Forests are magical places, and we don’t know about you, but we take every chance we get to go out and enjoy them! Sometimes though that’s just not possible, so for today’s eco-activity we’re bringing the forest to you with this DIY terrarium!
Here’s how to make it:
1) Head out on a nature walk to your fave forest to collect your supplies! Here’s what you’ll need that you can find outside:
a. Small rocks or pebbles
b. Moss or Soil
c. Interesting leaves
d. Twigs & Bark
e. Pinecones & Acorns
d. Bird feathers and other forest treasures
2) Gather the rest of your supplies, including:
a. A glass jar with a lid (pick any size you want for your terrarium!)
b. Activated charcoal to purify your terrarium (optional)
c. Any additional decorations or figurines
3) Start by filling the bottom of your jar/bottle with pebbles. You’ll need a layer at least 1 inch thick to collect water, but you can add more if you like!
4) Add a layer of activated charcoal on top of the pebbles
5) Add a layer of soil on top of the charcoal
6) Add a layer of moss on top of the soil
7) Add your decorations if you’re using them, spray the moss with a bit of water, close your jar, and enjoy!
Your terrarium will do best somewhere it gets a good amount of sunlight (avoiding direct sunlight as this might dry it out). It might need a spray of water every now and then, but your mini ecosystem in a jar should sustain itself for the most part!
The Earth Rangers App is where kids go to save animals! It’s free to join and you’ll have access to real-world Missions like this one. Plus, you can adopt an animal to support conservation projects, and learn all about animals in the Wild Wire Blog.
Find activities like this, and so much more in the App!
Do you love nature? Have a keen eye for cool creatures or passionate about plants? We’re calling on you to become a Backyard Biologist, sending us your best nature pics for your chance to WIN one of three Canon Powershot cameras!
Here’s how to enter:
First, decide what you want to take your pic of. We’re picking a winner in each of these categories:
Best picture of a plant
Best picture of an animal
Best picture of another living thing (like a cool mushroom!)
Now the fun part: shoot your shot!
Once you’ve captured your best pic (or pics – submit 3 entries for 3 chances to win!), grab your parent/guardian and complete the contest entry form here, or enter via the Mission Submission Form after completing the Backyard Biologist Mission in the Earth Rangers App. Make sure to include a description of your photo subject and an explanation about how you identified it (as any true biologist would do, of course) to be eligible to win!*
Looking for tips and tricks to help you identify the subject of your fab photos? Accept the Backyard Biologist Mission in the Earth Rangers App for tons of resources to help, PLUS earn points so you can level up and become the Ultimate Earth Ranger!
Share your photo ideas and let us know what you’ll be snapping your pics of in the comments below!
It’s really important to identify
and keep track of the living things around us to help scientists protect and
conserve animals and their homes. Use one of the following ideas to help
identify the plant or animal you have found!
Ask Family & Friends
Include
your family and friends in your Backyard Biologist explorations to help
identify the plants and animals you find! Even if they are not entirely
familiar with the plant or animal you have found, discussing your findings can
help narrow down your search. And who knows?! You may even gather enough
information to identify what you’ve found!
There’s an App for That!
The
Seek app by iNaturalist is free, user-friendly and will quickly and easily
identify many living things! Using your device’s camera, the Seek app will draw
on its extensive database to analyze the plant or animal centered on the screen. It will then provide the name of the
species, as well as additional information about it. You can also connect an
iNaturalist account to the app and upload your observations to citizen science
projects!
When it
comes to identifying local plants and animals, guidebooks can be a great
resource! Hard-copy nature and field guides can easily be found at your local
book store or library. There are also many plant and animal identification
guides available online, like the ones provided below!
Hi again Earth Rangers! We’ve got even more exciting news from the north to share with you, this time with an update from our partner in polar bears, researcher Larissa! Larissa is in the thick of working through her research and she’s bringing us along for a day of learning! Hopefully post-pandemic she can get back to the field, but here’s what she’s been up to in the meantime!
She might study polar bears, but like us Earth Rangers Larissa loves all kinds of animals!
Larissa is working on analyzing the movement of polar bear populations across the Arctic, and though we consider her our resident polar bear pro, even she learns new things everyday! For example, did you know there are 19 subpopulations of polar bears? They live all across the Arctic in Canada, Greenland, Alaska, Norway, and even Russia!
Check out this handy map to see where each polar bear subpopulation can be found!
All this info comes from Larissa’s extensive research. She spends a lot of time reading scientific articles about polar bears and harp seals, trying to learn as much as she can about these two species, or about different kinds of scientific methods that will help her study their movements better. Science is teamwork, and even though Larissa might not be part of the teams she reads about, she learns a ton just from the research they do and the studies they publish.
