Preparing for the effects of climate change

Earth Rangers

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January 4, 2018

Preparing for the effects of climate change

We’re feeling the effects of climate change around the world but the specific way you will be affected depends on where you live. Some areas might get more rain, while others might be more likely to experience drought.

Accept the Just 1 Tree Mission in the Earth Rangers App

In Canada, we could see…

An area is in a drought when it gets less rain than normal over a long period of time (weeks, months, or even years). It can leave people and animals in the area without much food to eat or water to drink.

What can we do to deal with drought?
– Collect rainwater with a rain barrel and use it to water your plants. Make sure you put a screen on top of it so insects like mosquitoes can’t use it to lay their eggs.
– Conserve water at home by fixing leaky pipes and taking shorter showers.
– Plant drought-resistant plants in your garden.

Wildfires are just that: wild fires. They are usually started by lightning or sometimes accidentally by humans, and can burn uncontrollably. They spread quickly and can cause damage to property and even lead to death.

What can we do to deal with wildfires?
– Check to see if there is a fire ban in your area before starting a campfire.
– Make sure your campfire is completely out before you leave.
– Rake your lawn to remove any dry leaves or grass that could fuel a fire.

An invasive species is an animal, plant or fungus that is introduced to a new ecosystem and outcompetes with the native species, making it harder for them to find food or habitat. As the climate changes, many animals are able to survive farther north than before, allowing invasive species to spread to even more ecosystems.

What can we do to deal with invasive species?
– Don’t release any of your pets into the wild
– Make sure to clean your gear after going on a hike, especially if you are traveling to a different country. Who knows what seeds could be hitching a ride!
– Check your boat for any invasive mussels that might have become attached, and be careful where you empty your ballast water – you might have picked up an invasive species!
– If you see an invasive species, tell someone and ask them to report it to your provincial or territorial species council (or government ministry). Your province or territory may also be part of a larger reporting system like EDDMaps or iMapInvasives.

A flood happens when there is too much water in an area that can’t drain properly. This flow of water can happen gradually or really fast (this is called a “flash flood”), and it can be extremely dangerous, causing damage to property and crops or even loss of life.

What can we do to deal with flooding?
– Make sure your gutters, storm drains and downspouts aren’t blocked by any leaves and other debris so that water has somewhere to drain.
– Build a rain garden. This specially designed garden helps soak up extra water coming from your downspout, and can be habitat for insects and birds.

Insects are spreading northward because of the warmer temperatures we’re experiencing. Not only will this mean more mosquitoes and ticks in climates where they never used to exist, but also more of the diseases and illnesses they carry with them.

What can we do to deal with disease-carrying insects?
– Check and repair mosquito screens and use insect repellent to avoid getting bitten
– Mosquitoes breed in standing water (anything that isn’t flowing), so dump your buckets, clear out your gutters and get rid of any water that collects for more than a few days.

Smog is a harmful thick yellow or black fog that’s formed when the air pollutants from burning fuels are mixed with high temperatures and sunshine. We’re likely to see more smog as temperatures rise in the future.

What can we do to deal with smog?
– Improve your indoor air quality with plants that clean the air, like spider plants.
– Help cut down on air pollution by using public transit, walking, or riding your bike instead of taking a car.

A heat wave is a period of time when an area has higher than normal temperatures. It can cause heat stroke, kill crops, and lead to power outages from too many people using their air conditioning at the same time.

What can we do to deal with heat waves?
– Plant a tree outside to provide shade.
– Cool down your home by keeping your lights off and blinds closed during the day.

Can you think of some other tips that will help us adapt to the effects of climate change?

Funding provided in part by:

This Mission is also supported by:

References:
www.insurancehotline.com/protect-your-home-from-flooding-and-water-damage/
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution/
www.ontario.ca/page/stop-spread-invasive-species
www.islandconservation.org/stop-spread-invasive-species
canadainvasives.ca/how-you-can-help/where-to-report-an-invasive-species
cultureofsafety.thesilverlining.com/wilderness/forest-fire-prevention
drought.unl.edu/DroughtforKids/HowCanWeProtectOurselves/WaterConservation.aspx
www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/grho/grho_007.cfm

Happy Holi-D.I.Y. Mission

Earth Rangers

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December 19, 2017

781

Quick! What’s a place with lots of birds, mammals, insects and a bunch of trees? It’s a forest! If you want to do your part to help conserve forests this holiday season, then Happy Holi-DIY is for you!

