Where does a killer whale go for braces?
The orca-dontist.
Pixel Puzzler #46: The Great Reveal
We got tons of great guesses on Part 1 of this Pixel Puzzler and now it’s time for the answer. Are you ready for the great reveal? Find out if you got it right!
The answer to this Pixel Puzzler is (drum roll please) Frog! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
Tap here for more cool stuff like this!
Nature journal
Nature journal
Time:60 min
Difficulty:Easy
Nature journals are treasures that help us grow close with our environment. Why not start one now?
- A notebook or paper to write in
- Something to write with like a pencil, pen, or marker
- Art supplies to decorate your guidebook
- Tape or glue
- Your favourite outdoor space
- Friends or family to join you
- Optional: A camera or binoculars
Here’s how you make it:
Step 1:
Make your way to your favourite outdoor space. It could be your local park, a walking trail, a beach, or even your backyard!
Step 2:
Spend some time paying attention to your environment. What do you find? What do you hear?
If you find any cool material, you can gather it for your book!
Step 3:
Now that you’re one with nature, take notes on what you find and think of! Here’s a list of ideas to inspire you:
- Draw a bug you find or animal you hear!
- Describe the weather.
- Explain why you like (or don’t like) this place?
- Stick a super-cool leaf to your notebook.
- Make a poem about something you see.
- Try to write a song as if you were a bird.
- Can you find an interesting object? What does it feel like?
Tip:
Make sure to respect nature while you’re on your adventure. Make sure you don’t disturb any animal habitats while you’re gathering your materials! If you move something, make sure you put it back.
Let the adventure begin! Don’t forget to come back and let us know how it went!
Bow’s Shoreline Story
Look down here! No, further down… HERE! Under the water.
Ahoy Earth Rangers! Bow the Rainbow Trout here to take you to one of my favorite lakes: Lake Huron.
What brings me to Lake Huron, you ask? Well I’m here to check out the beautiful shores of Manitoulin Island. It’s my dream vacation!
Manitoulin Island is super special. With an area of 2,766 km2, it’s the biggest freshwater island in the whole world. Manitoulin Island even has its own lakes—108 of them, to be exact! The island’s land and waterways are home to a ton of flora and fauna that rely on clean water to survive. Animals like frogs, river otters, beavers, bobcats, bears, and deer all call Manitoulin Island home.
This picturesque place isn’t without its problems. For example, an increasing amount of plastic trash—especially along the island’s shorelines—is threatening the island’s ecosystems. It’s sad that lake and ocean shorelines continue to be covered in trash and pollution. Is there not something we can do?
Shoreline Savers to the rescue!
We need you! Join us and work to stop shoreline pollution! Manitoulin Island and its many lakes are not the only places threatened by it – shorelines and waterways worldwide need our help. And we have the power: by keeping our shores clean, we can reduce the amount of plastic makes its way through the Earth’s waters, harming marine life.
Bow’s tips for the future
You can help fight the plastic problem in different ways! Here are a few ideas to share:
1) Use less plastic! Single-use plastics, like straws and plastic bags, are a big problem. If we stop using them as much, we’ll have less of it in our waters and on our shores. So, let’s try to use less plastic stuff in our daily lives!
2) Go on a shoreline cleanup. Whether you’re alone, with your family or friends, or part of a big cleanup group, picking up trash helps a lot. Imagine if everyone picked up just a few pieces of trash each time they went out!
3) Research! To make a difference, we should learn more about the problem. We need to understand why it’s happening and then find ways to fix it. You can read articles and books, listen to podcasts, or watch documentaries about the issue. The more we know, better we can solve the problem.
4) Spread the word. Tell others about the plastic pollution crisis by talking to friends, family members and strangers alike. You could donate to a charity that cleans up shorelines, volunteer with them, or tell others about their work. Every little bit helps to make a difference!
World Ocean Day
I’ve heard whispers that Earth Rangers like you celebrate World Ocean Day. It’s a great time to celebrate and raise awareness for the importance of oceans and water in our lives!
You can be a part of it by completing the Shoreline Saver Mission and heading out to clean your nearby shorelines! You’ll make a big difference for the wildlife like me.
Give it a try. Start by accepting the Shoreline Saver Mission in the Earth Rangers App. You’ll get tons of helpful information, tips for starting your cleanup, and more!
Our Annual Report is Live – Read it Now!
In 2023, we registered 43,375 new Earth Rangers–and they’ve been busy! In the past year alone, our members:
- Completed 107,653 environmental missions, from organizing shoreline clean-ups to planting pollinator gardens
- Logged 447,711 climate-friendly habits, from ditching single-use plastics to cooking up meatless meals
- Adopted 3,791 animals to support a wide range of vital conservation work
- Downloaded 1.2 million episodes of our award-winning podcast, enjoying endless hours of fun, kid-friendly environmental education
And that’s just scratching the surface! Our Annual Report is full of fresh insight from kids, parents, educators, and conservationists. Read it now to learn about all the ways we’re building the next generation of conservationists.