When she’s not reading, Larissa is busy working on analyzing all the amazing data she’s collected. She uses coding and mapping software to see what trends she can find in her data, and she’s currently working on making a map that shows how all the polar bears she’s tracking move across their habitat – we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek, and boy was it cool!
The pandemic has made fieldwork and even labwork a lot harder, but Larissa and her team have figured out how to make it work! She has virtual meetings with her supervisor or other labmates to go over results, brainstorm ideas, and work through any questions or issues that might pop up. Teamwork really does make the dream work!
A radiocollar helps Larissa track the movement of polar bears across the Arctic! Photo credit: Dr. Andrew Derocher
While she’s eager to get back to the field, there’s still tons of work to be done in the lab and behind the computer. Thanks for bringing us along Larissa, and don’t forget that you can help support her project with a Polar Bear Wildlife Adoption Kit!
Mother Earth…. she does all sorts of things to keep us alive. From giving us air to breathe, water to drink, to providing us with food to eat. It’s only right that we treat her the same way…right? Well, a lot of us are trying our best to keep Earth an awesome place to live, and if you are reading this, we know you are doing the same!
We are so lucky in this day and age to have whatever object we want at a click of a finger. Whether it’s food, technology, toys, really anything! But with this great privilege comes great responsibility. The problem with having an endless amount of things at our fingertips is that it also means we have an endless amount of waste. Mother Earth doesn’t do too well with that. But luckily, there are all sorts of fun ways to cut down on waste and really make a difference, one person at a time.
The first way is a tale as old as time….reduce, reuse, recycle! I’m sure you have all heard of the three R’s before, but that’s because it is always applicable! As long as you see that the recycling symbol, then your item can probably be recycled – but there’s a catch! Things like used pizza boxes or takeout containers that have residue leftover from food not only can’t be recycled properly but will likely ruin the entire recycling batch! So when in doubt, a quick internet search should tell you if whatever you’re disposing of is recyclable!
Another way you can reduce waste is by doing the opposite of recycling: upcycling! This can be done by taking used things and repurposing them, like transforming an empty paper towel/toilet paper roll into a bird feeder. Maybe take some old clothes and make a fun facemask out of them! There’s no such thing as being too crafty.
An old t-shirt turns into the perfect tote bag!
Speaking of clothes, those actually make up a very big
part of our waste. In fact, the average person throws away 37kg of clothes a
year. So if we take into account all of North America, that’s 10 MILLION tons of clothes that get
dumped into landfills every year! Instead of throwing out used clothing, you can
sell them or even donate them to a local thrift store, if you’re not upcycling
them. These pieces can get passed on for decades and avoid landfills in the
process, making an unbelievably big dent in textile waste.
Unfortunately, a very big portion of landfills also comes from food waste. Ontarians in particular have a lot of food and organic waste: about 3.5 million tons every year! To put that into perspective, that’s about the same as filling up the Rogers Centre in Toronto five times. But no need to worry, there is a very simple solution: compost! You can compost all kinds of foods and organic waste. Ontario has a special program that collects these scraps and turns them into fertilizer, helping plants and animals thrive in the environment. This way you don’t waste food and you’re helping out our gardens, it’s a win/win!
The maintenance of our gardens and the rest of the environment is extremely important for the Earth. That’s why here in Ontario, we have the Ontario Greenbelt that protects much of our land. You see, in Ontario’s most populated areas, there is constant development and disturbance of ecological habitats. The Greenbelt helps protect certain –areas, allowing farmlands, grasslands, and wetlands to thrive. This also helps us get access to fresh local foods like fruits, veggies, and dairy while supporting local farmers. This is also another way we can help save the planet!
Shopping local allows us to not only purchase foods that don’t have much packaging, but it also saves energy and gas emissions that would’ve been used from shipping. Like I said, having everything right at our fingertips such as produce is pretty awesome, but shopping local would really help out our planet, not to mention our hard-working Canadians. Check out the Live Love Local Mission for more tips and tricks to help you stick close to home when you shop!
But, another thing that would really help out our Canadians and our planet is simply not having any kind of litter at all. Landfills are a big problem, but so is our everyday litter on the street. And guess what, Earth Rangers has a special mission that you can take on to help reduce litter….the Stash the Trash mission! Help organize a neighbourhood cleanup with some neighbourhood pals and fill up lots and lots of bags of garbage to keep our streets nice & clean! Not only will you score some serious points, but Mother Earth will be really thankful. With Day of Action on Litter coming up on May 11th, this would be a perfect way to celebrate with some friends! And if you are in Ontario, we have a special campaign for you, share a before and after picture of your cleanup with the hashtag #StashTheTrash for a chance to be featured on May 18’s Facebook Live!