Forests are incredibly important ecosystems, not just for the animals that live in them, but for humans too. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, forests touch our lives every day.

Each holiday season we buy new toys, clothing and who can forget the shiny new holiday decorations that make the season bright! Our forests provide us with the resources to make these products (like wood, paper and metals) so it’s important that they are collected in a responsible way.

You can also do things in your own home to help our forests. One of the best ways is to practice the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle.

forest animals — These are just a few of the animals that call Canada’s forests home.

When you’re finished with something, don’t just throw it out – see if you can reuse it! All it takes is some Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y.) spirit and a little imagination to help make a big difference for our forests.

This year you can help conserve Canada’s forests and the animals living there by making your own holiday gifts and decorations!

When you accept the Happy Holi-DIY Mission, you’ll get access to awesome crafts that you can make from items found around your home. Grab an empty jar, an egg carton, an old pop bottle, a sock or even just a pinecone, and get crafting!

To complete this Mission you must:
• Make homemade crafts like the ones in this Brief by using materials found around your home.
• Give your crafts as gifts to your family and friends or use them to decorate your home.
• When you’re done, visit www.earthrangers.com/happy-holi-DIY to let us know how it went!

Super Ranger Logan Parachutes In!

Earth Rangers

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November 27, 2017

527

Hi there Earth Rangers! We’ve got another AMAZING success story for you! Meet Ranger Logan, who is on a mission to help save animals and our planet! Ranger Logan is an EPIC Earth Ranger.

Throughout his AMAZING journey Ranger Logan has helped a whole bunch of animals, helping to ensure they have a safe place to call home! He’s helped by defending Little Brown Bats, protecting Pine Martens, and now he’s saving our little friends Salamanders! What a success Ranger Logan has had helping save these animals.

Wait – what’s that, in the sky?! Could it be… Super Ranger Logan parachuting in to save the day!

With a pretty ingenious idea Ranger Logan got to work creating Parachute Bracelets for his campaign. They were SO popular that he literally sold out! The success doesn’t stop there: the bracelets caught so much attention that he was even interviewed by a local radio station, Kool FM!

Here’s what Ranger Logan has to say about this amazing experience: “I had a chance to be the Kool Kid, on Kool FM. I talked about being an Earth Ranger and the fundraising I was doing to protect the Pine Marten. It was such an awesome experience to get to talk on the radio! Charlie (the host) bought 10 bracelets, super Kool!!!”

Ranger Logan also wants to remind us all that reducing our energy consumption is SO important. He says, “I help the environment in any way that I can (and you can too!); I help by recycling, and reducing my waste. And, I make sure to always reduce the amount of water and electricity I use!” Wow Ranger Logan, you really are making a difference!

RangerLogan(239973)-FliptheSwitchPhoto(ForArticle) - Copy — Ranger Logan’s Flip the Switch Mission Submission – helping reduce his, and his family’s carbon footprint by using energy efficient lights in their home!

Ranger Logan wants to leave us with this message: “I became an Earth Ranger because I used to live on Vancouver Island, and we would see lots of different wild life every day. I would see Bald Eagles, Deer, Blue Cranes, Bears, Rabbits, Elk, Sea Lions, Star Fish, big Crabs, lots of Sand Dollars, and sometimes even Cougars (from a far distance!). I really think this is where I began to appreciate the wild life around me. For me becoming an Earth Ranger allowed me to make a difference for these animals, and protect them and their habitats. Knowing I’m able to contribute is a great feeling of accomplishment!”

Want to be an earth-saving hero like Ranger Logan? Check out these Missions!

