Super Ranger Joel is creating quite a buzz!

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October 25, 2017

Super Ranger Joel is creating quite a buzz!

Joel, a member of Earth Rangers, is dedicated to making a different – especially when it comes to protecting Bees and Other Pollinators! Ranger Joel has something to be extremely proud of, and his enterprising ideas have started quite the buzz: Ranger Joel has become quite the entrepreneur, proving that one person CAN make a difference!

Initially inspired by Earth Rangers to make a Bee Condo, Ranger Joel wanted to go one step further and make a big difference, and his work? Well, let’s just say it hasn’t gone unnoticed! His Bee Condo Project is absolutely BUZZing: His Bee Condos seem to be spreading all over the countryside in Newfoundland and Labrador, where Ranger Joel’s project is based. He has sold over FIFTY Bee Condos, and on National Bee Day he even spoke about the significance of his project; educating both kids and adults in the importance of bees and other pollinators! Joel’s project is called Joel’s Bee Factory, and he says that the business is important because “…the bee condos protect the bees. Like, not all bees live in hives so they have their babies in their nests.” By providing a safe home for the bees, Joel makes sure that they are able to create nests and keep their hives safe. Now that’s something to buzz about!

Ranger Joel says, “I build the bee condos myself, and sell them. I also explain to people the importance of bees. I recently did a presentation on Bee Condos to the Nature Club at the Fluvarium. I’ve also visited Manuels River Interpretation Centre and installed 6 Bee Condos along their walking trails.” This summer Joel donated some of his Bee Condos to a local camp at the Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre, and he was also asked to join staff at Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in an effort to provide a safe-haven for bees!

Earth Rangers isn’t the first organization to take note of Joel’s Bee Factory. In fact, Ranger Joel has been featured in a local Magazine called “Downhome”, he’s been interviewed by CBC, and (wait for it) he has even been noticed by Dragons Den! Wow, Ranger Joel, that’s pretty impressive!

Even with a buzzing business, Ranger Joel still finds time to continue being an active member of Earth Rangers! Ranger Joel says, “I learned about Earth Rangers through a television commercial”, and he says that he knew right away that Earth Rangers was on a similar mission: protecting the natural environment and saving animals and their habitats! Since discovering Earth Rangers, Ranger Joel has been an avid member completing important missions to help green his community like Shoreline Saver and of course Pollinator Power. He planted native pollinating flowers and vegetables in his own back-yard, and (you guessed it) he also installed one of his very own Bee Condos! Though we might be highlighting Joel’s Bee Factory, and his work for Bees and Other Pollinators, Ranger Joel is also an avid recycler. Ranger Joel says, “My family lives by The Three R’s; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – recycling is very important.” Joel and his family strive to save as much energy as they can to help reduce their carbon footprint: “We reduce by ensuring we don’t over use energy or water in our home, we reuse by making sure we have reusable items like water bottles or grocery tote-bags, and we recycle anything that can’t be reused – that way we make sure nothing ends up in our landfills that doesn’t belong there.”

So, you might be wondering what’s next for Ranger Joel? Well, Joel intends to keep his business buzzing! “On September 17th I showcased my work at the Annual Heart and Stroke Newfoundland Mini-Farmers Market “Heart in the Park”. Ranger Joel’s hard work doesn’t just help save bees by providing them with a home; his work also promotes important conversations about protecting nature and animals.

With that in mind, Ranger Joel wants to leave us with one very important message: “It’s important to protect Bees,” he says, highlighting the fact that bees are essential pollinators. “If we don’t protect them we will mess up the whole food chain.”

Thanks so much for all of your absolutely AMAZING hard work Ranger Joel! You truly are an earth-saving hero!

Want to be an earth-saving hero like Ranger Joel? Check out these Missions!

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Whatever you do, DO NOT YAWN!

Earth Rangers

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October 20, 2017

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These animals are so sleepy, it’s contagious. We bet you can’t make it through this whole video without yawning. Press play and see how you score on the yawn-o-meter!

Did you beat the challenge? If not, which animal made you yawn? Let us know by leaving a comment!

