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 grizzly bears saying?
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Build a Bug Hotel!
Build a Bug Hotel!
Time:20 mins
Difficulty:Easy
Want a way to help bugs out in their every day lives? Try making them a bug hotel! This one is small, and easy!
- A large plastic bottle
- Natural materials like bark, moss, pine cones, and small sticks
- String or garden twine for hanging
- Scissors
- A grownup’s help
Here’s how you make it:
Step 1: With a grownup’s help, cut the top and bottom off of the plastic bottle. Then cut the bottle in half so that you have two cylinders.
Step 2: Thread string or twine through each cylinder, then tie the ends together on the outside to make a loop.
Step 3: Layer the inside of each cylinder with your materials. Make sure your hotels are stuffed tightly so nothing will fall out.
Step 4: Time to hang up your hotels! Try hanging one in a tree and one low to the ground — see if they attract different creatures!
Ready to take your bug visits 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!
The Backyard Biologist Mission and Contest is generously supported by:
Myth-Buster Challenge
WHO ARE YOU GONNA CALL? MYTH-BUSTERS!!
That’s right, Earth Rangers, we’ve got a new climate change challenge for you! Check out the Myth-Buster Challenge in the challenge section of the Earth Rangers App!
Ready to bust some climate change myths?
There is a lot of talk about climate change. What is true and what is totally false? Now is your chance to use your superpower of knowledge to find out which habits actually help the planet and which don’t. By learning the truth, you can help fight climate change for real. So, are you ready to be the ultimate myth-buster? Let’s go!
Here are the Myths You’ll Bust:
Think turning off your lamp saves power? Not if it’s still plugged in!
Beat the sink witch’s spell by picking the best dishwashing choices, whether using a dishwasher, or by hand!
Reusable bags are great–but only if you actually re-use them!
When food scraps end up in landfills, they produce methane! Send it straight to the compost bin.
Not everything belongs in the recycling bin! Learn how to sort smart.
Water isn’t an unlimited source. That’s why saving water is important! Every drop counts!
Climate change can be scary, but it’s NOT too late for us to make a difference!
Caring for the environment is about making thoughtful choices! Swap your meals and try to buy meat from local, sustainable farmers.
Join the Myth-Buster Challenge
Drop by the app to log your daily habits! Help us reach our goal of 200,000 myths busted and unlock some AMAZING rewards!
Unlock Awesome Rewards
There are three awesome community rewards to unlock, but we can only get them if we all work together! Check out what’s waiting for you:
- 60,000 Habits Logged: Unlock the Myth-catcher! This fun, cootie-catcher tool helps you track the myths you’ve busted and spot the ones still out there.
- 120,000 Habits Logged: Unlock a special comic strip! Download it, color it in, and see the most fearsome foes you’ve faced in the Myth-Buster Challenge.
- 200,000 Habits Logged: For the final community prize, you’ll help protect grey wolves in the Yukon! Plus, you’ll hear from a real-life expert who’ll show you how your myth-busting made a big impact on the planet!
But wait—there’s more! These community prizes aren’t the only cool rewards you can earn for helping the planet. Rack up some extra points and score awesome avatar items!
- Want your very own Ghoul Detector?
- Or how about the Earth Ranger’s Myth-Buster Suit and Blaster?
Join the Myth-Buster Challenge now! Together, we can create positive change.
Would you Rather #74
Would you rather…
Ride a giant mouse or pet a tiny elephant?
Tell us which one you pick in the comments!
Cleaning up the coastline!
Hey, Earth Rangers! It’s me, Penny! I’m a shoreline enthusiast, fan of the environment, and the neatest, tidiest piping plover you’ll ever meet!
I wanted to tell you about a very important day that’s coming up soon – September 21st, to be exact. That’s Coastal Cleanup Day (one of my favourite days of the year)! On Coastal Cleanup Day, we have one goal: Work together to beautify our beaches and keep litter out of the water!
Cool coastlines
Coastlines (also called shorelines) are some pretty special places, environmentally speaking. Coastlines are places where the land meets a body of water, like a lake or an ocean. Lots of animals and plants call shorelines home. In fact, Canada has the longest coastline in the ENTIRE world! (We’re talking 243,042 km in total!)
We need to keep our shores clean for some very important reasons. First, animals can mistake litter for food. An animal that eats garbage will become very sick. Second, animals can become tangled in garbage and get injured. Finally, creatures and plants can hitch a ride on litter and the wind or water can take them to new habitats – places they’re not supposed to be.
Lend a hand!