Love this article and want to leave a comment? Not to worry – your comment will be visible after it’s checked by our Team to make sure it’s thoughtful and squeaky clean. Check out our posting guidelines here. (http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/earth-rangers-wild-wire-blog-the-how-to-guide-on-commenting-up-a-storm/)

Climate Change and Biodiversity: It’s Complicated

Earth Rangers

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November 21, 2017

293

Climate Change and Biodiversity: It’s Complicated

Ecosystems are complicated webs of plants and animals that all rely on each other to survive. Successful ecosystems strike a balance between the species that live within them, but climate change is threatening this balance in a big way. We know that plants and animals have the ability to adapt to gradual changes in their environments, but climate change is happening so quickly that lots of them just can’t keep up. Even the ones that can are causing big changes to the ecosystems they live in, and this is a big problem.

Take the trumpeter swan for example. These migratory birds breed in northern climates, heading south with their young once cooler temperatures hit to avoid the harsh northern winter weather. Their young have to pack on lots of muscle and fat stores to help them on their long migration, and a warmer summer means a longer growing season and more plants for them to eat.

Now it might sound like a happy ending for the trumpeter swan, but the story isn’t quite over. Increasing trumpeter swan populations (and appetites!) are making it harder for the smaller tundra swan that lives in the same region to find enough food to survive, which could lead to declines in their populations if trumpeter swans continue to thrive.

The story is the same for the mountain pine beetle and its habitat, which are both affected by climate change – but in two very different ways. Warmer temperatures are causing pine beetle larvae to mature much more quickly than they usually do – so much quicker that an extra generation of beetles is being born every year!

But while this population increase might be good for the beetles, it’s really bad for their habitat and many of the other animals that they share it with. Mountain pine beetles attack pine trees, and since their populations have started increasing, over half of BC’s lodgepole pines have been destroyed. This means that many of the birds and animals that rely on the lodgepole pine will no longer be able to find the food or habitat they need to survive.
These are just two examples that show us how even a small change can have big consequences for an entire ecosystem and that some species find it easier to adapt, leaving other species in trouble. How plants and animals will respond to climate change is really hard to predict, but one way we can help them is by protecting as much of their habitat as possible, to make sure they continue to have a safe and healthy place to live.

Take action today!

Sources:
http://wwf.panda.org/?2143%252FSpeed-Kills-Rates-of-Climate-Change-are-Threatening-Biodiversity
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/25/alberta-climate-change_n_5529983.html
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13381
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumpeter-swans-rebound-assist-global-warming/

Climate Change 101: The Basics of Biodiversity

Earth Rangers

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November 21, 2017

151

Climate Change 101: The Basics of Biodiversity

As a dedicated Earth Ranger, we probably don’t need to tell you twice that climate change is a serious problem for plants and animals everywhere. It affects their homes, their health, and even their babies – but what is climate change and how exactly does it work?

Scientists use “climate change” to refer to changes in the Earth’s weather patterns that happen over a long period of time. A summer heat wave or a green Christmas without snow are just short-term changes in the weather, not climate change – but when unusual weather happens again and again each year, scientists start to worry. A mild winter or extra hot summer might not raise any alarm bells on its own, but with 16 of the last 17 years ranking among the warmest on record, it’s safe to say there’s cause for concern.

So what’s causing Earth’s climate to change like this? In a nutshell, we are. Gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the warmth from the sun and keep our planet at just the right temperature. But when we burn fossil fuels (like coal and oil) to drive our cars, heat our homes, or produce electricity, the smoke that comes out of chimneys, cars and trucks adds more greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide and methane) into the air. More greenhouse gases trap more heat in the atmosphere, and this trapped heat is making our planet warmer. Warmer temperatures cause all kinds of strange things to happen, like melting glaciers that can lead to rising sea levels, more rain that can lead to flooding, or less rain that can cause drought. The specific impacts of climate change all depend on where you live.

greenhouse_effect — Greenhouse gases released when we burn fossil fuels trap air in the atmosphere, which causes the surface of the Earth to warm.

So now that we know what climate change is and the problems it can cause, what can we do about it? Well, fortunately we have the power to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Mitigation: trying to slow down or prevent climate change before it occurs or while it’s happening by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we add to the atmosphere. Actions like carpooling or buying local products are examples of mitigation.

