{"id":611981,"date":"2026-02-12T12:26:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/?p=611981"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:49:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T19:49:37","slug":"earth-rangers-receives-ontario-species-conservation-program-funding-to-mobilize-youth-action-for-species-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/news\/earth-rangers-receives-ontario-species-conservation-program-funding-to-mobilize-youth-action-for-species-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Rangers Receives Ontario Species Conservation Program Funding to Mobilize Youth Action for Species at Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

12 February 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WOODBRIDGE, ON<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Today, the Earth Rangers Centre served as the backdrop for a milestone moment for Ontario\u2019s wildlife, as\u00a0the\u00a0Honourable\u00a0Todd McCarthy,\u00a0Minister\u00a0of the Environment, Conservation and Parks,\u00a0announced the\u00a0first round of funding recipients\u00a0under\u00a0the\u00a0new\u00a0Species Conservation Program<\/a>, an initiative\u00a0focused\u00a0on\u00a0protecting the province’s most vulnerable species through public education and hands-on stewardship.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnder the new Species Conservation Program, Ontario has quadrupled its investment in species conservation, expanding the impact of community\u2011driven projects in every corner of the province,\u201d said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. \u201cBy making strategic investments to support experienced conservation leaders, we are taking action to restore habitat, support species recovery efforts and protect Ontario\u2019s rich biodiversity for generations to come.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With support from the Species Conservation Program, Earth Rangers will expand its reach across Ontario by launching a series of high-impact digital Missions highlighting more than 20 Ontario species at risk, including pollinators, birds, bats, turtles, and native plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These Missions will be delivered through a new online platform that helps children and families learn about Ontario species, understand the challenges they face, and take meaningful, practical conservation action. Activities will be grounded in Ontario Species Recovery Strategies and designed to translate conservation science into accessible steps kids and families can take. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOntario has a strong conservation legacy, but it only continues if we actively engage the next generation,\u201d said Tovah Barocas, President of Earth Rangers. \u201cThis support allows us to give young people practical, science-based ways to help protect species at risk and their habitats.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0turning learning into action and showing kids that what they do\u00a0can make a measurable difference.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missions are at the core of the Earth Rangers experience. Through interactive, digital programming, children explore environmental challenges and are guided toward tangible, real-world solutions. Launching later this year, the series of Missions will empower families to participate in wildlife protection through accessible, hands-on activities, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporting Habitats:<\/strong> Planting pollinator gardens and keeping shorelines clean
Reducing Threats: <\/strong>Taking simple steps to make neighbourhoods safe for local wildlife
Citizen Science:<\/strong> Reporting wildlife sightings and tracking invasive species using the Earth Rangers platform and tools such as Ontario’s Invading Species Hotline<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen kids take part in conservation, they don\u2019t just build knowledge\u00a0\u2014\u00a0they build confidence and agency,\u201d added Barocas. \u201cThe impact is both immediate and long term: benefits for species today, and a generation of young Ontarians who feel informed, empowered, and connected to nature.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families are invited to join\u00a0Earth\u00a0Rangers and start protecting wildlife by visiting\u00a0www.earthrangers.com<\/a>\u00a0or downloading the Earth Rangers App.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

12 February 2026 WOODBRIDGE, ON\u00a0\u2014 Today, the Earth Rangers Centre served as the backdrop for a milestone moment for Ontario\u2019s wildlife, as\u00a0the\u00a0Honourable\u00a0Todd McCarthy,\u00a0Minister\u00a0of the Environment, Conservation and Parks,\u00a0announced the\u00a0first round of funding recipients\u00a0under\u00a0the\u00a0new\u00a0Species Conservation Program, an initiative\u00a0focused\u00a0on\u00a0protecting the province’s most vulnerable species through public education and hands-on stewardship.\u00a0 \u201cUnder the new Species Conservation Program, Ontario […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189197,"featured_media":611988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1374],"tags":[1972],"class_list":{"0":"post-611981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-news"},"pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/189197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=611981"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":611989,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/611981\/revisions\/611989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/611988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=611981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=611981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.earthrangers.com\/EN\/CA\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=611981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}