Time:15 min
Difficulty:Hard
Did you know that there are about 320 different species of turtles? See how well you know our turtley awesome turtle pals with a quick game of NAME THAT TURTLE!
As Earth Rangers, we know how important it is to avoid single-use plastics (SUPs). Since plastic can’t fully break down, it sticks around for ages and becomes especially dangerous for wildlife. We like to do our part by recycling what we can, and avoiding what we can’t. We have reusable water bottles and bags, we stopped using plastic straws… but what other SUPs can we look out for?
Check out this list of common items that are surprisingly SUPs!
That teeny tiny glimmering glitter is really pretty, but it can also be really harmful. It’s super easy for glitter particles to reach waterways, where lots of animals mistake it for food. Most glitter is made of PET plastic, which means it breaks down just enough to release harmful chemicals. When marine life eats glitter, everyone along the food chain is affected… even people!
The good news is that now you can switch over to biodegradable glitter… or better yet, compostable glitter! What an invention! Who knew going green could be so glam?
That’s right! For centuries, people have loved chewing chicle—a natural gum that comes from tropical trees. Nowadays, most gum is synthetic, made with a special type of rubber instead. It’s the same kind of rubber used to make tires!
Lucky for us, there are plenty of plastic-free gums available too! A quick look at the label for a natural or organic gum base and there you have it! An easy-peasy switch away from SUPs.
Receipts from the store might look like plain old paper, but these slips are actually SUPs! Okay, okay, its made of both: receipts are made from paper that’s coated with plastic.
Next time you’re out and about with family, ask for a digital receipt if you need one!
That funky gift wrap might look cool now, but it wont be so cool in a couple hundred years! Kind of like receipts, a lot of gift wrap is made with plastic. This type of plastic is called Mylar, and it can’t be recycled. Turns out, gift wrap is only recyclable if it keeps its shape when you crumple it in a ball!
About to celebrate and give gifts? You can reuse old gift bags or better yet: wrap ’em in Kraft paper. That way, you can decorate it however you like AND it can be recycled up to 7 times!
Did you know it would take more than 33 years to walk along all of Canada’s coastlines? That SHORE is a long time! At 243,000 km long, Canada’s shores have 3 oceans that meet around them. That’s why it’s so important to keep things clean for all the animals and plant life that call our shorelines home. For today’s Eco-Activity, we challenge you to get out there for a litter pick-up day!
Gather a crew and pick your favourite shoreline to clean up. Don’t live near a lake or ocean? You can clean up around a river, stream, or pond—anywhere with water!
While you’re out there, here are some fun ways to make things interesting:
For this game, you’ll want to make small teams that each have an adult. Each team chooses their own area for the game. Pick your favorite song, press play, and see who collects the most trash by the time the music stops! You can keep going for as many rounds as you’d like.
You’ve collected a bunch of litter and have been a good help to the waterways around you. While you’re at it, might as well recycle what you can instead of sending all that litter to the landfill! How about a game of speed sorting to finish the day? You can set categories like plastics, papers, metals, electronics, and trash. See who can sort the most items in 1 minute!
Use this tally chart to keep track of what you find. Once you finish your cleanup, count how many points each person has. The person with the most points at the end wins!
Take some time to explore the area you’ll be cleaning up. How many garbage bins do you see? Are there any bins for recycling? Are they easy to access? You might notice some connections between the bins and the litter you find laying around!
Time:30 min
Difficulty:Medium
Aren’t red foxes awesomely adorable? If you’re lucky, you might spot one bobbing through a field or walking down your street at night. Want to create some fox friends of your very own? Here’s how to make one out of a toilet paper roll!
Wrap your toilet paper roll in orange construction paper. Glue it down so it stays in place.
Carefully fold in the center of your toilet paper roll to make your fox’s ears.
Cut out all the pieces you’ll need for your fox like the tail, ears, and face! Make sure you have two pieces for each ear (orange and white), and three for the tail (orange, white, and black). You can decorate the face any way you like!
Glue your cute fox face onto the toilet paper roll.
Glue together the pieces for your ears and tail.
Glue the ears on to the pointy parts of the folded toilet paper roll.
Finally, glue your tail onto the back of your fox!
Reporting from the chilly north, we just received an update from narwhal researcher Leah! She has been working hard to learn more about how increased noise from shipping traffic might affect narwhals living in Nunavut’s Tallurutiup Imanga, and she put together this awesome video to share tons of info (and some pretty amazing narwhal footage!) with us! Tune in below!
In the coming months, Leah plans to continue her work analyzing the 2017-2019 soundscape data that was previously collected by her team. She’ll present this data at conferences, and even work to have it translated into Inuktitut so she can share it with as many people as possible! Working with the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization and the Pond Inlet community, Leah hopes to get more input about how to study narwhal populations going forward, building off the thoughts and ideas of the community members’ to help protect these important Arctic animals for years to come!
