But wait, Earth Rangers, don’t turn on that air conditioner! Most air conditioners use a huge amount of electricity, contributing to pollution and carbon emissions. Why not try some eco-friendly ways to keep cool? It Here are some cool ways to fight the heat:

Close your windows, curtains and blinds

Having your windows open in summer when it’s hot outside can really heat up your home. If it’s hotter outside then inside, make sure to close your windows, curtains, and blinds in the morning. Once the sun has set and temperatures are starting to go down, open everything up again and let the cool night air come charging in!

Use fans correctly

Fans help circulate air around a room. This can make the space feel cooler through “wind chill”, even though it doesn’t actually lower the room’s temperature. In fact, the motor of the fan is more likely to create heat.

Using fans correctly is important to enjoy a nice cool home. Place the fan in the coolest spot of your home and use it to push that cool air into other areas. Putting your fan in front of the open windows in the evening is perfect for blowing in cooler air (or pushing the hot air out). You can also place a large bowl of ice in front of the fan to create a cold airflow.

TIP: Do not leave a fan unattended. If you’re going to leave the room it is in, it is better to turn it off.

Enjoy cold drinks and snacks

Staying hydrated is super important during hot weather. Cold water will help cool your body off, but why stop there? You can enjoy some cold snacks as well. Chilled watermelon, frozen grapes, refreshing cucumber slices, or even homemade popsicles with water and frozen fruit! The perfect cold combo!

Say NO to using the oven, and try cool food!

Using the oven will heat your home up from the inside, making it even harder to cool off. If you need to use the oven, do it in the evening when you can open windows to let the hot air out and cool air in. But, why not try cool meals instead? Recipes like our Meatless Lettuce Wraps don’t use the oven, and are quite fun to make!

Cool your hands, face and feet

Your head, hands and feet are key parts of your body’s own cooling system. Try not to let them get hot by avoiding wearing socks or a hat inside. If you do feel too hot, cool your head with a cold cloth or icepack. Soak your feet in a bucket of cold water. Take a cold bath or shower (brrrr!).

You can also have fun cooling down outside by going for a swim, getting wet with Reusable Water Balloons, or playing a game of Spongy Keepy-Uppy and Hungry Snake and Hoppy Frogs.

Which is these ideas do you think you’ll use to keep cool? One, two, or all of them?!
Let us know in the comments!

Check out our other Reset the ‘stat blogs:

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

The post Top 5 Coolest Ways to Keep Cool first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Hang on… What about our animal friends who have to brave the outdoors year-round? Some migrate, some hibernate, and some have extra layers of fat to keep them warm.

But our favourite, fuzziest, fluffiest, cushiest, coziest animal adaptation is: fur! As winter approaches, you might have seen your cat or dog grow fluffier and thicker fur. Their new “winter coat” is important for insulation. Fur protects animals from the cold!

Who is the fluffiest? Check out this list of our favorite SUPER animals who resist the cold!

Sea Otters

Have you seen those cute videos of sea otters cleaning themselves? This is to make sure their fur is in perfect shape. In fact, sea otters have the densest coat of all animals! They don’t have any insulating fat. Instead, their thick pelt captures air bubbles close to their skin. This protects them from the coldest water in winter.

Snowshoe Hare

Snowshoe hares are experts at preparing for the colder months. They trade their brown “summer wardrobe” for white fur to help them camouflage themselves among the snowdrifts. Their fur also grows longer to insulate them against the cold. It even covers their toes! This helps them create a snowshoe-like track to easily navigate their environment.

Porcupine

You might know porcupines for their sharp quills, but did you know that, during winter, they get all fluffy? The fluff is a winter coat that comes in under their quills to keep them warm. Porcupines also eat a lot in summer and fall in order to store fat to burn over winter. This allows them to survive even the chilliest Arctic temperatures.

Fox

Foxes are adaptation champions! Arctic foxes are made for winter, surviving the coldest of temperatures thanks to their perfect build for the weather. Other foxes, such as red foxes, grey foxes, and cross foxes, also grow long winter coats to help them stay toasty. You might even see a fox wrapping itself with its bushy tail to sleep comfortably in the snow!

