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Helping Out River Otters

River otters are adorable members of the weasel family.  With a sleek body and tail, short legs, webbed feet and waterproof fur, it’s made for life in the water. The river otter lives across Canada in small groups, and although its name suggests it spends all its time in rivers, it often comes onto land to find shelter, rest, and travel between different waterways. This can be a big challenge, especially in the winter, when the river otter must keep its exposure to cold and predators to a minimum.

otter

It’s really important that we learn about these special creatures so we can help to keep their habitats safe and protected. That’s why Earth Rangers has been working with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada to learn more about the open water and areas along Yukon’s shorelines that otters use to get from one waterway to another. In fact, if you adopted a river otter through the Earth Rangers app, you’ve helped to support WCS Canada. Read on and find out more about their important work!

The Project
WCS Canada investigated the size of the river otter population in an area in southern Yukon during the winter in 2019-2020. Before they did any river otter investigating, however, the researchers had some other work to do.

Led by Dr. Don Reid, researchers first divided up the shorelines they were going to visit into 500-metre-long segments. Then they looked at whether the water near each segment was likely to be open water (without ice on top). Areas with open water in winter are preferred by river otters, because it’s easy for them to get in and out of the waterway. The researchers divided up the shorelines into three categories: high likelihood of use (river otters would probably live there), low likelihood of use (river otters probably wouldn’t live there) and no use (river otters weren’t expected to be there at all).

The Investigation
How would the team figure out if river otters were living in an area? (River otters don’t have addresses, after all). Simple: just look for tracks! By looking for snow tracks near the shoreline, researchers could see where the otters came onto the land, and where they re-entered the water.

Over the course of ten days in December, Dr. Reid and the researchers got busy. First,  they visited 36 randomly chosen locations where river otters were highly likely to be found. They found otters living in 11 of the areas, and a total of 27 individual river otters were accounted for. Some otters were alone, but a group of six otters was found in one segment.

In March, the team visited different shoreline segments in the Yukon. They found the most river otters in the high likelihood areas (in 34 segments of shoreline, they found ten with otters in them, for a total of 24 river otters). They found some otters in the low likelihood areas (in 63 segments, they found river otters in five, with seven otters accounted for). And in the areas they didn’t expect to find river otters, well, they didn’t. Out of ten segments, none had evidence of river otters.

The Results
So what does this all mean? Well, the researchers discovered that it’s really, really important that otters have access to open water all year round, especially in winter. And an area is even more attractive to otters if the open water drains in to a lake.  

With this information, scientists can advise the Yukon government to map and identify these river otter habitats as Key Wildlife Areas. This will help to protect them from development and human interference. And THAT, Earth Rangers, is a huge win for the river otter!

How YOU Can Get Involved
Earth Rangers, if you love river otters as much as we do, you can help out by adopting a river otter of your very own. Log onto the Earth Rangers app and you’ll be able to add a sweet little otter to your family and help us continue to preserve the habitats of real-life river otters!


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Eco-Activity: Fall fun architect

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Today’s Eco Activity: Fall Fun Architect

We Earth Rangers love challenging you to animal-saving, Earth-loving Missions! But have you ever thought about creating your own awesome autumn nature challenge for your friends and family to try? Now’s your chance to get creative, and most importantly, get Back to Nature!

Your self-made Nature Mission should be an easy, fun challenge that gets you, your friends, and your family (safely!) outside and into nature. Maybe even turn it into a contest—Who can jump the highest into a leaf pile? Who can build the coolest stick and blanket fort? You set the rules!

Sharing is caring! We would love to see what your creative families come up with on our social media pages. Share a photo and description of your challenge and don’t forget to tag our official pages!

To hibernate or not to hibernate…

That is the question!

In honour of the changing seasons, get 80% off grizzly bear and wolverine digital adoption kits – that’s just $2 per kit!  Funds will support important conservation efforts for both species in western Canada.

The days are getting shorter and the leaves are getting browner, which means winter is coming!  And just like people, some animals are really into winter and some not so much.  In fact, two of our Adoption Projects are for animals who handle winter in completely different ways. 

First, let’s talk about wolverines.  Wolverines are built for winter, with dense fur that is coated with a special oil that prevents snow and water from sticking to it and freezing.  They also have big paws that act like snowshoes so that they can walk on deep snow, and powerful claws that help them climb up steep hills even when covered in snow and ice.

They use their strong sense of smell to find food dug deep beneath the snow throughout the winter and their sharp teeth allow them to crunch through frozen meat and bone.  Because of all these amazing adaptations, wolverines don’t need to hibernate, but females will dig dens in the snow to protect their young from the cold.

Next up, grizzly bears!  Grizzlies start packing on the pounds in the fall to prepare for winter hibernation, which can last anywhere from 4-7 months!  Male grizzlies tend to hibernate for a shorter period, whereas females with newborn cubs hibernate the longest. 

