Madagascar is a very special island. It is found off the coast of Africa and is home to about 13,000 species of plants and 849 species of animals. What makes this even more interested is that 98% of its land mammals, 92% of its reptiles, 68% of its plants and 41% of its breeding bird species exist nowhere else on Earth!
2010 is the Year of Biodiversity and Earth Rangers has teamed up with The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to bring you a daily dose of biodiversity basics
Have you ever wondered why fall leaves are sometimes brighter then they were a year before? Well, it has a lot to do with sunshine and heat. Sunlight produces sugars in the leaves, which is important for creating anthocyanins pigments. It is this pigment that makes those bright red leaves! Neat huh?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928152804.htm
If you’re the type of guy or girl to scream and run from creepy crawlies then here’s a reason to show some love for insects, they may just save your life.
Researchers have been looking at how bugs, like cockroaches, can stay alive even though they live in some of the most germ infested places in the world. It turns out the bacteria fighting power of cockroaches is all in their brains. There is a lot of research that needs to be done before we can buy cockroach brain juice at your local pharmacy but we may one day be able to fight infections better by learning from them.
You probably haven’t heard of the sociable weaver (Philetairus socius), but they are well known in their home, the Kalahari region of Africa, because their nests are kinda hard to miss. These sociable weavers know how to think big when it comes to building, their nests can hold up to 400 other sociable weavers! Take a look at this massive bird mansion.
Coral reef are made up of a ton of calcium carbonate which is basically limestone. This calcium carbonate is secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny soft bodied animals called coral polyps. All this secretion builds up over millions of years to create beautiful coral reefs. These reefs provide important habitat, giving homes to 25% of the planet’s marine species.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070515074933.htm
This story is all about a bright idea that is chalked full of sugary treats! It all started when nine year old Holly signed up for the Earth Rangers’ Bring Back the Wild Campaign and pledged to raise $25. Holly decided to take action and that’s where things got sweet…like cookies sweet!
Holly gathered together her sisters, Hartley and Hunter (phew that’s a lot of H’s in one family), and spent all day Friday baking up a storm. Holly spread the word about these delicious goodies by putting fliers in her neighbours’ mailboxes. The clouds rolled in on Saturday but Holly and her two friends, Grace and Helen, setup their bake sale and the sun soon followed. All the neighbours came out to support their cause and were able to enjoy some the girls’ delicious cookies, cupcakes, brownies and lemonade. This bake sale was such a success that they ran out of goodies to sell! In the end, Holly got a lot of support for her Bring Back the Wild Campaign thanks to her baking skills, help from friends and family, and generous customers.
Thanks Holly for helping Bring Back the Wild with such a yummy idea.
Liam is a life-long animal lover who told his parents that he wanted to work with animals at the age of three. Since then, Liam has been reading up on animals and the environment, and checking-out all sorts of animals around his home, camp sites, and hiking trails.
This summer he has been listening to and watching cicadas mature, and Liam’s Mom brags about his really LARGE collection of empty ciccada shells. As a young nature enthusiast, Liam saw the Earth Rangers’ show at his school and later at the Royal Ontario Museum. Liam loved the part of the show when the owl flew around the gym and when he met Sammy the Serval. After the show, Liam took his Earth Rangers’ trading card, grabbed a computer and logged into EarthRangers.com where the idea of kids making a difference just stuck and the rest is history. Cue the super hero music!
This section should really be called DEEDS, since this Super Ranger has gone above and beyond to spread the word about conserving animals and their habitats. When Liam’s family had a garage sale during the summer, Liam had them donate the profit to his Bring Back the Wild campaign, which helps save land for animals at risk. Liam liked this idea so much that he decided to turn his animal themed birthday into a Bring Back the Wild extravaganza. Instead of birthday presents, Liam asked for donations to put towards the Peregrine Falcon, Wolverine, Grizzly Bear and Jefferson Salamander projects.
Liam has plenty of things to say to other kids out there, like how he hopes “everyone will love all animals not just the cuddly ones.” He also thinks that everyone should “stop littering and stop hurting the land. Save the trees!” Liam hasn’t just impressed his fellow Earth Rangers; he has become a hero to members of his family, who are all so proud of him for his creative approach and ambitious efforts to make a difference. Two thumbs up Liam…WAYY up!
Who should be the next Super Ranger? Tell us whose amazing acts of green we should feature!
This eight year old Super Ranger has taken action to save animals. Gemma has seen the Earth Rangers show a whopping four times! And her favourite animal is Sammy the Serval. This African cat is blushing because Gemma said his jumping was “amazing.”
Gemma planned a book sale to raise donations for Earth Rangers. But before going ahead with this big event, she collected a bunch of books in the summer. In August, Gemma made a spiffy sign and took to the streets to raise funds for her Bring Back the Wild campaign to protect animals and their habitats.
Gemma said that she really enjoyed doing her part to help the environment and she plans to keep coming up with creative ways to fundraise for Earth Rangers. Gemma feels that if everyone chipped in a bit, it could make a big difference.
Thanks Gemma for your inspirational story and for helping Earth Rangers Bring Back the Wild!
Komodo dragons are the world’s largest lizard, reaching 165 kg and over three meters in length. At that size you may not think of the Komodo dragon as fast but they can certainly pick up the pace, speed that helps them take down large prey like water buffalos and deer.
Bamboo, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), is a pretty spectacular plant. It can grow to more 130 feet in height, at a rate of 4 feet every 24 hours. Just think of how quickly you would be ready to play in the NBA if you grew like bamboo.
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