Today we have something special – we get to listen to Earth Ranger Emma’s friend Sarah form The Big Melt podcast explain about how climate change is affecting the arctic!
Click the play button on the player below to listen to today’s episode!
We carefully collected HUNDREDS of your entries. We sent them to our wolverine expert for her scientific review. And now, we are down to the FINAL FIVE names for our Name a Wolverine contest!
Earth Rangers teamed up with University of Calgary researcher Mirjam Barrueto to learn more about the habitat needs of wolverines in western Canada. Mirjam is using motion sensor cameras, hair traps, and other methods to collect information to learn about wolverine populations, habitat quality, and how human activities are impacting where wolverines choose to live and build their dens. Once she has collected this information, it will be easier to manage how the mountain lands they are living in will be used and make sure we give them the protected space they need for years and years!
We asked YOU to submit your suggestions for two unnamed wolverines living in Mirjam’s study site. Until now, they have just been called Male #8 and Female #12… what a snore!! We had hundreds of really awesome names to choose from. After going through each and every one of your super submissions, we complied a master list and mailed it to our friend Mirjam. She has narrowed it down to only FIVE perfect pairs.
Watson and Wendy
Quill and Millie
Rocky and Rose
Hugh and Jacky
Quill and Cookie
She even sent us this video to share with our team of Earth Rangers across Canada and around the world:
Now, you’ve seen Mirjam’s feedback on her top five picks, but what do YOU think? If you’re on the Conservation Council, you have the extremely prestigious honour (that means you are extra special) of making the final decision on their names! Just tap the blue adoptions button on your screen and select Conservation Council to vote. If you’re not already on the Conservation Council, it isn’t too late to claim your spot so you can join in the final round of this name game!
No big deal, just a super awesome and totally cool elite team of Earth Rangers who get to vote to make decisions about our amazing conservation projects! Okay, it kind of is a big deal, but any Earth Ranger can join the Conservation Council! You can get on the council yourself by earning at least 10 stars through the Wildlife Adoptions Program. Download the Earth Rangers App to learn more about the Conservation Council!
Welcome, esteemed members of the Conservation Council! Our wolverine researcher Mirjam Barrueto from the University of Calgary needs your help. Your first task on this super awesome and totally cool elite team of Earth Rangers is to make the final call on the names of these two wolverines:
Watson and Wendy
“Love the combination.”
Quill and Millie
“Millie sounds so innocent and unassuming for a wolverine mom that manages to make a living in some of the steepest valleys of the Selkirks!”
Rocky and Rose
“Male #8 is certainly a ‘Rocky’! And ‘Rose’ sounds very polished for a mother of many!”
Hugh and Jacky
“No explanation needed!”
Quill and Cookie
“I love the combination. My favourite perhaps. Female #12 is such a cookie! It will make me smile every single time I mention the name! And Quill is such an appropriate name – he certainly has gotten his face full several times”
So, which will be the winning combo? Comment with your top pick from the choices below and stay tuned over the next few weeks to find out the winners!
A) Watson and Wendy B) Quill and Millie C) Rocky and Rose D) Hugh and Jacky E) Quill and Cookie
Introducing the Red Fox!
The red fox is a dog-like mammal that has a pointed face and ears, a thick and glossy coat of fur, and a long, bushy tail with a white tip. These intelligent animals can thrive throughout Canada, from rural countryside to urban backyards, and are more common in the city than people realize. In urban areas, foxes are often found near ravines, grassy fields, and large parks where small mammals—their favourite food—are plentiful. Although they adapt well to a wide variety of environments, undisturbed habitat is important to the species for denning, hunting, and raising their families. Sadly this habitat is decreasing as more homes are being built and urban areas continue to expand, which is why it’s so important that we conserve and restore them.
That’s why Earth Rangers is helping the Toronto Region Conservation Authority with the Meadoway Project, an initiative that will restore and create new wildlife habitats in a vibrant 16-kilometer expanse of greenspace that will become one of Canada’s largest urban parks! By planting native wildflowers and grasses, removing invasive species, cleaning up litter, and creating new habitats, we hope to see healthy populations of native species like the red fox in the area—and when you adopt a red fox on the Earth Rangers App, you will be directly supporting the Meadoway Project and helping red fox families thrive!