With things like recycling, arts & crafts, upcycling old clothes, and accepting eco missions, why not try and reduce waste? Our planet will be much happier and it can be loads of fun!
Hello Earth Rangers! We’ve got a very exciting project update to share with you, coming live and direct from our fox friend, researcher Jeanne Clermont! Jeanne is currently studying the arctic fox population of Bylot Island, Nunavut, and today she’s taking us along with her for an inside look at her exciting adventures. Buckle up and let’s head north – over to you, Jeanne!
I study the arctic fox population of Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, and I am usually there from mid-May to mid-August – pre-pandemic, of course! Every day in the field is different as many factors affect our activities, most importantly the weather! But here is a typical day of the beginning of our field season during the month of May, when the ground is still covered by snow (there is already 24h daylight at that time).
When we arrive on the site in May, female
foxes spend their time in their dens with their recently born babies. To help figure
out how many young each female had, we install automated cameras on each den
that will later allow us to count the young when they emerge from the den. That
means we have to visit the 115 dens that are spread across our study site, and
when the den seems occupied by foxes, we install one or two cameras. As the
ground is covered by snow, we use snowmobiles to travel across the site (it
would not be possible by foot!).
Home sweet home! Photo credit: Marie-pier Poulin
During a typical day, we wake up around 7am, and enjoy a quick breakfast and coffee together (the fox team fuels up together!) in the warmth of the field camp. Then, we take our maps of the study site displaying the location of all fox dens. We plan ahead what den we are going to visit during that day, trying to maximize our displacements: we want to visit as many dens as possible while reducing the total distance travelled. Those days can be long, and the weather can always surprise us (it can get very foggy!), so we bring with us many warm clothes, thermos of coffee and hot chocolate, and many sweet treats like chocolate bars.
Before leaving we get all the material we
need, we grab our maps with the day’s planned route, and we stock the cameras
in a sled attached to the snowmobile. We must not forget our radio, to
communicate with the other persons on the site if anything happens, and our GPS
to help us navigate and find the dens. We also fill the snowmobiles with fuel. We
are 4 in the team and we travel 2×2 on snowmobiles.
Off they go! Photo credit: Marie-pier Poulin
We use our GPS to help us get to the first
den. When we arrive at the den, we have to stay calm and silent to avoid
disturbing foxes that may be inside the den. We first walk slowly on the den to
find signs of fox activity. These can be faeces, hair, and prey leftovers. We also
collect hair samples that may be used later in lab analyses to identify what
the foxes have been eating during the winter. When signs of activity are present,
we install the automated cameras. We position them (they are mounted on a
tripod) so we can see as much of the den as possible. What is really important
is that we must see the main entrance of the den, where the foxes will pass through
many times a day. The main entrance (hole) can be easily identified as the
walls of the hole will be covered by hair, as foxes are molting at that time.
When at a den, we are always attentive as we may always observe a fox arriving
or leaving the site. This is crucial information as we also want to determine
the identity of the parent (adult foxes are marked with colour ear tags
allowing to identify them at a distance). When we see a fox, we use our
binoculars to identify them.
Check out these adorable baby foxes, captured on camera by the team! Photo credit: Berteaux Lab
We try to spend as little time as possible
on the den, so when we are finished, we leave and move towards the next den. We
usually have time to visit 5 dens before lunch, and we of course always enjoy
the lunch break and our hot beverages. After lunch we continue to visit dens
and identify foxes when we cross one.
Snowmobiling in the Arctic is not always easy, we often get stuck in snow and spend some time getting the snowmobile out and ready to go! Dens might also be inaccessible by snowmobile and we must walk in deep snow to reach the den – this is often very funny. I remember one time where we had to climb a mountain in snowshoes to reach only one den, I was very tired at the end of the day! And another time, when we visited a den that was on the top of a hill, we slid all the way back down the hill!
At the end of the day, we are very tired when we arrive back at the camp, but we also feel that satisfied and comforted feeling we all experience after a day spent outside during winter. We are always happy to enjoy a warm meal with our colleagues and friends from the other teams. Then, its time to sleep and start over the day after!
What an interesting day! We don’t know about you but we’re totally jealous of Jeanne’s awesome adventures. Tell us in the comments below what your favourite parts are or what you think sounds the most exciting about her day, and don’t forget that you can help support her important research with an arctic fox Wildlife Adoption Kit!
Do you have what it takes to become a waste warrior? For today’s eco-activity, we want to put you in charge of trash! Learn the rules about rubbish near you, then take the lead on weeding out the wrong waste from your family’s trash and recycling!
Here’s how:
1) Check with your municipality to learn about what can and can’t go in the recycling bin. Did you know things like the colour and texture of your waste can mean the difference between a trip to the trash and a redirect to the recycling? Try an internet search for your town’s recycling rules to learn what goes where!