So, how can a clever Earth Ranger like you help? The first thing you need for a coastal cleanup is…a coast! You can visit a local pond, lake, river, stream or ocean – those all count! You’re going to bring along an adult and some friends or family members to be part of your cleanup crew. To stay safe, wear gloves and leave any sharp items to the grownups. And if you happen to see me out there on the shore, don’t forget to wave!
Want some more info? Just go to the Earth Rangers app and accept the Shoreline Saver Mission. There, you’ll find our handy How to Save a Shoreline guide, full of helpful tips about how to do your own coastal cleanup.
Join other Earth Rangers on September 21st for Coastal Cleanup Day and do what you can to make the world a more beautiful place!
Pixel Puzzler #51: 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 Koala! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
You might have guessed a koala bear, but here’s the reality: koalas aren’t bears at all; they’re marsupials!
Koalas might look like cuddly teddy bears, but they have sharp claws and teeth and can be quite territorial. Koalas aren’t the only animals people have misconceptions about. For example, some people think Komodo dragons are actual dragons, but in reality, they’re large lizards! Despite their fearsome name, these lizards aren’t magical creatures; they’re impressive predators with a bite that’s not venomous but can cause serious infections.
Just like these animal myths, there are also myths about climate change that can mislead us. Some people believe it’s too late to make a difference or that small actions won’t have any impact. But just like debunking myths about animals, it’s important to challenge these climate myths. The truth is, we can still make a big difference when it comes to protecting our planet.
In our NEW Myth-Buster Challenge, you’ll become THE ULTIMATE MYTH-BUSTER by uncovering and debunking climate myths! Ready to see how your actions can make a real impact? Join the Myth-busters Challenge in the Challenges section of the app!
Friendly Bug Hunt
Friendly Bug Hun!t
Time:60 min
Difficulty:Easy
We are surrounded by cool critters. Grab your camera and step outdoors to see which ones you can find!
Here’s what you need:
- Your eyes, ears, and hands! (But it’s also fun to have a magnifying glass for closer looks, some paper or a journal to write down what you find, and a camera or phone to snap pictures.)
- Friends or family members.
- Your favourite outdoor space.
Here’s how you do it:
Step 1: Look up!
Start by looking for flying insects like bumblebees, butterflies, and dragonflies.
Step 2: Look around!
Check in and around plants, under leaves and inside flowers with closed petals.
Insects or small animals may be using their size, shape, or colour to hide!
Step 3: Look down!
Don’t forget all the life down in the soil. Turn over rocks and logs, where many insects like to stay cool and hidden from predators (you might want to put on some gloves to protect your hands).
TIP
When you finish your hunt, think about everything you noticed (and look at your notes or photos if you have them). What kinds of creatures did you see? Did you have a favourite?
Ready to take your bug visits 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!
The Backyard Biologist Contest is generously supported by:
Check out the new Backyard Biologist Contest!
Our backyards hold many treasures, and everyday we walk by these tiny wonders. If you stopped to look, you might spot awesome creatures, and fascinating plants! Just visit your nearest garden, park, pond, or field. You’ll discover that these places are bursting with life, just waiting for these moments to be captured on camera!
Maybe one of these moments could make YOU a winner?
The Backyard Biologist contest is back! We asked YOU to help us pick two of the three themes for this contest, and now it’s time for you to go out and capture those moments!
Submit your best nature photo and you could take home one of this year’s FABULOUS prizes: a Canon Rebel R100 Camera!
Backyard Safari
In this category, you don’t need to go far from home. Many wonders are outside your door, in parks nearby, and everyday animals otherwise overlooked. What will you find?
NOTE: no pets allowed!
Critter Closeups
There’s a miniature world right at your feet, under soil, rocks, and logs. Zoom in on some of these critters crucial to our ecosystem. Think Insects, arachnids, molluscs, annelids, mosses, fungi, lichens.
Winter Worlds
Winter is here–but not all wildlife is hibernating! This category celebrates the wonders of nature in winter. Bundle up to capture a photo that shows what makes this season so special!
Winners for all to see!
The winner from each category will get 1 of 3 Canon Rebel R100 Cameras generously donated by Canon, BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! The winners will also get a framed piece of their photo using Canon’s Frame Lab print and framing service!
You can be just like Kenzie and her winning picture last year, standing along with Earth Ranger Michela, and Chief Owl Officer Sonic! She and the other contest winners were interviewed on their experience, be sure to check out what they have to say.
The contest closes January 31st, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
Click here to learn more and submit your pictures!
Generously Supported By:
Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #35
Why don’t koalas count as bears?
They don’t have the right koalafications.
Pixel Puzzler #51: Part 1
Let’s put your identification skills to the test! Can you figure out what is hidden in this picture? Make your guess in the comments.