The Best Wildlife Pictures of 2017

Earth Rangers

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September 27, 2017

598

Every year, thousands of photographers submit pictures to London’s Natural History Museum in hopes of being crowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year. From seals under the ice to a hungry arctic fox, 2017’s pictures are pretty amazing! Here are a few of the finalists:

Swim gym by Laurent Ballesta (France)

A mother seal and her pup play under the ice in east Antarctica. Finalist 2017, Behaviour: Mammals.

Arctic treasure by Sergey Gorshkov (Russia)

A hungry arctic fox snatches an egg from a snow goose nest. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits.

Glimpse of a lynx by Laura Albiac Vilas (Spain)

A lynx living in the Sierra de Andújar natural park in Spain. Finalist 2017, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14 Years.

Winter pause by Mats Andersson (Sweden)

A squirrel trying to keep warm on a cold winter morning. Finalist 2017, Black and White.

The insiders by Qing Lin (China)

Clown fish and the parasitic isopods that live inside their mouths. Finalist 2017, Under Water.

Bold eagle by Klaus Nigge (Germany)

A very wet bald eagle. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits

Sewage surfer by Justin Hofman (US)

A seahorse catches a ride on a floating cottonbud near Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. Finalist 2017, The Wildlife Photojournalist Award: Single Image

Saguaro twist by Jack Dykinga (US)

A saguaro cacti in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert National Monument. Finalist 2017, Plants and Fungi

Bear hug by Ashleigh Scully (US)

A young brown bear cub wants to play. Finalist 2017, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14 Years

Resplendent delivery by Tyohar Kastiel (Israel)

A male resplendent quetzal on its way to deliver food to its chicks. Finalist 2017, Behaviour: Birds

The power of the matriarch by David Lloyd (New Zealand/UK)

A female elephant from Kenya’s Maasai Mara national reserve. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits

The Power of the matriarch-large — Photograph: David Lloyd/2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Let us know which of these pictures is your favourite!

Super Ranger James is electrically plugged in!

Earth Rangers

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September 20, 2017

317

Super Ranger James is electrically plugged in!

Ranger James attended the Electric Vehicle Conference in Toronto a few months ago to share his two passions: electric vehicles and being an Earth Ranger!

When James was 7 years old, he learned that the planet was in trouble and polar bear populations were decreasing. Ranger James sprung into action by becoming an Earth Rangers member.

Now at age 11, James spends a lot of time outdoors enjoying nature, is a long-distance runner, and has taken a keen interest in electric vehicles. Attending the Electric Vehicle Conference was really important to him and while there he was able to speak to a few key individuals that helped set up the event. “I wanted to have a car company before I became an Earth Ranger. I went to a car show with my Dad when I was 6. My Dad showed me how electric vehicles are better cars so it came together with saving the earth,” says James. “I wanted to learn more about EV’s and learn more about business”

Ranger James shared the following message with conference attendees: “Thank you for being plugged in, and don’t unplug yourself,” He also thanked companies at the event for “doing what you do for the environment!” Ranger James is always sure to tell green businesses that they are Earth Rangers too. While attending the event, Ranger James had the opportunity to interview some really interesting people from various companies including Havelaar, Ford, Aviva insurance (who sponsored the Plug n Drive), and Electric Vehicle Society. He also met the President of Electric Mobility Canada as well as many members from the EMC board!

So, what’s next for Ranger James? “I want to meet Elon Musk. And going to the Novi show in Detroit in September. And I want to learn French. And I’m working on my own electric car company. I am working on saving the Earth one person at a time. In my Youtube channel and my social media, I am going to get tens of thousands of followers. the reason I’m not saying “hoping” is because I know I will do it!” – sounds amazing! Ranger James leaves us with an important statement: “Go Green and Drive electric!”

Thank you to Ranger James for sharing his electrifying story!

Want to “go green” like Ranger James? Check out these Missions!

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Meet the other bird that’s named after Canada

Earth Rangers

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August 31, 2017

260

Meet the other bird that’s named after Canada

We all know the Canada goose. They are instantly recognizable with their white chinstrap and black head and neck, but did you know that they aren’t the only bird that shares its name with our great country?

