Parks Canada and the Atlantic Salmon Rescue

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September 28, 2015

Parks Canada and the Atlantic Salmon Rescue

In Canada, Atlantic salmon can be found from the southern tip of Nova Scotia to the most northern rivers of Quebec, through Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Atlantic salmon were once found in every country that had rivers that flowed into the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea including the United States, Norway, Russia, France and Spain. Canada is lucky to have a wealth of Atlantic salmon habitat, covering one-third of all Atlantic salmon habitat in the world. Juvenile Atlantic salmon typically spend two to four years in fresh water before migrating to marine waters where they spend the next one to four years. After they’ve grown into adults in salt water, the salmon return to the rivers they grew up in to give birth to the next generation.

Fundy National Park, Point Wolfe River © Parks Canada

Atlantic salmon populations in some areas, like the Inner Bay of Fundy, are endangered; that’s why they need all the help they can get to protect them! Some of the biggest threats they face include habitat loss, climate change and pollution. Salmon are a sensitive species that depend on clean healthy rivers and oceans for their survival. To help species like Atlantic salmon, you can do your part by reducing the amount of plastic waste you produce to keep the Atlantic salmon’s habitat litter free! Take the Water Taste Challenge to help your family cut out disposable bottles. By taking action to help the Atlantic salmon, you’ll be joining other amazing organizations on their salmon saving mission, like Parks Canada.

Atlantic salmon underwater © Parks Canada

Canada’s Salmon Savers

Parks Canada has been working hard to protect Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park. Their salmon saving plan starts out in the spring, when they give a helping hand to young salmon going out to sea for the first time. These young salmon, known as smolts, are caught using a smolt wheel which are placed into the river to catch them as they swim downstream. These smolts are then taken to protected saltwater enclosures, where they can experience the natural conditions of the Bay of Fundy while being protected from predators and taken care of by dedicated staff. These young salmon will stay here for 18 months until they are ready to return to freshwater.

Protected Atlantic Salmon — Protected saltwater enclosure © Parks Canada

Salmon Release

salmon_conservation_parks_canada — Biologists studying the salmon in Fundy National Park © Parks Canada

Once the salmon are grown up, they are fitted with an electronic tag and released in the river where they hatched, where they will swim upstream to their spawning grounds. Biologists with Fundy National Park meet the fish in the fresh water rivers at their spawning areas, where they lay their eggs. These biologists will check the salmon for an electronic tag to see if they are the same fish that Parks Canada helped to raise. So far, this research has shown that the smolt raising is a big success! Since this salmon saving program started in 2009, more Atlantic salmon are returning to the Fundy Rivers.

Want to join Parks Canada’s salmon saving project? If you’re in Fundy National Park in August and September you can! Check out the Swim with Salmon for Science program and you could be trained by biologists to conduct salmon surveys!

volunteer swim with salmon — Swim with Salmon for Science volunteers © Parks Canada

The Merx Super Ranger Family

Earth Rangers

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September 11, 2015

32

Meet the Merx’s family! There are five children in this fab family, and together they’re helping to protect the environment. We first met the Merx family when they came out to build bird houses with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales! Check out this article to hear about their royal adventure: http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/super-rangers/a-super-earth-ranger-experience/

Earth Ranger kids with Prince Charles — The Merx family and Earth Ranger friends meeting HRH Prince of Wales

After their princely meetup, the Merx family kept on taking action to save animals and their homes. Seven-year-old Jermaine and Leroy completed the Battery Blitz mission, collecting 20 batteries to recycle! Not to be outdone by his little brothers, 13-year-old Malcom took part in a bunch of missions including Spring Green-Up, Homemade Holiday and the Water Taste Challenge. Malcom also made a bird feeder and hung it in a nearby tree where he spotted 40 birds!

sarah_MacFaith_small — Click here to check out Ann-Sophie’s song

The boys of the Merx family sure are making a difference, but let’s not forget about the girls! Four-year-old Chenoa has accepted the Pollinator Power Mission and fourteen-year-old Ann-Sophie, accepted the Spring Green-up Mission. Ann-Sophie is also using her creativity to raise donations to help protect animals. Ann-Sophie, AkA Sarah MacFaith, sang this song written by her father. This tune is Ann-Sophie’s way of helping to protect animals, with 30% of the funds raised from sales of the song being donated to Earth Rangers.

From singing songs, to building bird feeders, cleaning up ponds and planting 36 trees, the Merx family is keeping busy helping to protect the environment. A big thanks to the whole family for all they’ve done for our planet.