The amount of food a grizzly is able to eat prior to hibernating and temperatures in the spring can impact when the bears start and stop hibernating.  For example, if they’ve had a lot to eat they might start a little early or if it’s quite warm the spring, they may leave the den earlier than if it was still very cold.  Grizzly bears hibernate in dens that they create each year by digging – they rarely use a den twice. 

So who are you more like, a wolverine or a grizzly bear?  Do you like the cold or would you rather hide under the covers? 

To support the protection of these amazing animals, consider purchasing a digital adoption.  And for a limited time, get 80% of a digital grizzly bear and wolverine adoption kit – that’s just $2 per kit!

Download the Earth Rangers App to get your kit today!

The Grizzly Bear project is generously supported by:

In partnership with:


The Wolverine project is generously supported by:

In partnership with:

Conservation Council, the results are IN! INTRODUCING….

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We asked. You sent in hundreds of name suggestions for a powerful pair of wolverines. Our super scientist Mirjam helped us pick some of our favourites… 5 of them to be exact. And then it was all up to our Conservation Council, members just like you (who have achieved super status, more on that below)!

MEET ROCKY AND ROSE!!!

Congrats to the awesome Earth Rangers who sent in this fan-favourite name choice for these two!

There were lots of really awesome names sent through, and we really had a great time going through them all, along with Mirjam! Speaking of Mirjam, here’s a little message from her, all the way from Squamish BC where she has been working on her research this past summer!

“It’s been really fun to know that there are so many of you interested and excited about wolverines!”

Want to support Mirjam’s research on these awesome animals? Check out the Wolverine Wildlife adoptions in the Earth Rangers App, or get an adult to help you through our estore, right here You can also learn all about how Mirjam’s research is helping Candian wolverine in this awesome article!

Eco-Activity: 3 Steps to Keep Cool

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Leaves are starting to fall (along with the temperature), so autumn is definitely here! Many of us are excited for “spooky season”, but there is one thing we don’t want to be scared of: doing what we can to combat climate change, starting at home!

Earth Rangers has developed seriously COOL Missions (like Operation Conservation, Flip the Switch, and Re-set the ‘Stat, to name a few!) that tackle increased energy consumption due to seasonal changes, and we’ve borrowed a tip from each of these awesome Missions to get your fall started off right. Can you master these three simple steps to combat climate change by saving energy at home?

Don’t forget to tag us in a picture of your family completing these tasks together! We love to see Earth Rangers hard at work!

Accept one or all three of these Missions in the Earth Rangers App for more energy-saving, animal-loving fun!

Okay Earth Rangers, the results are IN! INTRODUCING….

We asked. You sent in hundreds of name suggestions for a powerful pair of wolverines. Our super scientist Mirjam helped us pick some of our favourites… 5 of them to be exact. And then it was all up to our Conservation Council, members just like you (who have achieved super status, more on that below)!


MEET ROCKY AND ROSE!!!

Congrats to the awesome Earth Rangers who sent in this fan-favourite name choice for these two!

There were lots of really awesome names sent through, and we really had a great time going through them all, along with Mirjam! Speaking of Mirjam, here’s a little message from her, all the way from Squamish BC where she has been working on her research this past summer!

“It’s been really fun to know that there are so many of you interested and excited about wolverines!”



Want to support Mirjam’s research on these awesome animals? Check out the Wolverine Wildlife adoptions in the Earth Rangers App, or get an adult to help you through our estore, right here You can also learn all about how Mirjam’s research is helping Candian wolverine in this awesome article!

It’s World Habitat Day!

We know you love animals as much as we do, and what a perfect day to celebrate them! Wondering how to make this World Habitat Day one to remember?

Check out the Habitat Hero Mission for everything you need to become a Habitat Hero for animals right in your own backyard!

A Habitat Hero is someone who helps animals by giving them shelter, food, water, or a safe place to nest. In this Mission, you’ll find out how to make a toad-ally awesome toad house, help a bird build a nest, and learn how to make 6 other mini habitats that animals will go wild for!

Did you know that you probably live near one of Canada’s most important animal habitats?

The Ontario Greenbelt surrounds cities like Hamilton and Toronto, as well as Durham, York, Peel, and Niagara Region. It’s home to 2 million acres of protected forests, wetlands, urban river valleys, and farmlands and was designated in 2005 to help preserve important greenspaces around an area growing really quickly. But it does so much more than that. It creates places to live, work, and play, and it helps keep the outdoors awesome for everyone! By building your own backyard habitat your helping make the greenbelt (and other important greenspaces all over!) more accessible to the animals that might need a little help getting from one spot to the next.

Here’s two of the awesome animals that make their homes in the Ontario Greenbelt!

Bobolink

We think this bird has one of the coolest names out there! Between its yellow and white “cap” perched on its black body, and its distinctive song, these birds are hard to miss – but sadly the grassland habitats they rely on are becoming harder and harder to find.

Eastern Milksnake

Although it might look like a Massassauga rattlesnake, the Eastern milksnake is actually non-venomous – but it doesn’t want you to think so! By mimicking the rattling tail of the venomous rattlesnake, it scares off predators that would rather play it safe. Pretty sssssneaky!

