Unleash the Kraken Myth

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Get ready to dive into the depths of mystery and mayhem with Earth Ranger Emma on a spooktacular Halloween adventure! Emma’s on the hunt to uncover the truth about the legendary Kraken—could a real-life sea monster be lurking below the waves? From ghostly shipwrecks to giant squids and kookaburra-filled Australian journeys, this episode has it all! Tune in for spine-tingling tales, myth-busting surprises, and maybe even a little penguin playground fun! Perfect for curious Earth Rangers and thrill-seekers alike!

Today Emma flies all the way to Australia to prove Ryan wrong… but she’s in a special surprise this time! The creature she’s investigating today is a special sea monster… THE KRAKEN!

The kraken is said to have been the cause of many shipwrecks. A giant squid or octopus capable of wrapping its tentacles and dragging sailors and their ships down. HOWEVER, unlike our good ol’ Nessie that Emma debunked two episodes ago, the Kraken might be more than just a folklore monster created to teach people about the dangers of the ocean.

There is a very real animal who might have inspired these legends: the giant squid!

The giant squid lives up to its name: it’s so big – almost the size of a car! Its tentacles are long, just as long as Emma is tall. It very well could wrap itself around a ship, probably not take it down but certainly give sailors a good scare and capsize smaller boats. They are aggressive, especially if they mistake a boat or human for prey or feel threatened.

Colossal Squid photo by Scotted400

Compared to the legend of the Kraken, “Giant Squid” isn’t nearly as cool a name… but it has just as terrifying a reputation! Diver beware… don’t go angering the giant squids, you might experience what it’s like to fact the real-world kraken.

What do you think of the Kraken Monster Legend? What do you think of its real counterpart?
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?

Mushroom Spore Prints

Mushroom Spore Prints

Time:10 min Difficulty:Easy  

Ever wondered how mushroom spores spread? Find out how, and get some cool prints out of it!

Here’s what you need:

  • A large mushroom
  • A sharp knife
  • A piece of white paper
  • Water
  • A box that will fit over the mushroom
  • Gloves, if you’re handling a wild mushroom
  • A grownup’s help
  • Optional: Hairspray

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Buy a fresh mushroom or pick one outside (if you’re picking one outside, wear gloves while handling it).

Step 2: Cut off the mushroom stem to expose its gills, the ribbed flesh on the underside of the mushroom cap.

Step 3: Place the mushroom cap gill-side down on a piece of paper.

Step 4: Add a few drops of water to the top of the mushroom cap — this makes the spores drop. Cover the mushroom cap with an upside-down box and leave it overnight.

Step 5: The next day, gently lift the box and the mushroom cap. You should see a beautiful spore print on the paper underneath!

Want to preserve your spore print? Spray it with hairspray and let it dry.

Take your nature explorations to the next level! Snap some awesome pictures of mushrooms and other awesome fungus for “Backyard Biologist” contest! Remember, the more creative and descriptive your submission is, the more points you’ll earn! Good luck!

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You can be anything this Halloween, be a Myth-buster!

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All Hallow’s Eve is almost here… wait, what’s that? HALLOWEEN OF COURSE! Have you carved your pumpkins yet? Are you ready to trick-or-treat? More importantly, Earth Rangers, have you picked out our costume for this year?

Here at Earth Rangers HQ, we’ve come up with an awesome costume idea, and it all starts with one big question: Are you ready to be a MYTH-BUSTER?

There are all kinds of myth-busters at Earth Rangers, each ready to tackle a different myth. Guess what? You can join the fun too. This Halloween, will you be a Myth-buster who tames the Power Gobbler, tackles the Tote Bag Terror, unmasks Wishcycling, or blasts away Doom and Gloom? The choice is yours.

Being a Myth-buster means tackling all kinds of spooky myths! Have you heard of the  Organic Ogre? It’s a myth that can send shivers down your spine! These are the kinds of legends Earth Rangers chat about around the campfire, and now you can help bust them.

Even if you’ve already picked your Halloween costume, you can still be one on our app. Log enough myth-busting habits to unlock your very own ghoul detector glasses, myth-buster suit, a blaster for your avatar, and up to 20 points!