10 of Canada’s Coolest National Wildlife Areas

Earth Rangers

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August 6, 2015

75

Canada has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, and some of the coolest animals to boot. That’s why it’s so great that we have so many protected areas! Without them, we’d lose some of what makes Canada, Canada – its nature!

Check out this list of 10 of Canada’s Coolest National Wildlife Areas. They were created for wildlife research, conservation, nature exploration and to protect important areas used by migratory wildlife and species at risk.

These areas are open to the public so make sure to plan a visit if you are nearby! Don’t forget to accept your Outdoor Explorer Mission and bring your BioKit along for an extra special adventure.

Alaksen National Wildlife Area

35 km from Vancouver, British Columbia

Tom Middleton © Environment Canada – Bald Eagle

It is an important stopover and wintering site for millions of birds. In October, lucky visitors can see gigantic flocks of snow geese and ducks land as they take a break from their migration.
At Risk Species in the Area: Western painted turtle, great blue heron and barn owl

Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area

80 km from Kelowna, British Columbia

Dave Smith © Environment Canada – Bighorn sheep

It was originally created to protect the area’s California bighorn sheep but it also protects an important migration corridor that lets animals to travel safely from one area to the next.
At Risk Species in the Area: 30 species including western screech owl and western painted turtle

Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area

95 km from Moncton, New Brunswick and 70 km from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

With 10 unique ecosystems, including marshes, sand dunes and forests, the area is home to many amazing animals, including 170 bird species, like waterfowl and shorebirds.
At Risk Species in the Area: Piping plover, peregrine falcon

Shepody National Wildlife Area

46 km from Moncton, New Brunswick

V. Singh © Environment Canada – Semipalmated Sandpiper

For millions of migrating shorebirds, like the semipalmated sandpiper, this is an excellent place to rest and recharge. That’s because its wetlands are filled with their main food source, mud shrimp. The area is also home for mammals like otters, bobcat, deer and moose.
At Risk Species in the Area: Least bittern

Chignecto National Wildlife Area

200 km from Halifax, Nova Scotia and 80 km from Moncton, New Brunswick

Julie Paquet © Environment Canada – Loon

Found at the head of the Bay of Fundy, it’s home to 228 bird species, along with a variety of mammals including shrews, squirrels, moles, foxes, hares and woodchucks.

Big Creek National Wildlife Area

67 km from Woodstock, Ontario

© Environment Canada – Button bush flower

These wetlands are home to countless birds, like ducks, swans and geese, along with many reptiles and amphibians. It is also an important stopover site for Monarch Butterflies during their migration.
At Risk Species in the Area: Least bittern, prothonotary warbler and swamp rose mallow

Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area

70 km from Belleville, Ontario

This is the place to be for bird lovers. With over 330 bird species stopping by, there isn’t a better spot along Lake Ontario where you will find more birds during migration.
At Risk Species in the Area: Whip-poor-will, red-headed woodpecker and least bittern

Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area

50 km from Quebec, Quebec

This area is an important stopover site for greater snow geese during their migration. In the fall and spring, tens of thousands of these geese can be seen throughout the marsh. It is also home other birds like woodpeckers and grouse, and mammals like bears and foxes.
At Risk Species in the Area: Peregrine falcon, bobolink and butternut tree

Lake Saint-François National Wildlife Area

120 km from Montreal, Quebec

This area is home to almost 300 animal species like turtles, salamanders, bats, beavers and deer, just to name a few. During migration, it becomes even busier as thousands of ducks and geese stop by.
At Risk Species in the Area: Yellow rail, map turtle and butternut tree

Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area

140 km from Regina, Saskatchewan

Tood Kemper © Environment Canada - Pelican flight — Tood Kemper © Environment Canada – Pelican flight

This area is home to the first federal bird sanctuary established in North America. More than 280 species of birds have been recorded here during migration.
At Risk Species in the Area: Peregrine falcon, piping plover, whooping crane, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, loggerhead shrike, Baird’s sparrow, Caspian tern, and Cooper’s hawk.

Click here to learn more about these National Wildlife Areas

Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Bumble Bees

Earth Rangers

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July 15, 2015

82

Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Bumble Bees

Mmmm….wild blueberries and cranberries are delicious! In Northern Canada, wild berries are an important part of the traditional diet. We wouldn’t be able to enjoy these delicious treats without the help of pollinators, like the bumble bee. The flowers on these berries are enclosed so it takes a bumble bee’s long “tongue” to get to the plant’s nectar. Bumble bees release the pollen on these flowers by “buzzing” the muscles they use for flying. Some of this released pollen sticks to them and is transferred to other flowers, which pollinates the plants. Bumble bees are pretty amazing, and not just for their pollinating abilities. Check out this list of ten things you probably didn’t know about bumble bees.