You can help celebrate these animals and more this World Habitat Day by accepting the Habitat Hero Mission!

Eco-Activity: Pressed plant bookmarks

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Today’s Eco Activity: Pressed Plant Bookmarks

Are your family members collectors of habitat treasures, especially as the summer winds down? Maybe flowers in their hair? Leaves in pockets? Tiny stones in your shoes? We’ve got a back-to-school craft that will allow you to keep these fun little bits from your summer 2020 adventures and welcome the fall season!

If you don’t already have a collection of dried flowers, leaves, or other fun stuff, take a look around your yard or a nearby open field for little works of nature’s art. As fall colours start to change, you may even find some bright and beautiful leaves you can use! Once you’ve collected your items, press your findings in the inside pages of a thick book for about 3 or 4 days.

The only other things you’ll need are:

  • Cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Contact paper, packing tape​, or a laminator
  • Single hole punch
  • Yarn, string, or jute

Let’s get crafty!

  1. Cut the cardstock into the size you’d like your bookmark to be.
  2. Use your pressed decorations to jazz up that cardstock, then cover it up with your contact paper, packing tape, or by using a laminator.
  3. Then trim off your extra plastic before punching holes and adding your yarn, string, or jute to help you easily find your pages!

Earth Rangers Can Help Stop Climate Change!

Earth Rangers, have you heard about one of our most popular missions? It’s Operation Conservation, and it’s about something extremely important: helping to stop climate change.

Quick Climate Change Reminder 

Climate change occurs when there are too many greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are made by burning fossil fuels for energy (for things like electricity, heat and transportation). The gases are trapped in the atmosphere, and this makes the whole planet warmer. When the earth warms up, the climate (the long-term type of weather in an area) changes from what it has been, historically. That means that places can experience less rain, more rain, rising waters, melting glaciers or storms that are stronger than ever before. And THAT causes problems for animals, plants, and, of course, people.

This is obviously something we’re worried about, and we know you are too.

Here’s How YOU Can Help 

Earth Rangers, even though climate change is a BIG problem, there are things that YOU can do to help stop it. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Reduce food waste. Make sure you eat everything you buy (and compost food scraps!)
  • Walk, bike, or take public transportation instead of taking the car.
  • Turn off the lights (and TV and computer) when you leave the room.
  • Recycle all of your metal and paper.
  • Use less plastic, and buy things that use less packaging.
  • Reuse as much as you can instead of buying new. Ask yourself: do I REALLY need that new thing, or can I use something I’ve already got?

And, a very important step you can take: sign up for the Operation Conservation Mission and learn about the seven energy wasters hiding in your home! Remember: the more energy that’s wasted, the more we need to make, and the more we need to make, the bigger your carbon footprint (which is the amount of greenhouse gases you make through the products you use and the actions you take). So, if you get rid of wasted energy, you help to decrease your carbon footprint, which helps to decrease the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Win-win-win!

Let’s Meet the Energy-Wasters Hiding in Your Home

Here’s a little preview of just a few of the hidden energy wasters you’ll learn about in the Operation Conservation mission:

Power Phantom – This energy waster will suck up extra energy when unused electronics and appliances are left plugged in.

Devious Draft – This drafty dude is sending cold air in through cracks in the wall and around windows, making you use up extra heat (and energy) to keep your place warm!

Terrible Tap – If you leave your taps running, the Terrible Tap is happy to drink up all of your wasted water.

There are more members of this wasteful group of villains, and YOU, Earth Ranger, have the power to stop them!

Use Your Powers for Good 

Thousands of Earth Rangers have pledged to find and stop the energy-wasters in their homes and make the world a greener, healthier place. If you haven’t accepted the Operation Conservation mission yet, now’s the time to join in the fight against climate change!

Eco-Activity: Become a Food Waste Warrior

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Today’s Eco Activity: Become a Food Waste Warrior!

Today we’re celebrating the first ever International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste – and it’s a really important day! Did you know that Canadians waste $31 billion worth of food each year? That means almost half of all the food in Canada goes out with the trash, and the energy that was used to grow, pick, package and transport is totally wasted too!

It’s really easy to accidentally let food to go waste – like the grated cheese that’s growing fuzz or lettuce that’s turned into goo at the back of the fridge. But with some planning, we can cut back on the amount of food we waste! We’re challenging you to master one of these three food-saving skills:

  • Reuse parts of food that you usually throw away. You can turn potato skins into chips, or make a soup base from the bones of your roasted chicken!
  • Multicoloured tissue paper, or newspaper (for your fishies!)
  • Make a meal out of leftovers. Omelets are a great breakfast hack for this: just toss in what didn’t get eaten the night before! And homemade pizza with leftover meats and veggies as toppings for dinner!!
  • Reorganize your fridge so that you can see everything inside. Put the “oldest” food at the front so it’s eaten first and not forgotten!

Be sure to snap a pic of your family tackling one (or all!!) of these food-saving tasks and tag us on social media so we can celebrate all the saved bites from the trash bin!!