Adaptation: trying to adjust our behaviours to deal with climate change now that it’s occurring. Things like planting trees to prevent erosion or using rainbarrels to collect excess stormwater are examples of adaptation.

Unfortunately, many plants and animals just can’t adapt quickly enough to climate change, which is causing big problems for Canada’s biodiversity.

Biodiversity: the variety of plants, animals, and other living organisms in a habitat or ecosystem

A tree that’s used to a cool fall can’t just pack up and move to a new location when it’s too hot in September, and a baby bird that hatches when the air warms up earlier than it’s supposed to in the spring can’t just make berries to eat when flowers haven’t even blossomed yet. In addition to these examples, climate change is also causing other serious problems in Canada for both animals and humans, including:

more forest fires, destroying important animal habitat and sometimes impacting cities and towns where people live
melting Arctic ice, making it more dangerous for people living in arctic towns to travel on the ice and making it harder for polar bears to hunt seals
more invasive plants and pests which spread quickly into new areas as the temperature warms and outcompete the native plants taking away important food sources for animals

We might already know some of the impacts of climate change, but others will take years and years to fully understand. One thing is for sure, though: if we don’t take action to prevent it and start figuring out how we can help species adapt to it, the plants and animals that we love might not always be around. That’s why we’re calling on all Earth Rangers to do their part by accepting our climate change Missions today!

Sources:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201613
https://www.c2es.org/science-impacts/basics/kids
http://wwf.panda.org/?2143%252FSpeed-Kills-Rates-of-Climate-Change-are-Threatening-Biodiversity

Give it a Rest!

Earth Rangers

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November 9, 2017

562

Zzzz…zzzz…zzzz…Oh sorry! You just caught us getting some beauty sleep. We humans need a lot of sleep in order for our brains and bodies to function. In fact, we spend about 1/3 of our lives asleep, and if someone went without sleep for long enough, it could actually kill them!

Of course, humans aren’t the only ones who need a little shuteye. Check out these animals catching some Zs.

Did you know…

Sperm whales sleep in an up-down position with their faces pointing to the sky (underwater, obviously).
Horses and Zebras nap standing up, allowing them to make a quick escape if a predator is nearby.
Walruses can go 84 hours without sleep.
Groups of sea otters will hold hands to keep from drifting apart while sleeping.
Ducks sleep in a row and the ones at both ends keep one eye open to look out for predators.
Giraffes take short power naps for a total of just 30 minutes of sleep day.
Koalas sleep for 20-22 hours.

Funny Talking Animals – Roadtrip Edition!

Earth Rangers

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November 7, 2017

354

Funny Talking Animals – Roadtrip Edition!

It was a quiet day in the animal kingdom when a group of fuzzy friends decided it was time for a road trip. What better way to turn a boring afternoon into an adventure-filled journey – or so they thought…

Your Next Mission: Flip the Switch

Earth Rangers

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November 3, 2017

323

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 electricity you use.

What is climate change and how does saving electricity help slow it down?

Climate change refers to the changes in our planet’s weather patterns over a long period of time. When we burn coal, oil or other fossil fuels to make things like electricity, we impact how quickly our climate is changing. That’s because fossil fuels release greenhouse gases when they’re burned, which then build up in the Earth’s atmosphere and cause the planet to warm faster than it has in the past.

That’s why it’s so important that we save electricity!

Your Mission: Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs and help conserve electricity in your home!

In this Mission, we’ll help you make the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs and show you how saving electricity can help the planet. We’ll also tell you more about how Canada is taking action to help slow down climate change by flipping the switch across the country!

Are you ready to flip the switch?

Generously supported by:

The Halloween Takeover

Earth Rangers

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October 31, 2017

89

Get into the Halloween spirit with this spooky story…

“Shrooom, flap flap” “shrooom, flap flap” this was the noise that Barticus the bat made as he flew back and forth, pacing in the dark cave. It wasn’t night time yet, so his brothers and sisters were still fast asleep.