1) There are 46 species of bumble bees in North America

Bumble bees are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic tundra to deserts and forests. They are important pollinators of many plant species within the diverse ecosystems of North America, including many of those found in Canada’s national parks!

2) Only female bumble bees have stingers

If you’ve ever been stung by a bumble bee it would have been a female since the males don’t have stingers.

3) Bumble bees eat pollen, nectar and bee poop, yuck!

Bumble bees have a protein rich diet of pollen and nectar, which sounds delicious, but their first meal isn’t so appetising. At the start of a bumble bee’s adult life they eat the feces of other bumble bees. This fecal matter has bacteria in it that helps the bumble bee’s immune system, protecting them from parasites.

4) Only the queen survives the winter

Early Bumble Bee (Bombus pratorum) — Bombus pratorum queen. Photo Credit: Flickr user, Martin Cooper

Bumble bee colonies die at the end of each growing season, only the queen survives to start a new colony in the spring. This is unlike honey bee colonies, where the queen and some members of the colony survive throughout the winter.

5) Bumble bees don’t mind the cold and they like the mountains

Bumble bees go in search of food in temperatures as low as 0 C. They stay warm by vibrating their flight muscles to generate heat. Bumble bee diversity tends to be the highest around mountain ranges. Nahanni National Park Reserve, which is located in the Northwest Territories’ Mackenzie Mountains, has at least 13 documented species of bumble bees! One of those species, the Western Bumble Bee, has been listed as a Special Concern by COSEWIC, which is why Earth Rangers took action to help protect them.

6) Bumble bee tongues come in different sizes

Bumble bee species have different lengths of tongues that match the flowers they feed on. This helps to reduce the competition for food between species because they aren’t all feeding off of the same flowers. Bumble bees with long tongues can reach the nectar in long tubular flowers, while medium and shorter-tongued species collect nectar from smaller flowers.

7) The cuckoo bumble bees are nest robbers

Instead of foraging for pollen or starting their own colonies, cuckoo bumble bees will take over the nests of other bee species. Even though they are thieves, cuckoo bumble bee species are still important for biodiversity and declines in their numbers can be a warning sign of change within the ecosystem. One rare cuckoo species, the Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee has been found as far north as Ivvavik National Park!

8) Some plants trick bees into pollinating them

There are plant species that rely on bees for pollination even though they contain no nectar and the bees can’t get to their pollen. These plants have to “fool” the bees, getting them to come to them by using attractive scents, colors, and “guidance” markings that help lure the bees in. One flower that “fools” bees is the Venus’ Slipper (Calypso bulbosa). The Venus’ Slipper is a delicate wild orchid that lives in the boreal forest and it is one of the first plants to flower in the spring, it can be found in Canada’s national parks such as Wood Buffalo and Nahanni.

9) Bumble bees stay close to home

After foraging at various flowers, bumble bees will carry their collected pollen and nectar back to the nest to feed. The farthest they have been known to fly from the nest for foraging is 10 km.

10) Bumble bees don’t share their honey

bumble bee hive. Photo credit, FLickr User Jem

Bumble bees only make a small amount of honey, which they eat themselves. It is honey bees that make lots of honey, enough for bee keepers to collect for us to eat.

Bees are threatened by habitat loss, but you can help! Take action to protect bees by planting a pollinator garden.

Outdoor Explorer

Earth Rangers

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July 13, 2015

157

Hey, Earth Rangers! It’s time to get up and get out…outside that is! There is an amazing adventure waiting right outside your door. Your next Mission is to discover the natural world around you!

When you think of cool creatures, does your mind take you to places like the Amazon Rainforests or the savannahs of Africa? Before you ask your parents to book a flight to a far off place, you might want to take a look around your own neighbourhood! You’ll see that there are some pretty cool species right here in Canada!

DID YOU KNOW?

