INNOVATE - Assisted Living Residents Save Orphan Kittens

The Pima Animal Care Centre (PACC) has partnered with Catalina Springs Memory Care in Oro Valley to provide the bottle feeding, socialization and love orphaned kittens need to survive and thrive.

(Pima Animal Care Center)

This innovative program was seen by PACC as a way to save kittens and by the Catalina Springs Memory Care board as a positive way to enrich its residents’ lives.

Catalina Springs serves the special needs of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other forms of memory loss.

“To some it may seem peculiar at first: Residents who are in need of around-the-clock care themselves, given the task to care for these young kittens,” Catalina Springs Memory Care executive director Sharon Mercer, said in a statement.

“But there are skills, emotions and needs that do not just leave a person with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. The desire to give love and receive love remains. The kittens have given us the opportunity to nurture this human condition that lies in each and every one of our residents.”

Catalina Springs staff are involved to ensure cats don’t miss a feeding and all their needs are met.

The first two kittens to go through the program, Peaches and Turtle, arrived in mid-October and with great weight gain and socialization, they are thriving.

The residents seem to love it too.

"They [seem to] recognize them as babies, and the human instinct to nurture just kicks in automatically," Rebecca Hamilton, health service director at Catalina Springs, told Upworthy.

"We have noticed that [in] interacting with the kittens, we have residents who struggled with putting complete sentences together, or struggled to find words, could all of a sudden communicate," Hamilton continued. "They could look at you and say, 'This kitten is hungry' or 'I love this little baby.'"

The program gives individuals residing in an assisted living facility a sense of purpose and improves the quality of their lives.

Its success showcases the power and beauty of the human animal bond.

While animal therapy has been shown to have a positive impact, adding the extra dimension of providing care and having responsibility for the animals seems to take the outcome to another level.

It won’t be surprising to see other animal and assisted living organizations implementing similar programs.

Goats Provide Non-Toxic Weed Control

(City of Calgary)

With health and safety concerns growing around chemical weed control, individuals and cities are looking for non-toxic, environmentally friendly options.

This week the city of Calgary, Alberta launched their goat grazing pilot project.

A herd of approximately 100 goats was introduced to a portion of Confluence (West Nose Creek) Park. For the next few weeks, the herd will dine on invasive weed species, including Canada thistle.

“We know that grazing has the potential to offer several benefits for managing landscapes in Calgary,” Chris Manderson, Urban Conservation lead for Calgary Parks, said in a release. “Targeted grazing for weeds is environmentally friendly and sustainable, and there’s evidence from other cities that indicates that it can also be cost-effective.”

Goats provide an alternative to pesticide use, their droppings fertilize the soil, and their hooves work the earth helping to till, aerate and condition the ground.

The project has been taken on by Baah’d Plant Management and Reclamation who provide not just the goats but a shepherd, horse, one herding dog and three guardian dogs to do the work.

Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh are examples of other cities that have used goats for weed control.

But weed control isn’t the only function of the vegetation-clearing critters. Goats have also been used to clear hiking and biking trails and create fire breaks.

BUSINESS - Workplace Activity Program Launches in BC before National Rollout

A program to get workers up and moving while on the job is rolling out in British Columbia and will implemented across Canada by fall.

UPnGO with ParticipACTION was launched Monday by federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, B.C.'s Minister of Health Terry Lake and Elio Antunes, president and CEO of ParticipACTION.

A wellness program that uses a digital platform and app to set weekly challenges and personalized goals, it is designed to help participants understand and overcome common barriers and reward them for being more active.

Participants receive points redeemable online for health products if they meet personal goals and complete set challenges.

"Canadians know that being active is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle – yet so many of us struggle to the find time to exercise,” said the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health. “Through innovative partnerships like this one, we're delivering projects across the country that create environments where the healthier choice is the easier choice."

Funding includes $2.5 million over three years from the Public Health Agency of Canada while B.C.'s Provincial Health Services Authority will allocate $3.8 million over the same period.

Studies show benefits of workplace physical activity include increased productivity, creativity and job performance.

ParticipACTION is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to help Canadians sit less and move more. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to make physical activity a vital part of everyday life. 

AVMA launches program to fill volunteer roles

Hundreds of volunteers serve on AVMA councils, committees and task forces but the organization still faces difficulties when it comes to filling vacancies in these roles. Since January 2014, the organization has advertised 113 committee/council vacancies and 78 of them had one or no nominees. 

The most common reason given by members to explain their reluctance is time. In order to tackle this dilemma, AVMA has developed a new program that is expected to provide more opportunities with high value but less time commitment. 

Two advisory panels and their associated systems will comprise the pilot program and will incorporate the councils and committees currently affiliated with the AVMA's Scientific Activities Division. The advisory panel model is intended to provide more opportunities for members to participate in the association, but with a lower time commitment, through the formation of a large pool of 'busy experts and professionals'. Instead of committing to the several-year term required for council or committee participation, you can declare your expertise and interests and be given the opportunity to serve as members of short-term, ad hoc working groups that will address issues relevant to the profession. 

The pilot program is expected to be implemented in the 2015-2016 association year, which begins July 2015. 

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Off-leash ambassador pilot program approved for Calgary

The City of Calgary approved a pilot program to introduce off-leash ambassadors to two parks during the summer months. 

Ald. Gael MacLeod told CBC News the city gets a lot of complaints about bylaw violations and rules being broken in off-leash parks. The program will train volunteers to educate other dog owners about the rules and etiquette for using the parks. 

City council approved the $75,000 pilot project earlier this week and will soon be looking for volunteers to act as ambassadors. The program will encompass two northwest Calgary parks and if evaluations prove successful, may be expanded to other areas of the city. 

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