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Beaver

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Hi again, Earth Rangers! In case you don’t remember me, my name is Sarah Bayliff. I work for the Nature Conservancy of Canada as the BC Interior Program Manager, and I am currently in the Bunchgrass Hills Conservation Area, a vast landscape of native grasslands, forests, and wetlands south of Kamloops in British Columbia. I’m helping to protect this vital wildlife corridor, as well as the creatures that live there — including bumblebees and beavers!

Beavers are the largest rodents in North America, and can be found across the United States, Canada, southern Alaska, and northern Mexico. These amazing creatures are semi-aquatic, meaning they live both on land (in forests) and in the water. Beavers are made for this lifestyle, with big, flat, paddle-shaped tails and large, webbed hind feet that act like swim fins. Beavers even have built-in goggles — their eyes are covered by a membrane that allows them to see underwater.

Beaver ears, noses, and mouths are made for the water, too. Their ears and nostrils seal while submerged, and their lips close behind their big front teeth so that they can continue to gnaw underwater. It’s important that beavers keep gnawing — their front teeth (called incisors) are constantly growing!

Beavers gnaw as they eat the leafy and woody plants that make up their diet, like cattails, water lilies, bark, twigs, and roots. But they also gnaw on sticks and twigs to make their dome-shaped burrows, or “lodges,” which protect them from predators. Beavers build these burrows in the banks of rivers and lakes, but when those aren’t available, they’ll build dams across streams and then making their lodges in the ponds that form. These famously busy creatures are clearly expert builders!

For hundreds of years, beavers were nearly extinct due to human trapping and habitat disturbance, but these creatures are slowly returning. That’s why we have to do all we can to protect them. Fortunately, the Bunchgrass Hills Conservation Area offers healthy habitats for beavers and other wildlife, and I’m doing all I can to keep it that way.

Want to help out? You can sponsor my work by visiting the Adoptions section in the Earth Rangers App or check out the Earth Rangers Shop to get your Beaver Adoption Kit!

Guess Our Third Adoptable Animal!

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Attention, puzzle enthusiasts! We’re rolling out a brand-new series of plush wildlife adoption kits on September 9—featuring an animal whose name is hidden in this word search!

Think you’ve solved it? Leave your guess in the comments!

Guess Our Second Adoptable Animal!

Can you guess which creature sports this stylish coat? Our new collection of plush wildlife adoption kits debuts on September 9—featuring this fuzzy little friend!

Think you know which animal it is? Share your answer in the comments!

Pixel Puzzler #50: The Great Reveal

We got tons of great guesses on Part 1 of this Pixel Puzzler and now it’s time for the answer. Are you ready for the great reveal? Find out if you got it right!

The answer to this Pixel Puzzler is (drum roll please) A family of ducks! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Guess Our First New Adoptable Animal!

Can you guess which creature lives in this stylish home? We’re launching our all-new slate of plush wildlife adoption kits on September 9 – and the resident of this pile of sticks is in the mix! 

Got a guess for our newest adoptable animal? Drop it in the comments!

Check out the Summer-time Trash Hunters!

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Summer is winding down, and many of you have been busy protecting animals and plants from pollution through our ‘Stash the Trash’ and ‘Shoreline Saver’ Missions.

In Ontario alone, you completed an impressive 1,816 Stash the Trash Missions, and 1,554 Shoreline Saver Missions, totaling an amazing 3,370 earth-saving Missions.

Whether you celebrated Ontario’s Litter Month or stayed dedicated all summer long, your hard work has made a big difference for the environment, and has earned you DOUBLE the points for completing these missions.

Curious about what fellow Earth Rangers had to say?

“I want them [animals] to be safe and I want the plants to grow because if there’s a lot of pollution the animals and plants can die.” – Earth Ranger Sophia

Earth Ranger Sophia took action by cleaning up trash from her yard and neighborhood. She found that wrappers were the most common type of litter, and with many animals living nearby, these wrappers posed a serious risk. To help, Sophia even made posters to raise awareness in her community to help prevent more trash from ending up where it shouldn’t be!

We knew there was garbage from last time we were here.” – Earth Ranger Tyson

Earth Ranger Tyson teamed up with his family to clean up the beach near their home. They worked together, covering an area as big as a football field, picking up all kinds of debris along the shore. They picked up many cigarette butts that were scattered everywhere, which can be very harmful to animals if they accidentally eat them. Thanks to Tyson and his family, the beach is cleaner and safer for wildlife

In the Stash the Trash Mission, you’ll organize your own neighbourhood cleanup to help get rid of litter!

 In the Shoreline Saver Mission, you’ll focus your clean-up efforts near water, ensuring litter doesn’t end up creeks, rivers, lakes and even the ocean!

Grab your gloves, garbage and recycling bags – it’s time to gear up for action!

Pun-tastic Riddles #VIII

Pun-tastic Riddles #VIII

Time:15 min Difficulty:Medium  

Do you think you can decode these riddles? Beware: They hide quite the puns!

What do trees and dogs share in common?

What do you call a deer with bad manners?

What job do snakes specialize in?

Think you got them all? Tap on the puzzle image to see the answer!





Would you Rather #72

Would you rather have…

The powerful bite of a crocodile or the crushing strength of an anaconda?

Tell us which one you pick!

Pixel Puzzler #50: Part 1

Let’s put your identification skills to the test! Can you figure out what is hidden in this picture? Make your guess in the comments.

Check back next week for the answer!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Flyby the spider

Flyby the spider

Time:30 min Difficulty:Easy  

Did you know spiders have poor eyesight? They are able to “see” by “feeling” vibrations around them. Go grab your friends! Lets play a game based on their skills!

About the game:

  • Objective: A game of tag with a twist! One person, the “spider”, is blindfolded and calls out to the “flies” to let them cross the room. The winner.
  • Players: 3 or more

Here’s what you need:

  • A blindfold
  • Friends or family members
  • Somewhere outside to play

Here’s how you do it:

Step 1:

Start by picking one person to be blindfolded. This person is the spider and everyone else is a fly.

TIP: The spider can’t see, so be sure to pick a spot where they can’t run into anything!

Step 2:

The spider stands in the middle of your chosen area, while the flies all go to one side.

Step 3:

When they’re ready, the spider should call out “Oh flies, oh flies, it’s time to fly on by!”. After this, the flies should walk slowly to the other side of the play space.

Step 4:

The spider, listening closely for the sound of flies, should stand still until they’re ready to try and tag one. When they’re ready to move they should shout “SPIDER STRIKE!”.

At this point, the flies can run to the other side.

TIP: Be careful not to trip! Keep touches light and don’t run so fast you’ll get hurt!

Step 5:

If a fly is tagged by the spider, they become the “spider’s web”. They become an obstacle for the flies and should stand still in the field and try to touch any fly who passes by without moving your feet.

The last fly left is the winner! They become the spider in the next round.

What did you think of the flyby the spider game? Let us know in the comments!