Meet the Canada warbler!

This small yellow and grey songbird weighs just 9-13 grams or about as much as 6 playing cards. They eat mostly insects, especially flies, but they have been known to also eat spiders, snails, worms and sometimes fruit.

They were first discovered in Canada (hence their name) but they don’t spend all year here. During the winter, they will fly all the way down to South America to get away from the cold. Then, when the weather warms up, they fly north and settle down in Canada or northern United States.

Both the Canada goose and the Canada warbler spend at least part of the year living in the boreal forest. They are just 2 of the over 200 bird species that rely on this forest to survive.

If we want to keep our feathery friends healthy, we need to be careful about how we use our forests, and the Canadian forestry sector is on the job! They make sure we aren’t cutting down too many trees and we’re leaving the forest in good shape for birds and other animals. Not only that, they also protect and restore bird habitat, and work with conservation groups to conduct bird surveys and map their populations. The Canadian forestry sector is making sure that working forests work for birds!

Which Canada bird do you think is cooler:
Canada warbler or Canada goose?

In partnership with

Super Ranger Sara is un-BEE-lievable!

Earth Rangers

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July 17, 2017

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“My name is Sara, I’m 8 years old. A few weeks ago I heard about Earth Rangers on TV. I have a passion for animals so I asked my mom to sign me up for Earth Rangers.

I decided to protect bees because they are endangered and they are very valuable animals .
In order to raise money I made bees out of rocks and I bought stuffed animals and labeled them saying, “SAVE THE BEES”.
I worked very hard to make them and sell them everywhere I went with my parents. I also made an effort to demonstrate to people how important it is to help save and protect bees.

I care very much about this cause that I’m planting flowers in my garden and I also put a bee condo in my backyard.
I collected over $500 to support the campaign for the bees and helped spread awareness.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity!”

Ranger Sara hopes to be a veterinarian one day, and really wishes she could live on a farm with lots of different animals to take care of. Right now, she spends lots of time with her dog Hunter.

Ranger Sara has been working hard to make sure bees and other pollinators are recognized, protected and celebrated! Sara became an Earth Ranger in April 2017 and held a Bees & Other Pollinators fundraising campaign right away! She collected and painted rocks to look like bees and bought bee stuffed animals to raise over $500 towards her campaign. What an incredible idea!

While Sara was fundraising, she completed the 2 Missions as part of her Earth Rangers journey. First, she headed outside to her backyard and planted flowers such as lavender, sunflowers and hortensia. Next, Sara went a step further and created a bee condo for bees to find a safe place to nest. She also makes an effort to tell everyone she meets about the importance of planting flowers and adding bee condos to their gardens. Find out how you can make your very own bee condo with a parent/guardian by clicking here!

For her second completed Mission, Ranger Sara collected over 700 used batteries as part of the Battery Blitz Mission: “It made me very sad, that some people just put them in the garbage. I think we have to make more of an effort to advertise it and where people can recycle them,” Sara tells us.

Let’s hear what else Ranger Sara does on a daily basis to lead an environmentally-friendly lifestyle: “We are using eco-friendly, toxic-free cleaning products at home. We are not using plastic water bottles and are drinking filtered tap water instead. We recycle at home and everywhere we go. I use public transportation (school bus) to go to school instead of asking my parents to drop me off, and I bring litter-free lunches to school every day” – Wow! It sounds like Sara is really paying attention to how her actions can make an impact on the earth!

Sara, why is it important to protect animals and the environment?
“It is important to protect our environment, because our future depends on it. We must all work together to make efforts to save water, protect the soil and air from pollution. Keep the plants and animals alive because once we are out of something we are out of it. What I advocate to my friends is that we should not litter the environment and we should avoid the use of plastic water bottles, plastic bags and always recycle batteries. My parents always guide me to not use more than I need”

Thank you Ranger Sara for your amazing earth-saving work!

Click on the button below to start a Bees & Other Pollinators campaign today!

Brady and Jacob are on a Mission!

Earth Rangers

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June 8, 2017

586

Earth Rangers brothers Brady and Jacob have worked together to complete 11 Missions and Bring Back the Wild campaigns!