Beaver

Beavers have not one, but two layers of fur! There’s a short, dense layer of fine fur for warmth, and longer hairs on top for waterproofing. Beavers also produce a special oil called castor oil, that they rub through their fur to make it waterproof. The waterproof fur keeps the beaver’s skin dry and warm while swimming in cold water.

Which animal on our list is the best INSULATION CHAMPION?
Did we forget any animals that should have made the top five?
Leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Why not try to be more like our animal friends? When winter comes, try turning down your thermostat and wearing extra layers of clothing? You can combat climate change AND feel fluffy.

Learn more in the Re-set the ‘stat Mission in the Missions section in the Earth Rangers App!

The post Top Five Insulation Champions first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Species that live in trees are called arboreal animals. They’ve evolved in ways that helped them adapt to life above the ground. Some arboreal animals have long, strong, prehensile tails that help them grip branches. Others like to climb and cling on with their curved claws or sticky feet. Some have funky features that might surprise you!  

Check out this list of our favorite tree-dwelling animals around the world! 

Kinkajou

You might not have heard of a kinkajou, but you definitely know their cousins… These South American fruit-lovers are actually related to raccoons! Like many others on this list, they have a prehensile tail, and their little feet help them grip and pivot their way around up in the trees.  

Bearcat

Bearcats look exactly like you’d expect: kind of like a bear, kind of like a cat… but they’re neither! These mammals can be spotted in tropical rainforests across Southeast Asia. Like many other tree dwellers, they have strong prehensile tails that help them climb. The coolest part about bearcats? They’re known for smelling just like BUTTERED POPCORN!  

Silky anteater

Don’t let the name fool you—this kind of anteater spends all its time up in the trees! Silky anteaters have long, curved claws, that help them climb trees. Once they’re up there, they use their prehensile tails to move from tree to tree. 

Skywalker Gibbon

Hm…now, where have we heard that name before? These guys were discovered in 2017 by some Star Wars-loving biologists. While these gibbons might not be related to Luke or Anakin (as far as we know), they are still super cute. They live in China and Myanmar, and love sleeping on skinny branches way up in the tree tops.

Fun fact: Skywalker gibbons have something in common with… roosters?! Yup! When they wake up at dawn, they perform a loud song. These songs can last an average of 22.5 minutes! 

Greater glider

Greater gliders are marsupials from Australia. They have big, floppy ears and a long, bushy tail. To help them “glide” from tree to tree, they have a special layer of skin that stretches from their elbows all the way down to their ankles—kind of like a built-in parachute! 

Bark beetle

These beetles are a very important part of their ecosystem because they help renew forests. Often found in dying trees, they spend most of their life there just below the bark. They chew through the outer layer of bark, digging and eating their way to a place where they can lay eggs. The larvae and pupae remain in the tree, moving to different “chambers” along the tunnels as they grow.

Have you ever seen an old or dying tree with a bunch of squiggles all over? Those squiggles are leftovers of the tunnels these critters like to make!  

Flying dragon

These little ones, also called “Dracos”, spend almost ALL their time in the trees. In fact, the only times you’ll spot one on the ground of their tropical forest habitat is to lay eggs—even after the eggs hatch, the first thing the babies do is climb right up.

These lizards have expert guiding skills. A special membrane supported by extra-long ribs opens up to help them travel. Even though adults are only 20 cm long (including the tail!), they can travel up to 60 m in one glide—that’s about half a football field!  

Tree Kangaroo

Tree kangaroos are kangaroos that…you guessed it…live in trees. To adapt to arboreal life, these marsupials have much stronger arms, shorter legs, and a different kind of long tail than their land-based cousins. Their sticky paws help them grip trees as they climb. They like to snack on leaves but they’re known for munching on plenty of fruits and flowers, too! 

Emerald Tree Boa

Arms and legs are super important for arboreal animals… but what happens if you don’t have either? Just ask the emerald tree boa. Size and strength are what help these guys the most! Growing up to 3 m long, they wrap their bodies tightly around the tree as they slither up high.

To catch prey, these nocturnal snakes hang from a branch with their head near the ground, waiting patiently to catch their next meal! 

Tree frog

We love tree frogs so much, we put one on our logo! There are many kinds of tree frogs, but they all have some common traits. They’re known for having a slender body, big round eyes, long fingers and toes with round tips, and sometimes, bright colors! These tiny creatures use the suction on their digits to get a strong grip as they move around. 