There are over 140,000 species living in Canada! Check out some of the amazing species that call Canada home:

– The greater short-horned lizard can shoot blood from its eyes when threatened
– An Atlantic puffin can carry up to 61 fish in its beak
– Monarch butterflies migrate almost 5,000 km from Canada to Mexico
– Grizzly bears can run up to 48 km/h (30 mph)
– Canada’s largest tree is a red cedar, measuring 6 metres (20 feet) wide at the base and 56 metres (182 feet) tall
– Beluga whales are born brown or dark grey and turn white then they are 6 to 8 years old
– Moose are excellent swimmers, capable of diving more than 5 metres underwater

While many of Canada’s species are really cool, they are also at risk. Thankfully there are special places set aside to make sure they are protected.

Protecting Canada’s Biodiversity,

Starting with Mount Royal Park in 1876, almost 8,000 protected areas have been established in Canada. These protected areas are dedicated to conserving nature. They cover a wide range of habitats, like mountains and plains, boreal forests and tundra, lakes and glaciers. They range from small islands like Georgian Bay Islands National Park in Ontario to HUGE areas like Wood Buffalo National Park on the boarder of Alberta and Northwest Territories, and Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Nunavut.

Although some protected areas are off limits because the ecosystem is too fragile, most are open to the public and are perfect places to explore with your family during your Outdoor Explorer Mission!

Become a Real Outdoor Explorer

The Outdoor Explorer Mission will take you and your family on an adventure that you’ll never forget. Using Environment Canada’s BioKit, you’ll be able to record your experience as you get up close to nature. You also get to:

– Search for animals and plants
– Listen for different nature sounds
– Inspect the ground for animal tracks
– Identify different clouds
– Investigate invasive species
– Rate the area you visited

With the BioKit as your guide, every trip outside will become an adventure waiting to happen!

Here’s what you need to do to complete your Outdoor Explorer Mission:

– Choose an outdoor space to explore with your family: use the Earth Rangers Parks Locator to find one of Canada’s protected areas, a local park or green space near you.
– Download the Nature BioKit or Urban BioKit and use it to start your outdoor adventure.
– Share your adventures with friends and family by emailing or printing the downloadable Outdoor Explorer postcard and spread the word about the importance of conservation efforts in Canada.
– Tell Earth Rangers about your adventures by submitting stories and photos at the end of your Mission.

Top Ten Most Iconic Canadian Animals

Earth Rangers

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June 29, 2015

236

What species do you think best represents Canada? Check out this list and leave a comment to vote for your favourite.

1) Caribou

2) Beaver

3) Beluga Whale

4) Canada Goose

5) Canada Lynx

6) Common Garter Snake

7) Grizzly Bear

8) Monarch Butterfly

9) Atlantic Puffin

10) Raccoon

Top Ten Coolest Animal Dads

Earth Rangers

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June 19, 2015

147

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday! To help you and the family celebrate, here’s a countdown of some of the coolest dads in the animal kingdom. Leave a comment to share what’s awesome about your dad.

1) Chinstrap penguin

Male and female chinstrap penguins take turns incubating the eggs and helping to feed the chicks.

2)Grey wolf

Males and females form lifelong bonds, they raise their pups together as a family.

3) Gorilla

Males lead the group, providing protection for the young and sometimes taking charge of parenting.

4) Jacanca

Jacanca father with chick — Photo credit: Matt Francey

Jacancas are single dads! They incubate the eggs and raise the chicks on their own.

5) Lion

Lion dads defend the pride’s territory, leaving mom to take care of hunting and raising the cubs.

6) Marmoset

Marmoset dads help to groom and feed their young as well as give them piggyback rides!

7) Poison dart frog

Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles are carried on both mom and dad’s back to a water source.

8) Red fox

Red fox dads bring food back to the den for mom and the kits.

9) Seahorse

Seahorse dads carry the incubated eggs in their pouch until they hatch, which can take up to 45 days.

10) Great horned owl

In this family, dad keeps busy bringing food, like mice, to mom and the newborn chicks.

Shoreline Saver Mission

Earth Rangers

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June 15, 2015

185

Who doesn’t love a trip to the beach? You can swim in the water, build sand castles or just relax. But do you know what can turn a fun getaway into a bad time? Litter! There’s nothing fun about swimming with water bottles, finding candy wrappers in the sand or seeing a chip bag blow by as you’re trying to take a nap.

You can leave the beach, but the animals living on these shores can’t just walk or swim away. For them, garbage isn’t just ruining a trip to the beach, it’s ruining their homes.

Become a Shoreline Saver and give animals the clean home they deserve.

What is a shoreline?

A shoreline is an area where land meets water, like a beach around ocean or lakes. For this Mission, we’re also including the areas around other water sources like rivers, streams creeks, ponds and wetlands. Many of these areas are connected and flow into one another so if one gets polluted, it can affect another.

