Animal Habitats

Animals Habitats Quiz

Time:10 min Difficulty:Medium  

Ever heard of words like “Savanna”, “Taiga” or “Rainforest”? These are only few of the different biomes animal live in! What about you? Can you guess which habitat these animals come from?

Post your results in the comments below to let us know how you did!

NEW! DIVE INTO THE BIG SPLASH CHALLENGE AND SAVE WATER!

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Is your child ready to make a splash? We’re challenging Earth Rangers across Canada to conserve water with this treasure trove of mermaid-approved tricks! 

When your child downloads the Earth Rangers App and accepts the Challenge, they’ll join thousands of other children to log easy, daily, climate-friendly habits. Our goal? Logging a whopping 120,000 habits–and showing children the power of teamwork in the fight against climate change and water waste. 

When we reach this goal, participants will earn exclusive in-app rewards for their avatars. They’ll also unlock a fantastic community reward: water quality testing equipment for both Les Scientifines, an after-school program dedicated to nurturing STEM skills and confidence in girls, and the education program of the Métis Nation of Ontario. 

Throughout the Big Splash, we’re offering children the information they need to save water in their day-to-day lives. Some of the habits kids can log include: 

A Winning Grin!

Did you know that a running faucet wastes more than four liters of water every minute? That’s like pouring eight standard-sized bottles of water down the drain! We’re encouraging kids to turn off the tap when they brush their teeth. Save water with a smile!

Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away!

It’s raining, it’s pouring – but don’t let us catch you snoring! Next time the rain rolls through your town, encourage your child to place a bucket outside! Your family can use the rainwater you collect to water your plants, wash your pets, and even clean your cars and bikes! 

Drip Detective

A leaky faucet isn’t just annoying – it can waste as much as 11,000 liters of water per year! We’re encouraging your child to become a drip detective: find faucets that are wasting water, and flag them for a plumbing fix!

All these and so many other fun habits await your child in the Earth Rangers App. How quickly do you think we can reach our goal of 120,000 water-saving habits? 

Would you Rather #59

Would you rather…

Cross a glacier or swim up a current

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

Dive in to the BIG SPLASH Challenge to help fight climate change and conserve water! Loads of rewards are up for grabs! Get started in the Challenges section of the app now

Top 5 colourful ways to stay warm!

Brrrr!! Do you feel that cold air, Earth Rangers? Winter is here, so that means it’s time to huddle up inside where it’s nice and hot… right?

Stop! Before you crank the thermostat, you should know that heating uses a ton of electricity. We’re here to tell you that there are way more fun (and colourful!) ways to keep the cold away, and they’re also good for the planet.

Today is National Sweater Day! A day that’s all about learning how to use less heat in winter, to save more energy, and to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint. And it’s superduper easy: just turn down your thermostat and pull a cozy sweater on! That’s all it takes to celebrate this underrated holiday AND save the planet.

What? Don’t have any sweet or colourful sweaters to wear? Don’t worry! Perhaps these ideas can inspire you!

Check out this list of our favorite COLOURFUL ways to stay warm!

Bright Scarves

You can wear scarves any time of the year! They are worn in many different ways, such as around your head or neck. They are a great way to stay warm when going out, but why not at home?

Colourful Socks

Socks aren’t just worn to keep dirt off your feet or make your shoes comfy – they’re super important for blood flow to our feet! This helps not just your feet, but your whole body stay warm. Plus, there’s all kinds of fun colourful socks. Why not wear some with your favourite animal on them?

Stylin’ Hats

Hats are a great fashion accessory. They can make you look fancy, serious, silly, and so much more! They’re also great at keeping your head and ears warm. Winter is a time when your head is most at risk of getting cold. Not wearing a hat outside may pose a safety concern, but why not wear it inside too? You can be fashionable AND keep your thermostat down.

Vibrant Sweaters

Sweaters are soft, snuggly, and super colourful, which is why we celebrate National Sweater Day! Sweaters are much better than regular shirts at trapping our body temperature. There’s no limit to the number of layers you can add. Why not combine two sweaters by wearing one on top? You’ll feel toasty, like a marshmallow!

Snuggly Blankets

Let’s not forget blankets! Not only do you use one to sleep every night, but getting all snuggled up under a blanket can make both people and animals feel comfortable and safe. Aren’t they very relaxing? They’re also a great cold-buster! Like everything else, they trap your body heat and keep the cold away. Better still – you can wrap your whole body in a blanket and pretend you’re a worm, snake, or other slithering creature (just don’t scare your parents)!

Which is these ideas inspired you the most? Have you tried turning down the thermostat and using these before? Are you planning on celebrating National Sweater Day? Let us know in the comments!

Check out our other Reset the ‘stat blogs:

Did you know that turning down your thermostat in the winter can actually help slow down climate change? Learn more in the Re-set the ‘stat Mission in the Missions section in the Earth Rangers App!

Pixel Puzzler #40: 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!

