Happy Halloween Earth Rangers!!! Earth Ranger Emma is busy on an overnight research expedition in the Great Bear Rainforest…but things have become a little spooky! In fact…is that a ghost in the woods? Gather round the campfire for the tale of the great white spirit bear.
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
This isn’t just a scary title. It’s a true story! There actually are electric hornets – well, sort of. But don’t worry; these insects won’t be shocking anyone anytime soon. Let’s take a look at the oriental hornet and its solar-powered abilities!
Do you remember what solar power is? If you don’t, here’s a quick recap:
– Solar power is energy collected from the sun’s rays.
– One of the most common ways we collect this energy is through solar panels.
– When the sun shines on the solar panels, the energy is absorbed and converted into power we can use in our homes and buildings.
The oriental hornet captures the sun’s energy just like the solar panels do. The sun shines on the hornet’s exoskeleton and most of the energy is absorbed and turned into electricity. Oriental hornets are the only member of the animal kingdom we know of that can use solar power this way!
What does the oriental hornet need electricity for?
Well, it’s not for lighting its home, that’s for sure! Actually, scientists aren’t 100% sure what these hornets use the electricity for, but they have some theories:
– Some scientists think it’s to help power their muscles—the electricity gives the hornets’ wings an extra jolt of energy!
– It may also help them stay comfortable in different temperatures by converting heat into electricity to stay cool and then converting back into heat when the weather becomes chilly.
Regardless of what these hornets use the electricity for, you can’t deny that it’s pretty cool!
Emma has been travelling here, there and everywhere on the lookout for interesting wildlife. Imagine her surprise when she finds some pretty amazing creatures right in her own backyard! Find out who she meets in this week’s episode!
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
Super Ranger Diana became a member early in 2015 after seeing a motivational Earth Rangers segment on TV. Diana always wanted to help animals, so, when the chance arose Diana took the Earth Rangers pledged to protect animals and their habitats! Now, over 4 years later, Diana has acquired the much-deserved title of Super Ranger. On the honourable path of environmentalism Diana is ever-conscious of improving hers and her community’s sustainability and reducing her carbon footprint.
“In my community I always pick up litter when I go for a walk with my family. I also fill our bird feeder outside when it’s empty!” Super Ranger Diana helps to reduce waste, and protect birds!
Diana caught our team’s avid attention with her incredible work on her missions and her Bring Back the Wild campaigns. She’s completed 17 missions, is currently working towards 8 more, and has fundraised for 3 different Bring Back the Wild campaigns! Below is a quick snap-shot of her incredible efforts!
Super Ranger Diana completes the Habitat Hero missionSuper Ranger Diana completes the Just 1 Tree missionSuper Ranger Diana completes the Battery Blitz mission
This summer Super Ranger Diana completed her Piping Plover Bring Back the Wild campaign by selling homemade bookmarks in her neighbourhood. Check out her awesome Fundraising Stand! With these bookmarks Diana reached the $250.00 milestone on her Piping Plover campaign!
Since originally taking the Earth Rangers Pledge Diana has reached level 6 on her Journey, has protected the Woodland Caribou, Gray Foxes, and Piping Plovers. In her time as an Earth Ranger Diana has raised $535.00 for endangered and at-risk animals – wow, that’s incredible!
Super Ranger Diana wants you to remember that it is our duty to protect endangered and at-risk animals “If we don’t protect the animals they could go extinct. If we don’t protect the environment the bees could die and we will have no fruit or vegetables to eat!” Thank you, Diana, for helping to lead us towards a greener future!
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Every year, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards shows off some of the funniest, silliest and most hilarious animal pictures ever! Here are some of our favourites from this year’s contest.
“Is this what the Lion Dance is supposed to look like?” Photo Credit: Adwait Aphale / Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019
“Wait…what do you mean there’s something behind me?” Photo Credit: Anthony N Petrovich / Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019
“Help! The tree is eating me!” Photo Credit: Corey Seeman / Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019
Did you know that some of your electronics suck up power even when you aren’t using them? This is the work of the evil Power Phantom! He sucks up all the energy he can, wasting electricity and costing you money.
Has your house been invaded?
Do you put your computer to sleep instead of turning it off? Do you leave your chargers plugged in when they aren’t charging anything? Do you have a printer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you probably have a Power Phantom in your home.
Don’t feel badly – it’s almost impossible for your home to be completely Power Phantom-free. That’s because a lot of the electronics we use stay on standby even when we think they’re off. For example, your TV is always looking for a signal from your remote, and your microwave and oven are always keeping track of the time.
How can you put an end to the Power Phantom’s evil ways?
Stopping the Power Phantom is as easy as 1-2-3. You just have to:
1. Unplug…
Oh! That’s it. I guess it’s as easy as 1.
As soon as you unplug an electronic, charger, or other gadget, the Power Phantom can’t suck up any more power from it.
If you want to make it even easier, plug things into a power bar. It has a switch that you can use to start and stop the flow of electricity. So instead of unplugging everything, you just need to flip that switch and the Power Phantom is done for!
Now, you’re probably not going to want to unplug everything, but unplugging as many things as you can will help you save energy and money.
Want to save more energy?
The Power Phantom is just 1 of the 7 culprits we want you to stop as part of the Operation Conservation Mission! When you accept your Mission, you’ll protect your home from energy-wasters and help in the fight against climate change.
We’re thrilled to say that many of you have already taken on the challenge. Let see how you’ve done so far!