Can you think of any other animals that live in trees?

The post Top 10 Animals That Live in Trees! first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Cat Nap!

Ahhhh…just going to rest my eyes for one minute…zzzzz.

This works.

Too tired…can’t go on…zzzzz.

Oh, this is nice.

Do not disturb!

Rocks can make good pillows!

Snug as a…monkey in a tree.

Sshhh…a perfect spot for an afternoon nap.

This looks like a good spot to curl up.

The post Top Ten Animals Getting Better Sleep Than You first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Bees

Bees are the most important pollinator. Honeybees, for example, are responsible for pollinating over 110 crops that we eat and use every day, like tasty apples and delicious strawberries.

Favourite Flowers: Brightly coloured yellow and blue flowers that have places for bees to land. Bees cannot see red.
How they pick up pollen: Bees have tiny hairs on their bodies that pick up pollen when the bees go to drink nectar from a flower.

Hummingbirds

Being a hummingbird is hard work. They need to drink a lot of nectar to get enough energy to keep those tiny wings flapping.

Favourite Flowers: Red, orange, or white tube-shaped flowers that are strong enough to support a hummingbird’s weight.
How they pick up pollen: They reach their long beaks into flowers in order to get the nectar and when they are finished drinking, their faces and beaks are dusted with pollen. 

Butterflies

Butterflies pollinate the same way bees do but they can’t pick up as much pollen because their bodies are tall and slender.

Favourite Flowers: Brightly coloured flowers that are flat and have a place for butterflies to land
How they pick up pollen: When they go in for a drink of nectar, pollen gets stuck on their body. 

Flies

A species of fly called a midge is one of the pollinators of the cocoa tree. Yup! These flies help give us yummy chocolate!

Favourite Flowers: Flowers that smell like rotting meat, carrion, dung, blood, or fungus
How they pick up pollen: Although they don’t have the hairs that make pollination so easy for bees, flies still pick up some pollen on their body when they land to drink nectar 

Black-and-white ruffed lemurs

The black-and-white ruffed lemur is the largest pollinator in the world!

Favourite Flowers: Anything fruity! These lemurs eat up to 130 different fruit species
How they pick up pollen: they are the primary pollinator of the traveller’s tree and it isn’t easy getting to its flowers. These lemurs have to open up the flower and reach in with their long snout and tongue. While they are eating, the pollen they brush up against gets stuck on their fur. 

Honey possum

A honey possum is from Australia and is about the size of a mouse. Even though they have honey in their name, they don’t actually eat it! They live off nectar. Favourite Flowers: Banksia and eucalyptus flowers.
How they pick up pollen: Their nose gets dusted with pollen when they drink the nectar. 

Beetles

There are more types of pollinating beetles than any other pollinator species. When these insects pick out a flower, they aren’t just after the nectar; they will eat petals and other parts as well.

Favourite Flowers: White or green bowl-shaped flowers.
How they pick up pollen: they pick up pollen on their bodies as they munch on flower parts 

Blue-tailed day gecko

This small lizard is found on the island of Mauritius (located off the coast of Africa). It is also a key helper in spreading around plant seeds.

Favourite Flowers: Plants from Mauritius, like Roussea simplex, an endangered plant species.
How they pick up pollen: When they go to eat nectar inside a flower, pollen gets stuck to the scales on their forehead. 

Moths

Moths pollinate flowers the same way butterflies do but unlike butterflies, they continue pollinating after the sun goes down.

Favourite Flowers: Strong-smelling flowers that are white or dull in colour and have places for moths to land.
How they pick up pollen: They pick up pollen on their wings and legs when go to drink the plant’s nectar. 

Bats

Bats are important pollinators in tropical places and deserts. They are responsible for pollinating over 300 fruits, including mangoes, bananas, and guavas.

Favourite Flowers: Strong-smelling white and dull flowers that open at night
How they pick up pollen: They pick up pollen on their face as they drink nectar from a plant. 

Which of these pollinators is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Top Ten Coolest Pollinators first appeared on Earth Rangers.

European Badger

European badgers are found throughout most of Europe.

Honey Badger

Honey badgers are found in parts of Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and western Asia.

Japanese Badger

Japanese badgers are only found in Japan.

Hog Badger

Hog badgers are found in eastern India, central and southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Sumatra.

