Have you ever seen an elephant trunk twist? How about a panda pile? No? Well check out this Top Ten video to see how all of our fuzzy, feathered and scaled friends cozy-up for Valentine’s Day!
Podcast Bonus Episode: Emma and the bird who eats…snakes?
Well guys, this is it! We’ve come to the last bonus episode for Season 1 of the Earth Rangers Podcast. But don’t worry because we’ll be back with Season 2 before you know it! In the meantime, have you ever heard of an awesome bird with a mohawk that likes to EAT SNAKES?? Find out which bird we’re talking about in this episode!
The Earth Rangers Podcast is the BEST animal podcast EVER! You’ll join Emma, our podcast host and Earth Ranger Extraordinaire, as she journeys from ecosystem to ecosystem on a quest to solve some of nature’s greatest mysteries!
Bonus Episode: Emma and the bird who eats…snakes?
Take a look at the artwork for this podcast. You can see a fox, a caribou, but what in the world is that bird?! Emma solves that little mystery on this week’s bonus episode!
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
Check out the show notes for this bonus episode and
subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode!
Caption This: What’s this Bear Thinking?
We need your help! This bear is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Take a look at the picture below and see if you can come up with the best caption!
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Looking for more fun stuff? Check out our other captions, try and figure out a pixel puzzler, take a quiz or watch a cool video!
Podcast Bonus Episode: The Story of the Most Peculiar Beluga
Are you ready to hear a cute animal friendship story? Well, you better be because that’s what this week’s bonus episode is all about! Listen to this episode of the Earth Rangers podcast and be prepared to say “awww!”
The Earth Rangers Podcast is the BEST animal podcast EVER! You’ll join Emma, our podcast host and Earth Ranger Extraordinaire, as she journeys from ecosystem to ecosystem on a quest to solve some of nature’s greatest mysteries!
Bonus Episode: The Story of the Most Peculiar Beluga
Once upon a time, there was a beluga whale that didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the pod…Plus: Earth Ranger Emma has a brand new quiz for you. “True or false” – Time to brush up on your elephant and camel trivia facts!
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
Check out the show notes for this bonus episode and
subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode!
Caption This: What’s this Polar Bear Thinking?
We need your help! This polar bear is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Take a look at the picture below and see if you can come up with the best caption!
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Looking for more fun stuff? Check out our other captions, try and figure out a pixel puzzler, take a quiz or watch a cool video!
Podcast Bonus Episode: World’s Funniest Animals
The Earth Rangers Podcast is back with a special bonus episode and this time, prepare to laugh your socks off! Emma and her animal investigation squad are on a mission to find out if animals actually laugh.
The Earth Rangers Podcast is the BEST animal podcast EVER! You’ll join Emma, our podcast host and Earth Ranger Extraordinaire, as she journeys from ecosystem to ecosystem on a quest to solve some of nature’s greatest mysteries!
Bonus Episode:
World’s Funniest Animals
A very silly episode of “Who am I” leads Earth Ranger Emma to investigate the science of animal laughter.
Just click the play button on the player below and get ready for another adventure!
Check out the show notes for this bonus episode and
subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode!
Caption This: What’s this Hippo Thinking?
We need your help! This hippo is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Take a look at the picture below and see if you can come up with the best caption!
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Looking for more fun stuff? Check out our other captions, try and figure out a pixel puzzler, take a quiz or watch a cool video!
Koho’s Tour of the Earth Rangers Centre
The final stop on our energy tour takes us right to the Earth Rangers Headquarters but this time we aren’t just talking about renewable energy. We’re talking about energy-saving too! Let’s meet up with our feathery tour guide and take a look!
Hi Earth Ranger! I’m Koho and I’m an eagle. I’m an Animal Ambassador, and I live at the Earth Rangers Headquarters, so there’s no one better to show you around. First, let’s head out to the parking lot!
The first thing you see is all our solar panels. There are 324, counted them myself! But these aren’t the only ones we have. There are also another 144 panels on the roof of the outdoor aviary (that’s where all the Animal Ambassador birds like me live). That’s a whole lot of solar panels collecting rays from the sun and turning them into energy. In fact, they give us 35% of the electricity we need for the building!
Now, if you look down…um… I guess you’d just see pavement. Ok, well, even though you can’t see it, there are small wells of liquid below our feet. In the winter, the liquid in these wells stays warmer than the air above it, because it absorbs heat from the ground. What is energy stored in the ground called again? *cough* geothermal energy *cough*! The heat from this liquid travels through our walls, ceiling, and floors to heat the building. When the building needs to be cooled in the summer, the heat travels back into the wells in the ground. This saves us lots of energy because we don’t need to use as much heating and air conditioning.