Brady, age 5, and Jacob (almost 8 years old!) make eco-friendly choices every day and have shared their enthusiasm for protecting the earth by completing Earth Rangers Missions and raising funds to protect their favourite animals through their Bring Back the Wild campaigns! They both became Earth Rangers in February 2017 after their mom heard about Earth Rangers from a friend at work – she was excited to show Brady and Jacob a Canadian organization that taught them how to take care of the environment and help animals!

Since then, the brothers have completed almost all of the Earth Rangers Missions which they find a lot of fun! Jacob’s favourite Mission was Toxic Takedown: “It was so cool making plastic from milk and vinegar. It was also really neat to see the baking soda and vinegar drainer cleaner work!” Brady’s favourite Mission was Shoreline Saver: “We were saving the earth by cleaning up all of the yucky garbage. We filled lots of garbage bags”

Ranger Jacob completing his Toxic Takedown Mission

Ranger Brady completing his Shoreline Saver Mission

Brady and Jacob have also completed Outdoor Explorer, ATK in Action, Back to Nature, Spring Green-Up and Pollinator Power, just to name a few! These Missions have helped them put their eco-friendly choices into practice, at home and within their community: “At home, we recycle everything that we can. Mom always tells us Earth Rangers to check for lights and turn the ones off we aren’t using (she actually calls us Earth Rangers when we are making earth-friendly decisions!). Now that it’s nice outside, we walk/bike to and from school as many days as we can,” says Jacob.

“I pick up the garbage I see at the parks to help keep it clean. Here’s a picture of me picking up some garbage at my brother’s baseball game,” shares Brady.

The brothers have not only been working hard on their Missions, but they’ve also held their own Bring Back the Wild fundraising campaigns, raising over $300 each towards their Midland Painted Turtles and Bees & Other Pollinators campaigns! To exceed their fundraising goals, they created and sold postcards with funny sayings! Jacob brought his fundraising to his school, and actually started the process in getting Earth Rangers to present on April 26 where Jacob was asked to be part of the presentation!

Jacob: “I chose to help the Bees & Other Pollinators because they are important for helping food and plants grow”
Brady: “Turtles are my favourite! I wanted to save the Midland Painted Turtles”

Most of all, the brothers are super passionate about protecting the environment and are really happy to continue sharing their love for animals and the world. Let’s hear about why they think it’s important to make earth-saving choices every day:

Jacob: “It’s important to protect animals and the environment because the earth could get sick and die if we don’t take care of it. We only have one earth and we need to take care of it and the animals that live here. The future of the environment and wildlife depends on how we treat them now”

Brady: “It’s important to protect animals and the environment because the earth needs to be save and taken care of for future kids”

Thank you to Ranger Brady and Ranger Jacob on their creative and thoughtful work!

Click on the link below to Accept your next Mission today!

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A Love of Animals Runs Deep with Super Ranger Varielle

Earth Rangers

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April 3, 2017

358

A Love of Animals Runs Deep with Super Ranger Varielle

Ranger Varielle has always loved animals, and has worked really hard to help protect them and their environment! She makes sure to take part in eco-friendly activities on a daily basis and involves her friends and family in her passion for conservation.

Varielle learned about Earth Rangers from a commercial on television and has been a dedicated Ranger ever since. She began her journey by completing two Bring Back the Wild fundraising campaigns. First, she raised $260 towards her Swift Fox campaign in May 2015, and then raised $180 towards her Peregrine Falcons in May 2016. In true Earth Rangers style, she wore her Earth Rangers t-shirt, badge and even made a custom donation box and went door-to-door with her dad and asking for donations. Have a look at Varielle in earth-saving action:

Varielle is always looking for ways to get involved and used the Earth Rangers Homemade Holiday Mission to give back to her community. She designed and made Christmas cards for Operation Christmas Child, filled shoeboxes with toys, supplies, stamps and stickers for children in need and placed a homemade card in each box. She makes sure she and her family recycle and use compost at home. Varielle even helps local wildlife when she sees they might be in trouble. She helped return a baby squirrel back into a tree to its mother after falling off a brick wall at her school. On bike rides with her dad, Varielle takes seeds with her to plant around the park. She also made “Do Not Litter” posters and hung them on mail boxes and street posts around the neighbourhood with her family to help spread the word:

