peculiar and surprisingly important! North American Porcupines are best known for their impressive quills, but there's much more to these slow-moving, tree-climbing rodents than meets the eye. Can porcupines really shoot their quills? How do porcupines survive the winter? And how can a porcupine's messy eating habits actually help other forest animals? In this interactive Wild Wise presentation, students explore the fascinating adaptations, behaviours and ecological importance of porcupines through songs, movement, hands-on biofacts and real wildlife stories. They'll discover how porcupines use their quills to defend themselves, why they're such excellent climbers and how their feeding habits help support other species and the natural cycles of forest ecosystems. Along the way, we'll bust common porcupine myths, explore the challenges these animals face in urban environments and learn how we can safely coexist with our prickly neighbours. Perfect for Kindergarten to Grade 6, this program encourages students to look beyond the quills and appreciate the important role porcupines play in keeping Alberta's forests healthy!