What’s all the hubbub about gifts? Simple! Earth Rangers asked me to share my gift-giving knowledge with all of you. Since it can be easy to forget about protecting the planet during the festivities, I figured why not help you find special gifts that also fight climate change? So, I’ve prepared a handy guide to help!

Holly’s Holiday Eco-Guide

Did you know that in winter plants reduce their photosynthesizing, releasing more carbon dioxide back into the air? And people also spend more carbon emissions while traveling for their holidays. Cutting back in small ways, on your car travel for example, even if it’s just a little can make a huge difference. 

Shop Sustainably:

If you are a Carbon Footprint Investigator, you probably know all about ways to reduce your carbon footprint. But did you know you can also do so when shopping for gifts? Here are a few ways how:

• Buy local (support small businesses): Shopping local (like local artisans, farmers’ markets, and small businesses) helps support the local economy and has a lower carbon footprint because of the lower transport emissions.
• Pick eco-friendly & ethical gifts: Look for products made from sustainable, organic, or recycled materials.Gifts like reusable water bottles, metal straws, zero-waste starter kits, solar-powered gadgets, or eco-friendly cleaning products are a great way to encourage saving the planet. Choose fair-trade certified goods or gifts from companies that have good environmental practices.
• Make handmade or DIY items: Instead of buying new, create your own gifts! You can make homemade crafts, baked goods, or personalized items using sustainable materials. Check out Earth Ranger’s Creative Corner section in the App for some ideas
• Offer experience-based gifts: Instead of a present that’s wrapped up, why not make it a whole experience?! Gift cooking classes, adventure trips, concert tickets, or even donations to a cause that your friends or family love. Experiences create memories without the carbon footprint of physical goods.
• Buy second-hand gifts: Giving new life to older items is a great way to reduce the large carbon footprint that comes with the creation of new products. Search thrift stores, vintage shops, or online second-hand places to find something special!
• Limit travel and shipping: If possible, shop in-store or in one single online shopping order to minimize shipping emissions from transport. If you are mailing gifts to faraway loved ones, send them through carbon-neutral shipping or local online retailers to lower pollution.

See? There are a TON of ways to help the planet while spreading winter joy. Be sure to check out the Creative Corner in the Earth Rangers app where you’ll find fun ideas like how to make a Moose Card, Pine Tree Cookies, or plenty of other fun crafts and recipes to DIY your gifts.

Ready to take your gift-giving skills to the next level? Join the Carbon Footprint Investigation mission today and find even more ways to shrink your carbon footprint this winter!

Did you know you can lower your carbon footprint by making smarter choices when you shop? Learn more in the Carbon Footprint Investigation Mission in the Earth Rangers App!

The post Become a carbon footprint-friendly gift-giving hero! first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Post your ideas in the comment section below.

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

The post Caption This: What are these two monkeys saying? first appeared on Earth Rangers.

And wow, did you deliver! The winner of this year’s contest is… festive drumroll, please…

Grand Prize: Sera – Edmonton, AB

Sera’s beautiful painting of a lone tree against a gorgeous wintertime sky (look at that beautiful aurora borealis!) won this year’s grand prize. Her artwork will be featured on FPAC’s holiday card this year!

Sera also won a gift bag full to the brim with artistic goodies: a painting set, a cedar pencil, a notebook, and more! Our two runners-up also took home a prize pack! Check our their beautiful artwork below.

Runner Up: Clare – Ontario

Runner Up: Jaya – British Columbia

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s contest, and big thanks to everyone who submitted their beautiful artwork!

Missed your chance to enter? Don’t worry! You can always find fun contests, activities, and eco-challenges in the Earth Rangers App!

The Christmas in July Contest is generously supported by:

The post Congratulations to the Winners of the Christmas in July Contest! first appeared on Earth Rangers.

What did the duck say when paying at a restaurant?

Put it on my bill.

The post Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #39 first appeared on Earth Rangers.

The answer to this Pixel Puzzler is (drum roll please) An antelope! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!

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The post Pixel Puzzler #54: The Great Reveal first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Would you rather live in…

A beehive or an ant colony?

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

The post Would you Rather #78 first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Check back next week for the answer!

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The post Pixel Puzzler #54: Part 1 first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Would you rather be…

A solitary tiger or a social wolf?

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

The post Would you Rather #77 first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Post your ideas in the comment section below.

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

The post Caption This: What is this squirrel thinking? first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Join Earth Ranger Emma as she sets off on a myth-busting mission across continents to answer one fiery question: were dragons ever real? From the sheep-stealing dragons of medieval England to the mighty dragon myths of ancient China, Emma’s journey is full of wild stories, fossil finds, and mind-blowing science. Tune in and let’s hunt down the truth behind one of humanity’s oldest legends!

Today’s myth brings Earth Ranger Emma over to Nanyang, China, to investigate the river basin for clues about China’s dragon mythology. At XiXia Relic Park she is joined by Professor Li, who shares her paleontology knowledge and passion for dragons.

The Nanyang River basin has among the oldest discovered deposits of dinosaur eggs in the entire world. Covering 78,015 of land, thousands of fossilized eggs have been unearthed here, with more still hidden underground. Mention of these eggs can be traced back to 1920, if not earlier. Of course… with such strange fossils, myths might come from them.

Professor Li has more to share regarding the reach of dragon myths. In Chinese mythology, dragons have a lot more to do with water than fire, Aboriginal Australians have the myth of the “Rainbow Serpent” said to bring water and rain, while in Albanian the dragon “Kulshedra” causes a lack of rain through droughts, breathing fire and shooting lightning.

Dragons, wyverns, serpents, drakes, wyrms, hydras and many more. All share a very lizard-like trait, don’t they? Some have wings, small arms, and missing legs, if someone without science were to discover these, there are a lot of theories that could be made to try to explain them. Some suggest that the sightings of fossilized dinosaurs could be an explanation for the widespread myth of dragons worldwide that goes back more than thousands of years! As scientists discovered what real dinosaurs were like, the myth of the dragon stopped being used…

What’s your favorite type of dragons? Know any other dragon-like creature that wasn’t listed? What legends from around the world have you heard of? Share them with the rest of the Earth Rangers here! Don’t forget – Let us know some other cool cryptids you wish Ryan or Emma talked about! Ryan’s going nuts coming up with some, but why not talk about other cool legends here?

The post All Hot Air – but no Fire first appeared on Earth Rangers.