Last year, Varielle was featured on “Coffee with Clover,” a Rogers TV program with host Clover Stirling, and talked about her experience as an official Earth Ranger as well as her dedication to making an environmental difference:

“I want to tell other kids that it is very important to protect animals because if we do not have animals like bees, wasps or even some lemurs to pollinate there would be no plants or trees. And if we do not have trees we would not be able to breathe good oxygen” – Ranger Varielle

Thank you to Super Ranger Varielle for sharing her incredible story with us and reminding us how important it is to share your passion for animals and the environment with friends and family. Keep up the amazing earth-saving journey, Ranger Varielle!

Your next Mission: What’s at Steak

Earth Rangers

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March 20, 2017

608

For this Mission, it’s time to get cooking! We’re taking a look at the way our food choices, particularly around meat, impact the environment. Keep reading to learn more!

Whether it’s bacon for breakfast, deli meat for lunch or meatloaf for dinner, we have a lot of choices when it comes to meat. But did you know that while we’re filling our tummies, we’re also contributing to climate change?

For most of us, the meat we eat comes from livestock (animals like cows, pigs and chickens) and we’re eating so much meat, that raising livestock has become a big source of greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing the planet to warm faster than it has in the past.

animals-hurt-by-cc — As the global temperature rises, animals all over the world are feeling the impact.

That’s why we’re challenging you to go meat-free one day a week!

Don’t panic – it’s easier than you think. Pick a day of the week that works best and then leave the meat behind. You can choose a meat-free pizza, make your spaghetti without meatballs, or go with a veggie burger instead of a beef patty. You can even have mac and cheese!

Once you’ve figured out what you’re going to eat, grab your chef’s hat because it’s time to get cooking! Choose one of the day’s meals to cook with your family!

When you accept the What’s at Steak Mission, you’ll get:
• a Mission brief with meat-free meal tips to help you on your meat-free day
• a recipe card to write down your favourite meat-free recipe
• instructions to make your own chef’s hat
• a list of meat-free alternatives to keep handy in your kitchen

Funding provided in part by:

Top Ten Even Funnier Animal Jokes

Earth Rangers

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January 26, 2017

804

Ever wonder why a flamingo lifts one leg or what happens when 99 rabbits step backwards? Watch a gibbon tell these and other hilarious jokes to some friends and it will be sure to tickle your funny bone! Let us know which joke is your favourite by leaving a comment.

Earth Rangers

Earth Rangers

Did you beat the challenge? If not, which animal made you yawn? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Swim gym by Laurent Ballesta (France)

Arctic treasure by Sergey Gorshkov (Russia)

Glimpse of a lynx by Laura Albiac Vilas (Spain)

Winter pause by Mats Andersson (Sweden)

The insiders by Qing Lin (China)

Bold eagle by Klaus Nigge (Germany)

Sewage surfer by Justin Hofman (US)

Saguaro twist by Jack Dykinga (US)

Bear hug by Ashleigh Scully (US)

Resplendent delivery by Tyohar Kastiel (Israel)

The power of the matriarch by David Lloyd (New Zealand/UK)

Let us know which of these pictures is your favourite!

Meet the Canada warbler!

Which Canada bird do you think is cooler: Canada warbler or Canada goose?

In partnership with

Thank you Ranger Sara for your amazing earth-saving work!

Click on the button below to start a Bees & Other Pollinators campaign today!

Thank you to Ranger Brady and Ranger Jacob on their creative and thoughtful work!

Click on the link below to Accept your next Mission today!

Thank you to Super Ranger Varielle for sharing her incredible story with us and reminding us how important it is to share your passion for animals and the environment with friends and family. Keep up the amazing earth-saving journey, Ranger Varielle!

That’s why we’re challenging you to go meat-free one day a week!

Want more? Check out the original Top Ten Animal Jokes and you’ll be LOLing in no time!

Which Canada bird do you think is cooler:
Canada warbler or Canada goose?