Silhouette in a Jar

Silhouette in a Jar

Time:15 min Difficulty:Easy  

Let’s try to capture light in a jar! Who knows? You might see some special silhouettes casting their shadows…

Here’s what you need:

  • An upcycled Mason Jar
  • Paint or Paint-based markers
  • Scissors
  • Flameless candles
  • Paper
    Tip: Upcycle an old piece of paper or newspaper instead of using something new

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Clean out the jar and make sure all of the labels have been removed.

Step 2: Wrap a paper around your jar. Trace a line where your paper ends, this will help you know what size to draw thing! Cut out any extra paper so you have just the right size for your jar.

Step 3: Outline a small scene on your paper!
You can draw an environment (forest, town, etc…), an animal, or both!

Step 4: Slide the paper into your jar. With a marker or paintbrush, trace your outline onto the glass jar.

Step 5: Outline done, time to paint it in to create your silhouette.

Now you have a cool silhouette scene! Just turn on your flameless candles, place them in the middle of your jar, and admire the artwork.

Ask Peter Soroye Anything About Swift Foxes!

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Just how swift is a swift fox? What makes them different from other foxes? Where do they live, and how can we keep their habitats safe?

Whatever questions you might have about swift foxes, our resident expert Peter Soroye is here to answer them! He’s a researcher who works with the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada to identify and protect Key Biodiversity Areas: the most important places in the world for species and their habitats. Peter works in Saskatchewan’s grasslands, a Key Biodiversity Area that’s home to swift foxes and many other species!

This is your chance to ask Peter Soroye anything you want to know about swift foxes, Saskatchewan’s grasslands, or what makes a Key Biodiversity Area so key. Comment on this article with your questions, and we’ll send them off to Peter so he can answer a few of his favourites. Stay tuned on the Wild Wire blog for his responses – and more chances to ask our researchers questions!

In the meantime, head to the Adoptions section in the Earth Rangers App to adopt your own swift fox and learn more about Peter’s work!

Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #20

What tree fits in your hand?

A palm tree.

Ultimate Green Energy Showdown

Hey Earth Rangers! Do you know about clean energy? 

Clean energy is going to be super important for saving our planet. We’re going to talk about three types today: Hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy.

How do they work? Is one better than the rest? Which would win the Ultimate Green Energy Showdown???

Hydropower

Hydropower has been around for ages! In ancient times, it helped people with things like milling wheat. Now, it’s a major source of electricity. We harness hydropower from rivers and oceans using turbines or water wheels. When these spin, they generate electricity. How awesome is that?

We’ve got the power: Want to see hydropower in action? Try building your own water wheel! All you need is a paper plate, cups, a skewer or straw, and tape or glue!

Wind Energy

Wind is fantastic! It moves boats, spins windmills, gives us a nice breeze, and can even make electricity. Wind turbines can be put in windy places like hills, open plains, or near water. When the propellers spin, they create electricity. How wind-erful is that?

We’ve got the power: You can totally make your own wind turbine! It only takes a few items to put one together, so what’s stopping you?

Solar Energy

Solar energy has been around… forever! After all, the sun is older than the Earth. Using it for electricity is a newer idea. In the past, people used glass or mirrors to capture the sun’s rays and make fires. Now, we use solar panels with photovoltaic cells. These cells generate electricity when they get hit by light, through a process called the “photovoltaic effect.”

We’ve got the power: You can capture your own solar power! Why not build a solar oven? We’ve got a cool Solar S’mores recipe you can bake inside it!

Which of these green energies do you think is the best? Have you tried any of the experiments? Let us know in the comments!

There’s a lot more to learn about renewable energy! You can expand your knowledge by checking out the We’ve Got the Power Mission on the Earth Rangers app to learn more about the many kinds of clean and green energy. Accept the “We’ve got the power” mission to find out how you can make your very own wind turbine or water wheel.

Snow Crystal Suncatcher

Snow Crystal Suncatcher

Time:60+ min Difficulty:Easy  

Gather some dried flowers, it’s time to bring the sun to the cold winter season! What better way to catch it than with a sun catcher?

Here’s what you need:

  • Natural materials to freeze (Dried leaves, flowers, branches, rocks, ect…
  • Water
  • Paper plate or shallow plastic container
  • String or yarn
  • Optional: Food colouring

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1:

Head out to your favourite outdoor space to gather materials for your suncatcher! Sticks are a must but the rest is up to you! You can use rocks, sticks, leafs, pinecones, shells, berries or anything else you find.

TIP:
Make sure you don’t disturb any animal habitats while you’re gathering your materials!

Step 2:

When you’re back home, grab your plate or container, fill it with water. 
Place your nature materials in the water and arrange them. Do you want to try making a specific design?

OPTIONAL: If you want to give your sun catcher some colors, you can add some drops of food colouring.

Step 3:

Fold your string in half and lay the tip in the water. Be careful to keep the loop part out of the water so it doesn’t get frozen! You need it to hang your finished sun catcher.

Step 4:

Leave your suncatcher outside in the cold to let them freeze. If it isn’t freezing temperature, you can use your freezer instead for the same results! 

Step 5:

Once your suncatcher is fully frozen, hang it outside and enjoy the view!

There you have it, you caught the sun! What material did you use in your suncatcher? Where did you hang it? Let us know in the comments below.