Barticus couldn’t imagine sleeping at a time like this, not when it was the most hated, worstest day of the year… Halloween. Barticus loved to celebrate all the bat holidays, even battyismist, but every year he dreaded October 31^st. As a night time loving mammal, you may think that Barticus would like a holiday filled with all things scary and spooky but you’d be wrong.

The reflection of the moon came pouring down as Barticus flew at top speed out of the cave. Barticus soared over the corn fields and towards the small houses in neat rows lined with Halloween decorations, staring down at what he hated about this time of year.

Sure, everyone loves a smiling pumpkin, or a witch hat, but why did bats have to be a spooky sign of Halloween? Barticus didn’t like the idea of people being scared of bats, because really they were some of the nicest animals around. Why couldn’t bats be the sign for something warm and fuzzy like Valentine’s Day – they were lovable mammals too! Nicer than those pesky mosquitoes… After all, what has bitten you more often: a blood sucking insect or an adorable lovable bat?

This Halloween was going to be different though, Barticus had a plan that would leave everyone jumping with fright… but this time it won’t be at bats it would be at something much, much scarier…..

The night before, Barticus had been soaring by a house when he saw a little boy playing at his computer, he was jumping up and down with excitement as the clicks of his mouse made the lemur jump from tree to tree. From the poster of Cosmo the Lemur on the wall to the Bring Back the Wild buttons, Barticus could tell this kid’s favourite animal wasn’t a bat.

It was at that moment that Barticus realized if he was going to make bats the new cute animal in town, he was going to have to give humans something else to be scared of at Halloween. That is how he came up with his plan, which after much debate; he called “The Evil Lemur Master Plan.”

Barticus couldn’t pull this off alone so he teamed up with his best friends, Signor spider and BB the black cat, to take back Halloween. As Barticus landed by the big oak tree, he saw that Signor the spider had already begun decorating BB the black cat. With a paint brush dripping with white paint, Signor had made BB’s tail look just like a ring-tailed lemur. “That looks great Signor, but she needs rings around her eyes too”. With a few more brush strokes, Signor had transformed BB the black cat into a ring-tailed lemur.

“Finished at last. Now practice your lemur growl” said Signor.

On that cue nothing happened… because BB the black cat had been sitting to be painted for so long that she had fallen asleep.

“BB!” screeched Barticus.

BB jumped up, “Ok, ok what is all the noise about?”

“Signor has finished, you’re now a lemur!” said Barticus.

BB looked down at her tail. “Well, I would have added a few more rings but I guess it will do” she replied, “ let’s go show some kids that there is something scarier at Halloween than bats, spiders and black cats!” said Barticus. With that, the “Evil Lemur Master Plan” crew was off to bring fear and fright and all things spooky to kids everywhere!

BB the black cat sat lying in wait, crouched up behind a garbage can in a dark alleyway. The paint on her fur that was supposed to make her look like a lemur had dried but it was starting to itch. BB was trying really hard not to lick her fur clean and focus on being a scary lemur when a gaggle of noisy kids started to come down the street.

As the children approached, BB crouched down and launched herself out into the street landing right in front of the children. BB mustered her loudest and scariest call, screaming “BOOOO!”

The kids stood there staring at BB, and then broke out in laughter.

BB was so shocked that she bolted back into the alleyway. Signor Spider and Barticus the bat came down from the roof top where they had been hiding.

“What was that?” asked Signor, “You’re supposed to be a scary lemur, not a ghost.”

“I don’t understand it”, said Barticus, shaking his head, “They should have run away scared. Maybe you should do something more like this – ” Barticus reached his wings up to make himself look really big and made a snarling face.

BB sighed, “I dunno… At least when I was a black cat kids didn’t laugh at me.”

“I thought you wanted to be loveable and not have people cross the street when you come near?” said Barticus.

“I do… but maybe we can’t change who we are. Black cats bring bad luck and lemurs are cute, that’s just the way it is.” replied BB.

“Come on” said Barticus, as he grabbed BB and dragged her back towards the end of the alleyway.