The fun doesn’t stop after Halloween. Keep the adventure going and use your superpower —knowledge — to find out which habits really help the planet and which ones don’t. Together we can make a BIG difference!

Are you ready to be the ultimate Myth-buster? Let’s go!

We want to hear from you! What did you dress up as for Halloween? Tell us in the comments below!

Caption This: What are these seals thinking

We need your help! This animal is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Do you know what are these seals thinking?

Post your ideas in the comment section below.

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

More Fluff than Fact

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Join Earth Ranger Emma for a deep dive into one of history’s most infamous cryptids – the Mothman. Is the truth as spooky as the legend suggests? While Ryan is wrapped up in tales of red-eyed monsters, Emma’s on a mission to sift through the fluff and uncover the real facts. With her science smarts and a knack for debunking myths, Emma’s ready to reveal what might really be lurking in the shadows. Tune in to discover the truth behind the legend!

Ryan’s at it again! In his next episode of “Earth Investigators” he’s talking about the infamous “mothman” cryptid. This has led his rival, our friend Emma to travel to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where the legend first made its appearance.

Mention of mothman first started in 1966, when a group of friends reported seeing a “tall man” with white wings and glowing red eyes. After this, the story spread like wildfire! People all over Point Pleasant spoke of seeing a creature with red glowing eyes, a large bird or man.

Today, scientists believe that these people mistook the sandhill crane for a monster and spread a legend. In fact… a lot of the details that started the legend sound VERY close to this bird. Large white wings… red eyes… AND THEY’RE SUPER TALL! Big wings of roughly 6’5” in length, that’s larger than the average adult.

Yup, this isn’t a monster but a real animal. The thing is – people of Point Pleasant wouldn’t have had a chance to see a sandhill crane normally. These birds are closer to the middle of the country in Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico—but never West Virginia. They likely accidentally found themselves flown off-course during their migration flight, landing in the little town of Point Pleasant and spooking its residents. If spooked, these birds would likely spread their wings and take flight, and their eyes reflect in the car lights.

Some might find the sandhill crane to be rather boring compared to the story of mothman. How cool would it be to have a half-man half-moth? They are far from boring! Think of the crazy adventures these sandhill cranes had to have experienced, flying off course and scaring locals. It’s quite a funny story in fact!

What do you think of the Mothman Legend? Do you wish it was real? Do you like the fact they’re really Sandhill Crane?
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?

Banana Giraffe

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Banana Giraffe

Time:20 min Difficulty:Easy  

These giraffes go absolutely bananas

Here’s what you need:

  • Bananas
  • 1 cup of chocolate chips (or chocolate spread)
  • Almond, or pretzel pieces
  • Something for ears, like raisins, or bits of carrot

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Halve your bananas for the body.

Step 2: Put some chocolate spread into a sealable plastic bag.
If you don’t have any chocolate spread, make your own by asking a grown-up to help melt the chocolate chips. Please wait until it’s room temperature before putting it into the bag.

Step 3: Cut one of the bottom corners of the chocolate bag and carefully make tiny dots on your banana.

OPTIONAL: If you want extra-chocolaty giraffes, you can use the spread to stick chocolate chips to the banana!

Step 4: On the side of your banana, push in an almond or pretzel piece.

Step 5: Cut two little holes at the top of the banana. Slide in your raisins or bits of carrot. These are your giraffe horns (actually called Ossicones). Add some chocolate eyes, and you have yourself a banana giraffe!

That’s it — your super sweets are ready to go!

Way to Go, Earth Ranger Addison! She Raised Over $1,000 to Save Swift Foxes!

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This summer, we challenged kids across Canada to Take a Stand for Wildlife. We gave Earth Rangers the tools to launch their own fundraising campaigns and collect donations to support wildlife conservation. It was incredible to see our community come together and raise money to save animals – in all kinds of creative ways! Whether you set up a lemonade stand, sold pretty handmade crafts, or got creative with chocolate chips for a bake sale, every Earth Ranger who participated made a difference for animals.