Since the Mission launched in 2015, you’ve stopped…
Earth Ranger Marshall completed the Operation Conservation Mission
The Terrible Tap 2,119 times,
The Lousy Leak 1,846 times,
The H2O Hog 1,684 times,
The Devious Draft 1,657 times,
The Sinister Suds 1,607 times,
The Power Phantom 2,333 times, and
The Thermo Inferno 1,851 times!
Here’s what Earth Ranger Marshall had to say:
We now wash our clothes in Cold water and we make sure to always unplug electronics when we’re not using them.
Marshall stopped the culprits the Terrible Tap, the Lousy Leak, the H2O Hog, the Devious Draft, the Sinister Suds, and the Power Phantom.
How many culprits will you stop? Accept the Operation Conservation Mission today!
Get ready Earth Rangers, we’re going full Jurassic Park on this one! On this episode, Emma takes a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to talk to superstar Palaeontologist Dr. David Evans about some of the coolest animals ever: DINOSAURS!
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
Help us crown the winner of the Best Animal Joke of ALL Time contest! We’ve collected all the winning jokes from the previous rounds and they’re going head-to-head to see who will come out on top!
Final Round: Which of these jokes do you think is the best? Vote for your favourite!
What did the judge say when the skunk walked into the courtroom? Odour in the court! (88%, 90 Votes)
What is the Ant eater looking for? Ants...and maybe uncles! (4%, 4 Votes)
Why are computers and cats so related? Because they both like mice! (4%, 4 Votes)
What does a frog do if it crashes? It gets toad! (2%, 2 Votes)
Why does a bear not like wearing shoes? Because it prefers bare (bear) feet! (2%, 2 Votes)
We are excited to share with you a new, free program launching for the 2019/2020 school year: the Earth Rangers Clubs program!
An Earth Rangers Club is made up of elementary school students and educators, who have committed to taking action in helping animals and the environment. Research we recently conducted indicated that, while Eco Clubs are very popular in schools across Canada, they could benefit from more resources and structure. For this reason, we have created a free and easy to use platform for schools to track their Club’s activities and accomplishments year after year and gain access to activity ideas that will increase the Club’s impact.
We encourage you to form a Club or engage your existing Eco Club by registering with us at clubs.earthrangers.com, where you can access all program materials and track your Club’s progress throughout the year(s).
Clubs can be Classroom-run or School-wide. Both Club types are supported by Club Missions which provide everything a Club needs to implement an environmental campaign at your school or in a classroom. There is no minimum requirement to join, you can determine the Club type, size, and frequency of engagement. Earth Rangers believe that all actions make a difference and we’ll celebrate and recognize every achievement with you!
The Earth Rangers Clubs program aims to:
Provide quality leadership opportunities for students that build a sense of belonging
Focus on the real-world impact of positive environmental actions
Assist students in understanding their place within an interconnected environment
Ignite a passion to change behaviours to reduce our impact on the environment
Connect to the curriculum
Earth Rangers is committed to providing what you need to make launching and sustaining an Earth Rangers Club at your school a fun and worthwhile endeavor. Thereby helping to develop the leaders of today and tomorrow. We hope you will consider joining other Clubs from across Canada on this important journey towards a more sustainable future.
Now that the summer has ended, kids across the country are heading back to school, but sometimes it can be easy to think that we’re smart enough and don’t need to learn anything else. After all, we’re the smartest ones around, aren’t we? As research into animal intelligence advances we are learning that humans aren’t the only smart species. Many animals have advanced communication and social systems, they can use tools, are self-aware, can empathize, think abstractly and problem solve. To keep up with these animal smarty pants we all better get back to class!
Octopus
They play, have personalities and are excellent problem solvers. Researchers have observed them accessing their choice of clams to eat and making decisions about which ones they think are easiest to open. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-octopuses-smart/
Dolphin
They have big brains relative to their body size and are self-aware (able to identify themselves in a mirror). Their complex social structures and communication skills are studied by researchers as many believe they are one of the most intelligent animals. http://phys.org/news181981904.html
They are closely related to humans, differing by just over one percent of DNA. They have sophisticated corporative hunting techniques, they use tools, are capable of abstract thought and complex communication. http://www.janegoodall.ca/about-chimp-so-like-us.php#Intelligence
Corvids (Family of birds that includes ravens, crows and magpies)
They use tools, can remember large feeding sites and adapt their behaviour based on what other members in the group do. They can even learn to put small objects like recyclables into a blue box. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131128103835.htm
Orangutan
They understand gift giving, weighing the costs and benefits of exchanging items with other individuals over time. They have an advanced understanding of their forest habitat and are able to quickly build nests, navigate the tree canopy and remember routes to locate food. Some orangutans can learn to communicate using sign language. http://orangutancanada.ca/about-orangutans/intelligence/
They have the second-biggest brain among oceanic mammals and are adept at sensing and analyzing their water habitat. They have local language and culture that they learn from their pod. http://phys.org/news187298115.html
African Grey Parrot
They can apply logical reasoning to figure out where food is hidden and some have been shown to associate words with meanings and form simple sentences.
Bees
They have swarm intelligence, similar to ants, meaning that as a group they are capable of complex behaviours. Bees are excellent navigators and are able to communicate the location of food through dancing for their hive mates.
This isn’t just a scary title. It’s a true story! There actually are electric hornets – well, sort of. But don’t worry; these insects won’t be shocking anyone anytime soon. Let’s take a look at the oriental hornet and its solar-powered abilities!
Stopping the Power Phantom is as easy as 1-2-3. You just have to:
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They play, have personalities and are excellent problem solvers. Researchers have observed them accessing their choice of clams to eat and making decisions about which ones they think are easiest to open.