“This time, scream and make your arms big like I showed you, here comes two kids… now ready… set…”

BB closed her eyes hoping that maybe the kids would go the other way, but as soon as their voices were close enough Barticus pushed BB out of the alleyway. BB screamed louder than before “Blaaagggggg” waving her arms all around and stomping her feet. The little boy and girl looked at the black cat painted with a ringed tail that had just jumped out at them, then looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

“Hey,” the boy said, “that kinda looks like Cosmo, the Ring-tailed Lemur”

“Ya, he’s kinda cute and fuzzy looking” replied his sister.

The boy and girl moved towards BB as Barticus and Signor came storming out of the alleyway. The boy and girl stopped in their tracks, “Eeeek it’s a spider and a bat! Ruuun!”

The boy screamed as he turned and ran away.

“Oh’ come on”, shouted Barticus, “so a screaming lemur who jumps out at you isn’t scary but a quiet little bat is? That’s just plain ridiculous.”

As Barticus said this, he realized that the little girl was still standing in front of him.

“Happy Halloween!” she said with a big grin, as she turned and skipped off to catch up with her brother. As Barticus watched the girl leave he realized that not everyone was scared of him and that maybe some people put up pictures of bats, spiders, and black cats because they like them and not just to be scary.

“You know, being a bat on Halloween may not be so bad after all.” Barticus said as he looked down at BB, who had started trying to clean the paint off of her tail… and Signor, who had tangled himself in her fur trying to keep her from de-lemuring herself…

From Everyone at Earth Rangers

Happy Halloween!

How to have a Green Halloween

Earth Rangers

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October 25, 2017

82

Make your Halloween green this year by taking action with your family to reduce your carbon footprint. Here are a few ideas you and your family can try:

Pumpkins – more than just a jack-o-lantern:

• When carving your pumpkin, keep the seeds to bake for a healthy snack.
• After Halloween, donate your jack-o-lantern to a farm that can use it to feed its animals – the pumpkin is a good source of vitamins for them. Another option is to place the pumpkin on your garden where it can decompose and provide nutrients for your plants next spring.
• If you use an LED tea light instead of a candle, the pumpkin can still be safely cooked and eaten; jack-o-lanterns aren’t as sweet as the smaller pie pumpkins, but in most recipes, no one can tell the difference.

Costumes – make them last!

• Don’t throw away last year’s costume! Instead invite your friends to trade their costumes with you for a brand new look.
• Have a one-of-a-kind costume! Make it yourself using old clothes or recycled items from around the house.

Monster mash – cut down on trash!

• Skip the paper plates at your Halloween party. Reduce waste by using reusable plates and cutlery instead.
• Avoid buying snacks with lots of extra packaging. Consider doing a “candy bar” with chocolates, jujubes and other sweets that you can buy in bulk. Provide your guests with small paper bags to fill up. Also note that chocolates wrapped in foil that scrunches up (and stays scrunched up) are recyclable.
• Use recycled items to make your own spooky party decorations.

Earth Rangers

Earth Rangers

Preparing for the effects of climate change

Accept the Just 1 Tree Mission in the Earth Rangers App

In Canada, we could see…

Can you think of some other tips that will help us adapt to the effects of climate change?

Happy Holi-D.I.Y. Mission

This year you can help conserve Canada’s forests and the animals living there by making your own holiday gifts and decorations!

Super Ranger Logan Parachutes In!

Want to be an earth-saving hero like Ranger Logan? Check out these Missions!

Climate Change and Biodiversity: It’s Complicated

Take action today!

Climate Change 101: The Basics of Biodiversity

Biodiversity: the variety of plants, animals, and other living organisms in a habitat or ecosystem

Give it a Rest!

Did you know…

Funny Talking Animals – Roadtrip Edition!

Your Next Mission: Flip the Switch

What is climate change and how does saving electricity help slow it down?

Your Mission: Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs and help conserve electricity in your home!

Are you ready to flip the switch?

Generously supported by:

The Halloween Takeover

From Everyone at Earth Rangers

How to have a Green Halloween

Pumpkins – more than just a jack-o-lantern:

Costumes – make them last!

Monster mash – cut down on trash!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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