Today’s Eco Activity: Fox-faced Wordsearch
Have you ever wanted to look as cute as a red fox? Well you’re in luck! Colour and cut out this fox-faced mask and you’ll be all set to prance around in open fields, quietly sneak around a forest floor, or explore the bushes in your neighbourhood, looking for delicious prey scurrying about!
Click the image below to download your template!
Model your magnificent mask to encourage others to get involved in caring for animals by taking an active role in conservation projects with us. Post a photo showing off your sly fox style and tag our page on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! You could be featured on our page!
Think you’re super sly after a day of fox-ing about? See if you’re a true fox fan by completing this wicked wordsearch! Find the word “PROTECT”, and right underneath will be a secret seven-letter bonus code for 15 points in the Earth Rangers App!
Today’s Eco Activity: Eco-Conscious Coupon Cards!
Dad’s Day is coming up on Sunday! This Father’s Day, while we recognize our amazing dads and caregivers at home, we challenge you to use recycled materials to create a lovely DIY gift!
One easy way to be eco-friendly when gift giving is to use recycled paper for cards and crafts. Not only are forests pretty to look at and fun to explore, but they also have magical powers to keep the planet healthy. Trees help us fight climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. They also clean our water, stop soil from washing away, and are home to countless animals like deer, bears, raccoons, owls, moose, foxes, and so many more!
We should always try to use recycled materials as much as possible so that we can try to limit the use of our paper products. A great way to use recycled paper products for gift-giving is not only by making a fabulous card, but also a coupon booklet for fun and eco-loving ways to celebrate your proud papa! Think up some ways to show him (or anyone else in your life you’d love to celebrate) extra love by creating vouchers they can redeem over the summer!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Have any other ideas that your fellow Earth Rangers can include in their coupon book? Share your ideas on social media by tagging our pages on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Feel free to share your cute coupon book too!
Today’s Eco Activity: Plant Photographer
If you or a family member has access to a digital camera, or even a phone or tablet with a camera app, now is the perfect time to practice your plant photography skills! Luscious leaves and beautiful blooms are becoming more abundant now that spring is in full swing. We’re challenging you to snap some sweet captures of the plants around you that purify our air, help pollinating pals like butterflies and bumblebees, and make the world around us a prettier place!
Take a stroll around your neighbourhood and scope out some subjects to snap pics of. Looking for colourful plants and flowers in various shapes and sizes is a great way to get started. Here are some more tips to get you one step closer to being a professional plant photographer:
Plus, don’t forget about today’s awesome Facebook Live event! Join us at 2pm EST as we chat with a real-life murre researcher and what it’s like to work on conservation projects from the side of a cliff!!
Today’s Eco Activity: Egg-cellent Murre Habitat
During the summer months, the Thick-billed Murre gathers in massive colonies and breeds on seaside cliffs in the Arctic. Instead of making a nest for their eggs, these daring birds lay a single egg on the edge of a steep cliff! To prevent it from rolling over the edge, parents might gather pebbles to place them around the egg, like a mini pebble fence. They might even cover the egg and pebbles with their own poop to help it really stick. Once the hatchling is old enough, they will jump right off the cliff and glide down to the ocean, ready to take on the world!
Murres may not be the most graceful fliers with their awkward takeoff and stubby wings, but they can reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers an hour once they start soaring! Although a little goofy on land and in the air, they are truly some of the best swimmers and divers out there. When foraging for prey such as fish, squid, and other crustaceans, they are able to dive well over 100 metres into the ocean! This fabulous flying bird holds the world record for the deepest dive!
Colour these images and then cut them out. Don’t forget the Thick-Billed Murre’s signature black feathers! Colour the rocky coastal habitat on the next page, and then glue the images where they best belong!
Click the image below to download this activity!
Wanna lend a helping wing to some murres in need? Support important research to protect this species by purchasing a Thick-Billed Murre Wildlife Adoption kit!
Plus, don’t forget about tomorrow’s awesome Facebook Live event! Join us at 2pm EST as we chat with a real-life murre researcher and what it’s like to work on conservation projects from the side of a cliff!!
You can read even more about her research in this article on the Wild Wire.