The problem:

Litter on a shoreline isn’t just an eyesore; it can also be really harmful for the animals living there. Animals might get caught in it or they might think that it’s food and choke. Invasive species can even get attached to litter and float to new places.

That’s why it’s so important that we keep our shorelines clean.

Here’s how you can help!

1. Accept the Shoreline Saver Mission and download your Mission Brief, How to Save a Shoreline Guide and Shoreline Saver Crest.

2. Use your How to Save a Shoreline Guide to make sure you have everything to complete this Mission safely.

3. Head out to a shoreline nearby with your team of Shoreline Savers. Make sure at least one member of your team is an adult.

4. Take a #ShorelineSelfie of you at the shore before you start cleaning and another one after to show off your hard work.

5. When you’ve finished, submit your pictures and let us know how it went!

You’ll need an adult’s help to complete this Mission!

What happens if you don’t live near a shoreline?

Don’t worry! You can still make a HUGE difference for shoreline animals even if you don’t live nearby. When you download this Mission Brief, you’ll find 3 actions that you and your family can do from home.

Become a Shoreline Saver and give animals the clean home they deserve.

Earth Ranger Michelle’s Animal Saving Tour in Canada and Costa Rica

Earth Rangers

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June 12, 2015

68

Earth Ranger Michelle’s Animal Saving Tour in Canada and Costa Rica

Earth Ranger Michelle is taking her animal saving adventure on the road as she travels with her family from her home in Canada to Costa Rica! This globe-trotting Earth Ranger first started a Bring Back the Wild campaign for the swift fox because she thinks “it’s a cute animal” and because she “wanted to help it because it’s becoming endangered”. Once she started her campaign, Michelle and her Mom got started planning out their fundraising strategy, which included an event at a local retirement home. Now Michelle is travelling with her family to Costa Rica where she plans to continue raising support for the protection of animals.

Michelle also makes small steps every day to help the environment which has a big impact. She doesn’t waste paper, makes sure lights are off when she’s not in the room and doesn’t waste water by doing things like shutting the tap off while she brushes her teeth. She helps her family at the grocery store too by bringing reusable bags instead of using plastic ones.

We asked Super Ranger Michelle why it’s important to protect the environment and here’s what she had to say.

“It’s important because later on in the future our world will become a disaster if we don’t take care of the animals and the environment now.”

Thanks Earth Ranger Michelle for helping to protect the environment!

What’s Threatening Bees?

Earth Rangers

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June 2, 2015

45

Bees are so important for our planet. These little insects pollinate flowers, food crops, the alfalfa and clover we feed our livestock and, of course, they make honey! Unfortunately, bees are facing some serious threats.

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

Bees need certain qualities in their habitat to keep them happy and healthy. They need for big spaces with lots of flowers for food, as well as safe and undisturbed areas for their nests. In the winter, they need places that are protected from the wind and cold. Unfortunately, development of wild spaces is causing problems for bees. When wildflowers disappear, bees that are active in early spring have a hard time getting enough food to eat, and it can make it difficult for the queen to start her colony.

Disease and Pests

Just like you, bees can get sick. Diseases and parasites can do a lot of damage to bees. Bees can become too weak to fly or be unable to reproduce. In some cases, becoming infected can even lead to death.

Parasitic tracheal mites are a big problem for bees. These mites are so small that they can invade a bee’s respiratory system. As the mites grow bigger and bigger, they cut off the bee’s air supply and make it impossible to breathe.

The Varroa destructor is another mite that hurts bees. They live on the outside of a honey bee’s body, feeding on the bee’s hemolymph (a bee’s version of blood). These mites can cause Colony Collapse Disorder, which makes bees sick, disoriented and unable to find their way back home.

Invasive Plant Species

Pests and mites aren’t the only species that are a threat to bees. Invasive plant species are also making a big impact. These plants take over the land and other resources that native wildflowers need to survive, and when the native wildflowers that the bees feed on start to disappear, it becomes harder for bees to find food.

Pesticides

It isn’t easy being a farmer, especially when the crops they are trying to grow keep getting eaten by pests. That’s why some farmers use chemicals called pesticides to protect their crops. However, in certain circumstances, these chemicals can cause some serious health problems to insects like bees, including nervous system failure, muscle spasms or even death.

Climate Change

Scientists believe that climate change is also impacting bees. Climate change is bringing on extreme weather events which can affect the timing of when flowers start to bloom. Fewer flowers available in the early spring mean less food for bees.