We’d like to take this moment to celebrate one very special Earth Ranger: Addison from British Columbia. Addison raised a whopping $1,007.75 to save swift foxes, an adorable animal that was, until very recently, extirpated from Canada’s prairies. (Extirpated means that a species has gone extinct in one area, but it still lives in other places.) Thanks to the hard work of conservationists, swift foxes have returned to Canada in small numbers. But they need our help in order to keep growing and thriving.

In addition to collecting donations online, Addison went from door to door in her neighborhood selling delicious homemade cookies and beautiful hand-crafted bracelets. She got a lot of no’s and some funny looks, but she didn’t give up. Her goal was to raise $500 – and she more than doubled it!

We asked Addison all about her successful campaign – keep scrolling to read all about how she persevered and raised so much money to save swift foxes! Plus, she gives her fellow Earth Rangers some great advice for making a difference and protecting animals.

Addison’s beloved pooch is a canine – just like the swift fox!

What makes swift foxes special to you? Why did you choose to fundraise for them? 

I picked the swift fox because I wanted a creature that wasn’t as commonly supported as animals like the polar bear or grizzly bear but also an animal that lived in Canada, and since I’ve always had an affinity for canines the swift fox was the perfect pick! 

What was your original fundraising goal and what did you achieve?

My original fundraising goal was $500 because I felt that it was reasonable but would still significantly help the swift fox. However I ended up raising $1,007.75!

What was the hardest part about fundraising?

The hardest part about fundraising was when I went door to door, selling cookies and bracelets. I got a lot of no’s and some people gave me funny looks, but I didn’t let that stop me and because of that perseverance my bake and bracelet sale raised $150.


Addison during a door-to-door donation drive – with a tray full of yummy cookies, pretty bracelets, and pamphlets full of information about swift foxes!

What part was the most fun?

I had lots of fun creating the pamphlet that I handed out when I sold my bracelets and cookies. As part of the door to door sales portion of my fundraising campaign I wanted to not only raise money but inform people about the swift fox and about Earth Rangers if they weren’t familiar with the topics.   

What did you discover about yourself through this challenge?

I learned a lot about perseverance. Raising money was hard especially because during the door to door portion of my campaign I got a lot of no’s and was originally very discouraged but I stuck with it and am very proud of both myself and my results! 

What advice would you give to other young people who want to fundraise but don’t know where to start?

My advice would be to think about your skills, think about what gets you excited, think about what kind of cause you or people you know would want to donate money to and then just get started. Figure things out as you go because you never know what you can accomplish until you try. 

Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #37

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Why do bees have sticky hair?

Because they use honeycombs.

Pixel Puzzler #52: The Great Reveal

We got tons of great guesses on Part 1 of this Pixel Puzzler and now it’s time for the answer. Are you ready for the great reveal? Find out if you got it right!

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

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Bug Observation Pod

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Bug Observation Pod

Time:30 mins Difficulty:Easy  

Ever wanted to observe a bug up close? It’s easy! All you need to do is craft a bug observation pod and go to your nearest outdoor space!

Here’s what you need:

  • A big clear plastic bottle (like a juice bottle)
  • Breathable material, like mesh or cheesecloth
  • Duct tape
  • Natural materials like bark, moss, pine cones, and small sticks (anything bugs might like to crawl on)
  • A box cutter
  • Scissors
  • A grownup’s help

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Have your grownup use a box cutter to cut a rectangular opening in the side of the bottle. Use scissors to trim a piece of mesh slightly larger than the opening.

Step 2: Fill the bottle with grass, leaves, rocks, sticks, and anything else you think bugs would like to crawl on.

Step 3: Use the duct tape to tape the screen mesh over the opening.

Step 4: Unscrew the top. It’s time to look around and collect some bugs!

Step 5: When you’re finished collecting, screw the cap back on. It’s time to observe! What kinds of bugs did you find? How do they move? How do they act together?

REMEMBER: When you’re done observing, gently return the bugs to their natural habitat!

Take your bug observation pod to the next level! Snap some awesome pictures of those who visit your bug hotel for the “Backyard Biologist” contest! Remember, the more creative and descriptive your submission is, the more points you’ll earn! Good luck!

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