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!
It’s that time of year again, Earth Rangers: time for a spring clean! Alright alright, that doesn’t sound super fun, we get it – but we’re changing that with today’s eco-activity: we want you to build your best battery-collecting robot to battle your family’s dead batteries!
Here’s how to make your Battery Bot:
1. First, decide what your Bot will look like. Draw it out on a piece of paper to help you figure out what parts you need, then gather your supplies. All bots need a body big enough to hold your batteries, but the sky’s the limit after that!
2. Now it’s time to build your Bot! Use glue or tape to attach toilet paper rolls for arms or legs, or extra cardboard boxes to make a head or bigger body.
3. Decide where your Bot’s battery collecting mouth will go, and with the help of an adult cut out an opening big enough to fit your batteries.
4. Get creative and bring your Bot to life by decorating it with your fave supplies! Need some inspiration? Try a Business Bot complete with shirt and tie, or get colourful with a Beach Bot rocking the coolest sunglasses and a tie-dye tee!
Once your Bot is done, it’s ready for battle! Collect dead batteries from around the house (safely storing them in individual plastic bags or taping the ends before you feed them to your Bot) and load up your Battery Buddy’s belly!
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 all about trees! Our planet is actually home to over three trillion trees! That might seem like a huge number but the truth is we need even more as trees are essential for our environment to remain healthy!
So, what makes a tree a tree? Well, they are typically defined as a woody
plant with a tall stem (the trunk) with a defined crown of branches and leaves.
Trees come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small while others can reach over
heights of over 110 meters tall. That’s almost double the height of the CN
tower, the largest building in Canada!
Unlike many plants that only survival for a year, trees are perennials
meaning they survive all year round only slowing their growing during the
colder winter months. In fact, some
trees on our planet have lived to be over five thousand years old! Wow!
Trees are extremely important to all
animals! They provide many species with
habitat, shelter and delicious foods like seeds, nuts and fruits. For thousands of years, trees have also been
vital for human survival providing us with firewood for cooking and heat and
building materials for shelter, tools and furniture among so many other
things. However, the most amazing thing about
trees has to do with a process called photosynthesis.
When we think of trees, we immediately think of
forests, but trees can survive on almost every surface of the planet, from
mountains to grasslands and even deserts. That is because trees are very hardy
plants that only need four main things to survive; sunlight, air, water and
nutrients from the soil. Water and
nutrients are absorbed through the tree’s root and travel up the stem,
eventually reaching the leaves. The leaves contain tiny pores called stomata
that absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Sunlight, along with tiny compounds
called chlorophyll (which is what gives plants their green color) jumpstart a
process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis helps turn all these components
into glucose, which is energy that the plant needs to survive. This process
also releases oxygen back into the air which all living creatures need to
survive. So, the next time you take a
big breath of fresh air, remember to thank a tree!
In addition to releasing oxygen into the environment, trees also absorb excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is very important in recent years as carbon dioxide is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun, causing the temperature of the planet to rise steadily year after year. This is a process known as climate change. Climate change affects all living things on our planet, creating unpredictable weather patterns and rising sea levels.
Unfortunately, deforestation is a real problem
as humans cut down trees to make room for agriculture and urbanization as the
human population continues to grow. As Earth Rangers, it’s our responsibility
to protect our existing trees while planting new ones.
That’s why Earth Rangers is very excited to be
partnering with the British High Commission, or BHC, to raise awareness about
climate change and give kids the tools to take concrete and positive action for
the future of our planet! Together we
will be launching a series of climate-themed activities as part of the Earth Rangers’
Mission Program.
As today is Arbor Day, it’s the perfect time accept the Just 1 Tree Mission! Scientists believe that two of the best ways we can prepare for climate change are to protect existing habitats and create new ones. So, what are you waiting for? Even doing something as simple as planting just ONE tree can make a huge difference for animals, humans and the whole planet!
For this week’s Creature Feature, we’re highlighting one of Canada’s grrreatest and grrrrandest: the Grizzly Bear!
Grizzly bears are one of the most epic creatures in Canada’s wilderness. Weighing as much as a grand piano, these massive mammals are found in the cooler climates of Alaska, Canada, and Russia. They’re mostly solitary with big territories, but unfortunately their homes are under threat. That’s why it’s so important we protect the places they’re found! Click here to learn more.
For today’s crafty Creature Feature, Earth Ranger Judy has put together another awesome activity: time to build-a-bear! Here’s how:
1. Click here to download the grizzly bear template, then either print it or draw out your own. Colour in all of the shapes except the circle with the nose & mouth. Since we’re doing a common grizzly bear, colour everything brown. Don’t be afraid to get fancy with the shading!
2. Cut out the shapes, then colour the backsides too – since this is a 3D craft, all sides of the paper will show.
3. Use your glue stick to glue the nose & mouth, then glue the eyes on.
4. Once that is done, glue the head onto the front legs (the one without the tail). About half of the head should be overlapping.
5. Grab your strips and glue the corner of one strip over the corner of another, forming an “L” shape.
6. Begin to overlap the strips one over the other, going back and forth while maintaining an “L” shape. (Pro tip: keep the strips perpendicular as you go).
7. At the end, glue down whatever is left of the strips to give you an accordion-looking shape.
8. Glue one side of the accordion behind the front legs with the face facing outwards, then glue the other side of the accordion to the back legs, making sure the tail is facing outwards. And just like that, you’ve got yourself a grizzly!
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!
It’s a special day today, and to celebrate, we’ve got a TON of exciting things coming your way, including this special edition Earth Day eco-activity! Think you’re smarter than an Earth Ranger? Put on your thinking cap and test your knowledge with this Earth Day Trivia Challenge! Try to answer these questions and when you’re ready to see how you did, click here!
Don’t forget: we’ve got 3 exciting offers to help you take your animal-saving journey to the next level this Earth Month!
Welcome back to another Creature Feature! Ready for the buzz on this week’s guest of honour?
Did you know that 1 out of every 3 or 4 bites of food you eat was grown with the help of a bee? They pollinate flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and these helpful insects are anything but pests! There are over 40 recorded species of bumblebees in Canada, and the Western bumblebee was once considered one of the most common. But sadly, the species has experienced a big population decline, and are losing their habitats to development and agriculture. That’s why it’s so important we do our part to protect the spaces they call home! Click here to learn more.
Now that you’re basically a bee brainiac, think you can spot the difference between these two pics? Drawn by hand by our very own Earth Ranger Judy (we can hardly beelieve it!), there are 5 major differences beetween these images. Click them to download bigger versions if you need, or to check your answers when you’re done!
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!
Forest, wetland, arctic, desert, ocean, rainforest – what do all of these have in common? They are all different kinds of animal habitats! Today we are challenging you to choose two very different habitats and explore what sets them apart. Meadow vs marsh? Ocean vs mountains? Forest vs your own backyard? Take your pick!
The best animal habitats are the ones where you’ll find everything an animal needs to survive, including shelter, comfortable climate, the right amount of food and water, space to live comfortably, and the ability to find a mate. Survival needs are different between types of animals, and that’s why different animals are found in unique places. You wouldn’t find a shark in a Canadian lake or a deer trotting through the arctic tundra!
When we do things to change our environment, like build houses and roads, it gets harder and harder for animals to find the habitat they need to survive. This Earth Month, make sure you’re doing all you can to keep your local animals happy and healthy by treating their homes with respect.
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!