These are just two examples of how we reduce the energy we use at the Earth Rangers Headquarters. Check out these other ways:
– There are tons of windows and skylights, which mean we don’t need to use as much electricity to light up the building.
– We collect energy from the sun using our solar thermal panels to heat water in the building.
– In the basement, there are 20m (65ft) long Earth tubes that carry air from the outside, down into the earth and up into the building, which help keep the building cool in the summer. This is another example of geothermal energy at work.
– Our green roof absorbs less heat from the sun during the summer than a roof with shingles, keeping things cool. In the winter, it helps insulate the building and keep it warm (like a blanket).
At the Earth Rangers Headquarters, we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk!
What are some of the ways you save energy at home?
Generously sponsored by:
Your Next Mission: Re-set the ‘stat
Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our planet today, and one of the ways you can help fight against it is by cutting back on the amount of energy you use at home!
Heating our homes is important for surviving Canadian winters, but many of us are keeping it warmer than it needs to be. Over 62% of the energy we use at home goes towards heating, which is more than all the energy we use for appliances and lighting combined!
Your Mission: Adjust your thermostat and help conserve energy at home!
Most Canadians use natural gas or electricity to heat our homes, both of which release greenhouse gases when they’re burned or generated (depending on the energy source). These greenhouse gases end up in our atmosphere and contribute to climate change. That’s why it’s so important to save energy, and a great way to start is by adjusting your thermostat!
To complete this Mission, you must:
– Turn your thermostat down for at least one week in the winter.
– Put the sticker that came with your Mission Brief beside your thermostat as a reminder to keep the temperature lower in the winter.
– Throw on your wackiest, craziest, fuzziest, or comfiest sweater and use the tips in the Mission Brief to keep warm (don’t forget to take a pic!).
– When you’re done, come back and let us know how your mission went!
Enter the Re-set the ‘stat Contest!
For a limited time, you can enter the Re-set the ‘stat contest! Submit a photo of you in your fun sweater doing something to keep warm along with a short write-up for your chance to win an ecobee4 smart thermostat and a one-of-a-kind Earth Rangers hoodie!
Accept the Re-set the ‘stat Mission to learn more!
The Re-set the ‘stat Contest is now closed. Good luck to everyone who entered!
Generously supported by:
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The Power of Water
Moving water is an important renewable energy source in Canada. We’ve already looked at how oceans can be used to create energy. Now, we’re heading farther inland to look at how our rivers and streams can generate electricity too. It’s hydropower time!
Here’s how it works
A hydropower station is usually set up along a river or stream. The water flows into a pipe where it meets a turbine. The pressure from the flowing water pushes against the blades of the turbine, causing it to spin, which powers a generator and produces electricity. The water then flows out of the power station and continues on its way.
Hydropower plants often use dams to control when the water flows and how much of it enters into the pipes. This lets us generate electricity during the times of day when we need it most.
Canada is a Hydropower Powerhouse
Did you know that 60% of the electricity generated in Canada comes from hydropower? While almost every province and territory generates hydropower (except Nunavut and PEI), the big winner is Quebec! 95% of that province’s electricity comes from hydropower.
Our hydropower game isn’t just strong in Canada; it’s strong around the world! We are one of the top generators in the world, and together with China, Brazil and the USA, we generate half of the world’s supply!
Taking the Environment into Account
The bad news
Hydropower isn’t perfect. It can be damaging to ecosystems if the power stations interrupt the natural flow of the water, cutting off fish migration routes and stopping important sediments from traveling downstream. They can cause water levels to rise and fall with the energy demand, sometimes as much as several hundred feet! This can impact where animals like birds, fish and small mammals grow, nest feed, or spawn. It also prevents plant growth, which can lead to erosion of the land along the bank.
The good news
Hydropower can also help us cut down on our greenhouse gas emissions because it allows us to generate electricity without using fossil fuels. In Canada and the USA, hydropower helps us avoid 350 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year! That’s like taking 76 million cars off the road!
Scientists and engineers are also working hard to reduce the environmental impact of hydropower plants. Some dams are already using fish-friendly turbines, which let fish to swim through the blades, and other use fish ladder or bypass systems, which allow fish to swim up around the dam. We’ll have to wait and see what they think of next.
Check out other types of renewable energy!
Generously sponsored by:
Sources:
www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle
www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/energy-sources-distribution/renewables/small-hydropower/fish-friendly-turbine/7367
fwee.org/environment/how-a-hydroelectric-project-can-affect-a-river/how-a-hydro-project-affects-a-river-print/
www.enbridge.com/energy-matters/energy-school/hydroelectric-power-in-north-america
www.cer-rec.gc.ca/nrg/sttstc/lctrct/rprt/2017cnddptnrnwblpwr/hdr-eng.html
www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-and-data/data-and-analysis/energy-data-and-analysis/energy-facts/renewable-energy-facts/20069#L4