American Badger

American badgers are found in parts of Mexico, USA and Canada.

Which of these badgers would you want to visit?

Help American badgers with a Wildlife Adoption!

Head to the Adoptions Section in the App or visit the Earth Rangers Shop! Get an Earth Rangers Field Notes Notebook FREE with a Plush Adoption Kit until April 30.

The post Badgers Around the World first appeared on Earth Rangers.

1. A Breath of Fresh Air

With a little help from the sun and a process called photosynthesis, trees take the carbon dioxide (CO₂) we breathe out and transform it into clean oxygen (O₂). Did you know that one fully grown tree can provide enough oxygen for 2 to 10 people? Breathe in… Breathe out… and say thank you to a forest!

2. Home Sweet Home

Whether it’s bugs in the leaf litter, a bird in a tree or a squirrel jumping from branch to branch, you’re probably going to see an animal or two when you visit a forest. That’s because 2/3 of all the animal species in Canada call forests home. Home is where the forest is!

3. Keeping it Cool

It always feels so refreshing to step into the shade on a hot day, and the more trees, the more shade! But this isn’t the only way that forests help keep us cool. Studies have shown that forests actually help make it rain! This not only cools down the environment but also helps new trees grow!

4. Climate Change Fighters

Trees are Canada’s “secret weapon” in fighting climate change! That’s because they absorb lots of CO₂ and store it for as long as they are alive. When they start to get old and die, the CO₂ gets released as the trees decompose. If we turn them into other products beforehand, like lumber for houses and furniture, it stays put for years, if not generations! We can even use sawdust and scraps of wood to make biofuel that can replace fuels with higher emissions.  When it comes to the fight against climate change, our trees and forests are superheroes!

5. Meal time

Where does an animal go to get a bite to eat around here? The forest, of course! Not only is the forest home to many animals, it also provides them with lots of good things to eat. Whether it’s berries, plants, nuts, fruits or mushrooms, animals know the best place to get a snack is the forest.

6. Keep up the Great Work

Canada’s plants and animals aren’t the only ones who benefit from the forest. Forests also provide jobs to almost a million people across the country! Engineers, foresters, biologists, skilled tradespeople and many others all rely on forests for work.

7. Gifts from the Forest

On top of the many jobs forests give us, they also provide us with a lot of stuff. Just think about how many paper and wood products you use every day—it’s probably more than you think. Whether it’s the paper you use for taking notes, the cartons that hold your eggs or even the lumber used in your home, so many of the things around us came from forests.

8. A Cool Drink of Water

Did you know that about 2/3 of Canadians rely on drinking water from forest runoffs? The leaves on the trees absorb rainfall and slowly release it into the soil, where it’s filtered underground and eventually released into nearby lakes, reservoirs, and rivers.

9. Soil Protectors

Soil has a very important job when it comes to keeping an ecosystem healthy: it provides nutrients for plants and helps protect their roots. If the soil starts to wear away (erode) or dry up, it doesn’t just hurt the plants, it hurts the entire ecosystem.

Good thing we have forests! The leaves and branches on the trees catch raindrops as they fall, so they don’t all hit the ground at the same time. This keeps the soil from flooding and washing away. The branches also provide shelter from the wind and protection from the hot sun. This helps stop the soil from blowing away or drying out.

10. Forests are Good for the Soul

Do you ever feel refreshed and re-energized after playing among the trees? Studies have shown that being out in forests can improve your immune system, decrease stress and blood pressure, and improve your overall mood!

Want to learn more about forests and plant your very own tree? Accept the Just 1 Tree Mission in the Earth Rangers App!

The post 10 Reasons Why Forests Are Awesome! first appeared on Earth Rangers.

To find out what birds you might see at your winter feeder check out this list of the top ten bird species that stick around for the winter. Since some species tend to be picky eaters, we have listed them based on their favourite types of seeds and nuts.

Black oil sunflower seeds

10. Black-capped chickadees

9. White-breasted nuthatches

8. Finches (house, purple)

7. Northern cardinals

6. Blue jays (also really like cracked corn)

Nyjer seeds

5. American goldfinches

4. Common redpolls (if you have birch trees nearby common redpolls will eat birch seeds too)

Suet

3. White-breasted nuthatches

2. Brown creepers

Cedar berries

1. Cedar waxwings

*Bird Feeder Tip! Try to avoid using seed mixes that contain millet because some birds won’t eat millet, which means the seeds will geminate as weeds on the ground the next spring. Black oil sunflower seeds (not striped sunflower seeds) and suet will usually attract the largest diversity of birds to your winter feeder.