Making old things new again!
Have you ever had your fave toy break or a plushie suddenly rip? It’s a real bummer, isn’t it? But don’t worry, because we’ve got just the thing you need!
Introducing the ‘I Can Fix It’ Mission! It’s all about turning your broken toys into good-as-new treasures.
This fun mission will also show you how to be part of something we call the circular economy.
Right now we mostly live in a linear economy, meaning we make stuff, use it a little, and then toss it out when it breaks or we get bored with it. Sometimes, things are even made to break quickly on purpose so that people buy new stuff! Yikes! This wastes a lot of resources and creates a ton of trash that harms the planet.
But in the circular economy, everything is important and nothing is wasted… just like in nature!
Circular Economy:
Next time you’re thinking of throwing something away, how about giving one of these a try: Reduce, Repair, Reuse, or Recycle? Objects can be fixed, or even turned into something totally new! When we do this, we’re also helping to keep our planet clean by making less trash and pollution.
Learning from York Region!
York Region—an area in Ontario—is a great example of a community committed to the circular economy. They offer a ton of resources to help the community shift from a throw-away culture to one that Reduces, Repairs, Reuses, or Recycles. This includes things like:
- Repair Cafés, where friendly volunteers help you fix things for free!
- Libraries and Lenderies (a fun word for libraries that let you borrow things like toys, tools, sporting equipment, and other fun surprises!)
- Curbside Giveaway Days, where everyone in the community is encouraged to put unwanted items on the curb for others to take
- Specialty recycling depots for e-waste, textiles, batteries, paint, bicycles, plastic bags, and much more!
Ask a grown up to help you explore what’s near your home – you never know what eco-friendly fun is waiting for you, no matter where you live!
YOU Can Fix It!
Join our I Can Fix It! Mission to get started! You’ll learn how to repair toys, books, ceramics, and more! Just read the mission brief, find something that needs fixing, follow our easy instructions, and share your handiwork.
Let’s make old things new again!
Generously supported by
Pixel Puzzler #46: Part 1
Let’s put your identification skills to the test! Can you figure out what is hidden in this picture? Make your guess in the comments.
Check back next week for the answer!
Tap here for more cool stuff like this!
Animal Hybrids
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a tiger with a shark? Nope that’s not what a tiger shark is.
Today, I’m exploring the mystery of hybrid animals. Animals whose parents are members of different species. We’re not talking Griffons, which are half Eagle, half lion, but there are some hybrid animals out there that are quite real.
What a surprising discovery had on Emma’s trip to Spain! Hybrid animals? Isn’t that… impossible? Don’t hybrid animals come from mythology? Complete fiction?! How can there possibly “pizzly bears” out there?
THE QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Do hybrid animals really exist?
Yes! Some of these hybrids might be encouraged by humans, but others happen completely normally in nature – like the coywolf: the baby of a wolf and coyote, or the mule – a hybrid of the horse and donkey.
Most, but not all, of these hybrids are sterile. The liger or tigon (lion x tiger) and jalion (jaguar x lion). Two ligers can’t have another liger baby, but a coywolf can! Wolfdogs are also fertile, barely a hybrid species, because of how close the two animals are genetically.
Some types hybrid animals (that are not sterile) have been bred specifically by humans to “create” new species. The Savannah cat breed for example, is a hybrid of the African Serval and the Domestic Cat, while the Bengal breed is a hybrid of the wild “leopard cat” and regular housecats.
There are plenty of cool hybrids out there, like the zorse (horse x zebra), beefalo (bison X cow), cama (camel x llama) and so many more! Are there any we haven’t named that you can think of? Let us know!
Do you have a fun animal mystery you want us to explore?
Let us know in the comments in the Earth Rangers App!
Pun-tastic Riddles #VII
Pun-tastic Riddles #VII
Time:15 min
Difficulty:Medium
Who likes punny jokes? Come over here! Do you think you can you decode this riddle? Use our decoder key below!
What do you call a fish who’s the hero of their own movie?
What do you call a lion who owns a ship?
Which subject do insects do best at school?
Think you got them all? Tap on the puzzle image to see the answer!
Podcast Season Overview: The Quest for the Best
This season, Emma is racing across the United States in a high-stakes competition to find the most amazing and surprising animal facts. With her position on the podcast at stake, will she be able to defeat her competition and come out on top?