2) Grab some construction paper, markers, glitter, and stickers – it’s time to get creative! To help your family follow your recycling rules, make posters you can put where you store your waste and recycling bins. Tape them to the bins or the walls nearby so everyone can easily tell what goes where.
Want to take your waste watch to the next level? Plan a litter cleanup in your neighbourhood! Grab some garbage bags, gloves and get outside with your family, see who can collect the most trash, and then test out your brand new sorting station when you get home!
The Earth Rangers App is where kids go to save animals! It’s free to join and you’ll have access to real-world Missions like this one. Plus, you can adopt an animal to support conservation projects, and learn all about animals in the Wild Wire Blog.
Find activities like this, and so much more in the App!
Today is the official Day of Action on Litter in Ontario, but no matter where you live, today we’re talking about trash! For today’s eco-activity, we want you to organize a litter cleanup in your neighbourhood – and just by submitting your before and after pics, you could win a chance to be featured in the May 18 Earth Rangers Facebook Live!
Here’s what to do:
1) Organize a cleanup to green-up your favourite local greenspace! Whether you turn your family’s daily walk into a trash-picking mission or pick a date when the whole ‘hood can participate (at a safe distance), the possibilities are endless!
2) Snap a before and after pic of the greenspace you’ve chosen for your cleanup to show off your hard work
3) Have a parent/guardian share your photo on social media using the hashtag #StashTheTrash, or upload your pics using the Mission Submission Form in the App before May 14, for your chance to be featured on the May 18 Earth Rangers Facebook Live!
The Earth Rangers App is where kids go to save animals! It’s free to join and you’ll have access to real-world Missions like this one. Plus, you can adopt an animal to support conservation projects, and learn all about animals in the Wild Wire Blog.
Find activities like this, and so much more in the App!
We love getting outside just because nature’s awesome, but getting outside AND helping animals is a win win. For today’s eco-activity, we want you to join our team of Shoreline Savers and help clean-up a shoreline near you! Here’s what you need to know:
– Did you know that Canada has nearly 20% of the world’s fresh surface water? The Great Lakes, home to many unique ecosystems and species, are really important in Ontario and beyond. They provide us with drinking water, quality of life, and prosperity, which is why we need to do what we can to keep them healthy.
– You might be thinking this activity isn’t for you if you don’t live near a river or lake, but fear not! Streams, creeks, ponds, and wetlands often connect and flow into bigger bodies of water, which means it’s just as important to keep these smaller “shorelines” clean too
– Litter can mean big trouble for the animals we love – they can get caught in things like old rope or fishing lines, mistake garbage for food, or even lose their habitats as they become filled with trash
Now that you know all about the trouble with trash, it’s time to pick your favourite shoreline and get started! Here’s what you’ll need:
The Earth Rangers App is where kids go to save animals! It’s free to join and you’ll have access to real-world Missions like this one. Plus, you can adopt an animal to support conservation projects, and learn all about animals in the Wild Wire Blog.
Find activities like this, and so much more in the App!
With Earth Month over, it’s time to say goodbye to our Creature Feature series, but we’re sending it off with a fun experiment perfect for your whole pod!
Belugas are an important part of the Arctic ecosystems they call home. They are a top predator, which means changes in their populations can have huge impacts on many species down the food chain. They’re also a critical resource for Indigenous communities. Sadly climate change is threatening their habitats, but you can help! Click here to learn more.
Did you know whales live in every ocean in the world?! These widely distributed wonders are some of the most recognizable mammals on the planet, and with their bright white skin and melon-shaped heads, the beluga is no exception! With all the time they spend roaming the chilly waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, you might be wondering how they keep warm. Today we’re going to show you firsthand!
Here’s what you’ll need:
– Vegetable shortening
– Icy water in a container large enough for little hands
– Medium-sized zipper sandwich bags
– Duct tape
Here’s what to do:
1) Use one of your bags as a glove to fill the other bag about a quarter full with shortening
2) Place the glove bag inside the bag with the shortening. Fold the edges over and secure it with duct tape. The goal is to keep the inside of the glove bag clean, so that when you reach your hand into the two bags taped together you’ll only feel the shortening through the bag!
3) Now it’s time to feel the chill! Place an ungloved hand directly in the ice water container. Cold, right?! Now, place your other hand in the water using your “shortening bag” was a glove. What do you notice? The shortening acts like blubber, which is the thick layer of fat that belugas have to help protect them from the frigid temperatures they live in. Thanks to some simple science, it’s easy to see how belugas keep warm!
The Earth Rangers App is where kids go to save animals! It’s free to join and you’ll have access to real-world Missions like this one. Plus, you can adopt an animal to support conservation projects, and learn all about animals in the Wild Wire Blog.
Find activities like this, and so much more in the App!