Have you spotted any birds in your neighbourhood? Comment below to share your bird sightings!

Look for For the Birds in the Mission section in the Earth Rangers App!

Generously Supported By

The post Top Ten Birds That Winter in Canada first appeared on Earth Rangers.

Since measuring the mass of the largest recorded animal in each species of cat can be kinda confusing we’ve measured them out in pounds, kilograms and bowling balls. For the bowling balls we’ve used a standard 16 pound ball, the heaviest one in a regulation game, that way the next time you run into the largest cheetah you’ll know it weighs around 7.4 bowling balls!

10. Caracal (Caracal caracal)

How big are we: 19kg, 42 pounds or 2.6 bowling balls

Where we live: Africa, Central Asia and Southwestern Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Caracal_caracal.html

9. Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

How big are we: 23kg, 51 pounds or 3.2 bowling balls

Where we live: South of the Himalayas around Nepal, Bhutan and some areas of Northeastern India

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Neofelis_nebulosa.html

8. Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)

How big are we: 36kg, 79 pounds or 4.9 bowling balls

Where we live: From Western Europe to Russia to Tibet and Central Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lynx_lynx.html

7. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

How big are we: 54 kg, 119 pounds or 7.4 bowling balls

Where we live: Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Iran

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Acinonyx_jubatus.html

6. Leopard (Panthera pardus)

How big are we: 65kg, 143 pounds or 8.9 bowling balls

Where we live: Africa and Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_pardus.html

5. Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)

How big are we: 75kg, 165 pounds or 10.3 bowling balls

Where we live: Central Asia to Northwestern China and Tibet

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Uncia_uncia.html

4. Cougar (Aka Puma and Mountain Lion) (Puma concolor)

How big are we: 120kg, 264 pounds or 16.5 bowling balls

Where we live: From Southern Argentina and Chile to Southeastern Alaska

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Puma_concolor.html

3. Jaguar (Panthera onca)

How big are we: 136kg, 299 pounds or 18.7 bowling balls

Where we live: Southern Arizona and New Mexico to Northern Argentina and Northeastern Brazil.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_onca.html

2. Lion (Panthera leo)

How big are we: 272 kg, 598 pounds or 37.4 bowling balls

Where we live: Sub-Saharan Africa expect in desert and rainforests

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_leo.html

1. Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris)

How big are we: 423kg, 931 pounds or 58.2 bowling balls

Where we live: Northeastern China, Korea, Russia, parts of India and around the Himalayas

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_tigris.html

Check out the Top Ten BIGGEST Wild Dogs!

If you think animals are amazing, the Earth Rangers Podcast is for you!

Join Earth Ranger Emma as she travels the world on a quest to solve some of nature’s greatest mysteries! With top ten countdowns, animal guessing games and epic animal showdowns, this is a journey you won’t want to miss!

The post Top Ten BIGGEST Cats first appeared on Earth Rangers.

1) The wax plug found in a blue whale’s ear is made up of layers that can be counted to estimate the animal’s age.

2) Whales don’t get the water they need from seawater; instead they get water by metabolizing the fat in their food.

3) Whales swim by moving their tails up and down, unlike fish, which swim by moving their tail side to side.

4) The blue whale is the largest animal to ever live on Earth; their heart is about the size of a Volkswagen beetle.

5) Sperm whales spend about 7% of their time drifting inactively; they sometimes take these naps while standing up vertically.

6) Blue whales are one of the loudest animals, producing sounds that other whales can hear 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away.

7) Hippos are the closest living relative to whales.

8) The beluga whale is the only member of the cetacean order that can make facial expressions.

9) Some whales migrate to ‘rubbing beaches’ which are shallow bays lined with rocks that they rub against, likely to help them shed their skin.

10) Cuvier beaked whales hold the record for the mammal with the longest and deepest dive. Scientists have tracked a Cuvier beak whale diving down 9,816 feet (2,992 meters) and staying under water for 138 minutes.

Which of these whale facts do you think is the coolest?

The post Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Whales first appeared on Earth Rangers.