Did you know that sea turtles can hold their breath up to five hours under water? Or that some species can live to be over 80 years old? What about the fact that they have existed for over 100 million years? That means they shared the planet with dinosaurs! These are some pretty fascinating creatures! But, here’s one more not-so-fun fact: out of the seven species of sea turtles in the world, six of them are either threatened or endangered.
What’s happening to the sea turtles?
Sadly, sea turtle populations are declining due to human activity.
More plastic, more problems.
Currently one of the biggest problems that sea turtles are facing is eating or getting caught up in plastic garbage. Something like a plastic bag, which looks like a yummy jellyfish, can be eaten by a sea turtle and make them very sick. A six-pack ring can get caught around a sea turtle’s neck. After hatching, baby turtles may get lost in washed-up plastic on the beach before they can even make it into the water.
Single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws, water bottles, plastic cutlery, and take-out containers are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to plastic pollution.
What are single-use plastics?
Single use plastics, or SUPs, are plastics that we use just once and then throw away. Think about the times you used a plastic straw, cup, or water bottle to have a drink. Have you eaten a meal from a takeout container using plastic cutlery? Did they all go straight into the garbage? Well, you’re not alone. SUPs are everywhere!
Some GREAT news…
Thankfully, Canada is on track to ban all of those harmful SUPs as early as 2021! This incredible effort by the Canadian government will get us one step closer to protecting the environment and our turtle friends of the sea! But until then, we need to do our part as Earth Rangers to reduce the use of SUPs in our daily lives.
Try this Earth Rangers Mission!
We are calling all Earth Rangers to protect the environment by cutting out SUPs! Accept the More Plastics More Problems mission on the Earth Rangers app and challenge yourself and your family to cut those pesky SUPs out of your life! Once you complete the mission, you will receive bonus points toward your next level and a special reward for your avatar!
Introducing the Thick-Billed Murre!
Thick-billed murres are found in Arctic waters all across the globe. Known as the “penguins of the north”, these cool looking birds have distinctive black and white feathers and are one of the deepest underwater divers of all birds, plunging to depths of over 100 metres and using their stubby little wings to “fly” through the water. Although their population is in the millions, some recent research shows declines of 20-50% in some large colonies. This is a big cause for concern, as the murres are facing dangerous threats like fishing net entanglement, ocean pollution, oil spills, and climate change.
When you adopt a thick-billed murre through the Wildlife Adoptions program, you’ll support McGill University researcher Emily Choy as she studies how thick-billed murres are using and responding to their environment on Coats Island and northern Hudson Bay. Using miniature bio-loggers, Emily will be able to track the movements of murres and measure things like heart rate, body temperature, and activity levels as they dive, fly, and hunt for food.
With this information, Emily will develop an “energy map” to assess habitat quality for these seabirds and other marine predators, and help make sure that their most important foraging areas are not being negatively impacted by human activities, like Arctic shipping traffic. Join us this Thursday at 2pm EST on Facebook Live as we chat with Emily Choy herself to learn about the murre, arctic fox, and what it’s like to work on conservation projects from the side of a cliff!!
You can read even more about her research in this awesome article on the Wild Wire Blog!
Today’s Eco Activity: Re-set The Stat!
Now that you know how climate change affects the thick-billed murre and other arctic animals, we want you to help make a difference at home! Did you know you can do that just by re-setting your thermostat?
Now that summer’s almost here it might be tempting to crank that air conditioning, but all that cold air comes at a cost to our planet. Instead of putting your air conditioner into overdrive, keep cool with these tips instead! Not only will you be reducing your household greenhouse gas emissions, you’ll be helping to slow down climate change too!
Plus, try these naturally-cool ideas to keep fresh and celebrate #GlobalWindDay… that’s today by the way!!
Hello Earth Rangers! Brrr… it can be chilly in the arctic. But guess who doesn’t mind so much… it’s the marvelous arctic fox! In today’s episode Emma studies this cute colour-changing fox, and talks to a real-life arctic fox expert to find out what life is like in the Arctic, and what the arctic fox actually says. We also hear about 4 other very peculiar types of foxes, one of which is totally fake. Can you guess which is it?
Click the play button on the player below to listen to today’s episode!
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