Don’t forget that you can help support this important research with a Narwhal Adoption Kit, available through the App or E-Store today!
Summer might be in full swing, but we’ve got a different holiday on the brain here at Earth Rangers. Our friends at FPAC (The Forest Products Association of Canada) want your help: they’re working on designing this year’s holiday card, and they want to feature YOU front and centre!
Check out last year’s winning card from Earth Ranger Livia!
Simply create a piece of art that captures the beauty of trees and forests, then submit it to win one of THREE swag bags full of goodies, plus a chance to have your artwork featured on their Christmas card!
1. Your artwork can be a painting, drawing, or you can get creative and design something using found forest materials. The sky is the limit!
2. The more creative the submission, the better! Take a walk through your fave forest and keep your eyes peeled for some inspiration. Think back to a time when you were awed by an outstanding tree. Can you recreate this moment on paper?
3. Your submission doesn’t have to be festive, but if you feel like getting into the holiday spirit, bring it on!
Need some inspiration? Check out some of last year’s submissions!
Once you’re completed your masterpiece, have a parent or guardian upload a photo of it and complete the entry form here:
www.earthrangers.com/holidaycardcontest
Picture this! You’ve planted your amazing pollinator garden and you’re waiting for the bees and butterflies to visit. But wait… why are only hummingbirds stopping by… Huh?
Well, it might surprise you to know that the type of flower you plant can change which pollinator stops by! The colour, shape, and sturdiness all plays a part. Check out these facts to see how pollinators find their perfect plant match!
Bees love bright flowers with lots of pollen and nectar. These insects have a pretty good sense of smell, so they use it to help their search, too. Most of all, they want flowers that will give them lots and lots of nectar… that’s why they love nectar guides! Think of them as a special pattern on the petals that shows pollinators where to find their sweet treat. Flowers with nectar guides are sure to attract bees far and wide!
Plants commonly pollinated by bees: Snapdragons, Sunflowers, Echinacea, Dandelions
Since butterflies need a place to perch, they like bright flowers that can hold them. Plants with flowers that lay flat or that grow in bunches are perfect! Butterflies especially love plants that can nurture the whole lifecycle, like milkweeds. That way, larvae, caterpillars, AND butterflies are all happy and healthy in one place.
Plants commonly pollinated by butterflies: Milkweed, Lavender, Lilacs
Hummingbirds love flowers that have the shape of a trumpet or funnel. It tells them that even though the nectar is hidden pretty deep inside, there’s lots of it! Plus, those extra-long beaks are perfect for reaching all the nectar they like. Hummingbirds like to flutter and float beside flowers, so the size and shape of the plant doesn’t matter much.
Plants commonly pollinated by hummingbirds: Petunias, Lupines, Cardinal flowers
Birds like plants with warm, bright colours since they can’t smell much. Some birds are after nectar; others are after seeds… but they all get a good dusting of pollen while snacking. As long as the plant is sturdy enough to hold their weight, they’ll be happy!
Plants commonly pollinated by birds: Catkins, Marigold, Blue spruce trees, Crabapple trees
Since most moths are nocturnal, the scent of a flower is very important. They’re drawn to flowers that stay open at night and smell super strong, but that are super pale in color. Moths are happy as long as they get lots of nectar! Like their butterfly cousins, moths usually like to have a place to land while they pollinate
Plants commonly pollinated by moths: Jasmine, Yucca
If you were a pollinator, what type of flower would you look for?
Check out the Pollinator Power Mission in the Earth Rangers App to find out more about pollinators and how you can help protect them!
Hi Earth Rangers! We just received an epic update from our Ringed Seal research partner Camille, hard at work studying the underwater kelp forests these adorable Arctic animals rely on. Let’s see what she’s been up to!
Camille just recently arrived home from Norway, where she represented the Arctic regions at an international workshop dedicated to all the many wonderful things we get from kelp ecosystems. Here’s a sneak peek of her super cool presentation!
Besides taking her work across the globe, Camille is busy getting ready for her field season. In late August she’ll be heading to Nunavut to spend three weeks between Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit, where she’ll be diving the kelp forests and sampling their incredible biodiversity – all the while snapping some amazing pics to share!
In preparation for her dives she just completed a scientific dive course in Quebec, and she tested a baited camera system as well to see how she might be able to get pics of some of the crafty creatures that call Nunavut’s kelp forests home. Thumbs up!
We can’t wait to see what Camille has to share once she’s back from her fieldwork, so stay tuned! Don’t forget that you can help support this important research with a Ringed Seal Adoption Kit, available through the App or E-Store today!
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