Emma is finally back at Earth Ranger’s headquarters! After her long journey to find the missing conservation legend Adelia Goodwin, she deserves a good rest – but wait: it seems like our hero is in trouble and desperately needs help. What’s going on at Earth Rangers HQ?
Emma is in trouble, her job is at stake! Turns out that while Emma was on her journey around the world searching for Adelia, someone has been secretly plotting to steal her role as the host of the Earth Rangers podcast. Ryan is new to the team and he won’t stop at nothing to take over the role of podcast host for himself Thankfully, Number 1 is giving Emma a chance to prove herself. Ryan and Emma will be racing across the U.S. and trying to collect animal facts. Whoever has the best ones will win that quest.
Check out the show notes page here
Number 1’s Rules
- On every leg of the race Number 1 will give an assignment. Emma and Ryan can pick how they research it!
- Emma and Ryan will present ONE animal fact they learned from their quest. No googling is allowed. The most interesting, or fascinating fact wins!
- The person with the most points at the end of the competition will win the role of podcast host.
- Emma and Ryan must keep their carbon footprint low. This means: Trains, buses, carpools and hiking are OK. But no air travel is allowed in this race.
The race is on! Emma and Ryan are competing to decide who will get to be the future host of the Earth Rangers podcast. Their first stop, New York City! In the Big Apple Emma is tasked to investigate the secret life of creatures from the city; but what kind of wild animals would want to live in such a bright, loud, and crowded place?
In this episode, Emma presented her first fact: some great turtle trivia! Was it enough? Ryan was able to impress Number 1 with some great bird facts of his own! The two toured New York City, Emma visiting Central Park while Ryan headed straight for the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. There’s plenty to learn about animals who live around the city, like the Painted Turtle, Musk Turtle, Box Turtle, Piping Plover, Osprey, or American Woodcock!
Check out the show notes page here
The race continues! Emma finds herself on her next assignment: Exploring one of America’s famous hiking trails. Which one did our intrepid hero pick? The Appalachian Trail! With much ground to cover, and help from a chance encounter with a certain self-proclaimed “grossologist”, will Emma catch up to Ryan?
Emma’s adventures never end! On today’s trail, she very nearly got lost! But thankfully, she was able to make a new friend who helped her find her way: Ms. Mallory! Thanks to Ms. Mallory’s help, Emma learned a lot about various creepy crawlies. With this information, she was able to impress Number 1 with her super-duper millipede facts.
Check out the show notes page here
What day is that? Earth Day! Emma comes to you with a special episode to celebrate this special day. She’s got some good news to share, and much more! What might it all be? Let’s tune in and find out.
The “Quest for the Best” isn’t about to stop Emma from enjoying this special day. Earth Day celebrates the progress that the environmental movement has made, and the impact that raising awareness has helped bring to saving animals and the planet. To celebrate, Emma mentions some pantastic news that’s worth celebrating, as well as reveals her top 5 favorite animals! The final surprise? Emma finally got to listen to the montage of sweet messages you guys have been sending to Emma and the rest of Earth Rangers headquarters!
Check out the show notes page here
Our hero’s quest is far from over! This time, Emma dives deep underground, into the world’s longest cave system. What can she learn down there, and who will finally take the lead in the quest for the best?
Emma was super lucky to get to examine the world’s longest cave system: Mammoth Cave. Several different rare animals can be found both underground and above ground around these caves. Bats, bison, prairie dogs. What else? Well, Wind Cave, National Park where Ryan visited holds some interesting elements. Ever heard of “Boxwork” wall? That’s where you can find them!
Check out the show notes page here
The Quest for the Best goes on! Today, Emma explores a unique ecosystem: The Petrified Forest. Will the rare fossilized wood of this place be the key to winning this leg of the race?
We’re onto the last stretch of this quest! Emma and Ryan both visited interesting parks this time. Emma found herself in the Petrified Forest of Arizona, where you can find some of the oldest rocks in the world! Ever heard of Petrified Wood? Did you know it was regular wood that’s now completely crystalized? Find out more about earless lizards and jackrabbits who roam these deserts!
Check out the show notes page here
The final chapter of the Quest for the Best is here!!
The score is tied and today Emma and Ryan face off with their last challenge: to share facts about the biggest mammal they can find. Who will win? Will Ryan be taking over as the new podcast host?
After so many twists and turns, the final round of The Quest for the Best has reached its end. Ryan and Emma faced off on their last challenge. Emma went to visit the Redwood National and State Park while Ryan visited the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Mountain lions, bears, whales, which animal will win the top fact?
Check out the show notes page here
Which episode was your favorite from Emma’s whirlwind tour of America? Which was the coolest fact presented to Number 1?
Do you have any other US trivia or cool animal facts that didn’t make it into the show? Let us know in the comments!
