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.
Take a Stand for Wildlife
Teens took a stand for wildlife in 2024 to help raise awareness and funds for conservation. By using their unique skills, ER Teens raised hundreds of dollars to support habitat protection projects for species such as river otters in Ontario’s Frontenac Arch, jaguars in Costa Rica, swift foxes in Saskatchewan, and polar bears in Northern Canada.
Special thank you to Christina Ingraldi, Director of Development at Earth Rangers, for sharing fundraising tips with participants!
Have a look at their creative fundraising ideas!
Amanda, Yunie & Celine held bake sales at school to help others learn about polar bear protection, and raise money.
“Celine loves to bake, so we thought it would be a great idea to host bake sales, while Yunie enjoys designing, and so she made the information cards, and Amanda enjoys planning so she was able to gather our ideas and organize them. We were all able to use our strengths in this fundraising event!”
Sunita raised over $290 for river otters with the help of her friends and family, and by selling baked goods at school.
“I felt nervous, but also fulfilled and happy because I knew that I was taking tangible action to make a difference in my community. I enjoyed raising awareness for wildlife and seeing the wonderful reactions people had to my initiative”
Luxmie, Nancy & Sanvi spread the word in their community and collected donations for the jaguar campaign.
“We felt excited and eager to work on this project as not only were we able to spend time together but additionally were making a difference by raising awareness.”
Sophie’s animal of interest was the swift fox. She learned about swift foxes in the wild then created pamphlets to help educate others. She also took a stand by having her own roadside stand with cookies, origami foxes, and fox corner bookmarks.
Sisters Natasha and Sienna combined their interests in conservation and clay-making to create adorable replicas of the species they helped raise awareness for. “I felt engaged with the Earth Rangers team at the Zoom meeting because they knew how special it was for me to help save these animals.”
“I care deeply about the protection of animals and their environment, and this project made me greatly appreciative of the swift foxes and their land. I learned a lot of new information I had never known before, and when I found out about the dropping swift fox numbers in the wild, I knew I had to help save them from extinction.”
Shoutouts to ER Teens Clare and Eshal for participating in Take a Stand for Wildlife and supporting river otters and swift foxes!
Summer BioBlitz
ER Teens learned about the importance of community science when it comes to conservation by participating in our 2024 Summer BioBlitz. Teens across Canada documented wildlife species in their local communities and uploaded their observations to an international online database. Participants shared over 430 observations!
Special thank you to Megan Quin, Conservation Biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, for giving participants the keys to species identification.
Here are some findings from our eagle-eyed teens:
Would you Rather #83
Would you rather grow…
A giant sunflower or a tiny bonsai tree?
Tell us which one you pick in the comments!
Caption This: What is this lynx cub thinking?
We need your help! This animal is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Do you know what is this lynx cub thinking?
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Tap here for more cool stuff like this!
Saving Baby Sea Turtles, One Egg at a Time: An Adventure in Playa Salinas Grande with Gerardo!
Hi, Earth Rangers! My name is Gerardo. I’m nine years old. I live in Nicaragua, the biggest country in Central America. That’s the part of the world between Mexico and South America. It’s a place full of tall volcanoes, lush rainforests, and sandy beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. You can swim in one and snorkel in the other!
I’m a member of the Sea Turtle Education Protection Program. This year, when you adopt a sea turtle from Earth Rangers, you’re helping my friends and I look after these tiny turtles and protect the beaches and oceans that they call home!
Are you ready to make a difference? Just visit the adoption section in the Earth Rangers App or check out the Earth Rangers Shop to adopt your own sea turtle!
Taking Care of Turtles
I live on a beautiful beach called Playa Salinas Grande. That’s a Spanish name! Here’s how you pronounce it, along with what the words mean in English!
Playa – pronounced PLY-uh – Beach
Salinas – pronounced suh-LEEN-us – Salt Flats
Grande – pronounced GRAWN-day – Big
Sea turtles love to lay their eggs on Playa Salinas Grande. They come onto the shore to dig their nests in the moist sand. The sand keeps the eggs nice and warm, which helps the baby turtles grow inside their shells. Plus, the layers of sand keep the eggs safe from pesky predators! When it’s time to hatch, the baby turtles scuttle across the sand into the ocean, swimming off with all their siblings!
But not all of these baby turtles make it safely to the sea. They face many dangers. When people leave trash on the beach, baby turtles can get caught in the garbage. They can also get trapped in fishing nets.
Plus, predators aren’t the only ones who think turtle eggs are delicious. Some people like to eat these eggs, too! This makes sense: Turtle eggs have been a traditional source of food in my community for a long time. Many people also live in poverty, so they don’t have much money to buy groceries. But it’s against the law to harvest these eggs or eat them, because almost every species of sea turtle is endangered.
That’s why I joined the Sea Turtle Education and Protection Program. Here’s how my friends and I are taking care of turtles!
1. We Keep the Beaches Clean
It’s too easy for sea turtles to get caught in people’s trash. My friends and I patrol the beaches in Salinas Playa Grande to pick up litter. We also learn how to throw out our own garbage properly, and we teach other people to do the same thing!
2. We Watch Over Turtle Eggs
We learn how to recognize turtle nests on the beach, and we work to keep them safe. Plus, we take care of turtle eggs in hatcheries: these large bags of warm, moist sand that provide the perfect place for baby turtles to grow big and strong inside their eggs. When they’re ready to hatch, we release them onto the beaches!
3. We Study Science
Learning about nature through the Sea Turtle Education and Protection Program has helped me get great grades in science at school! And I’ve had so much fun with my friends in after-school activities like this one: Look at our cool turtle masks!
4. We Help Turtle Hatchlings Reach the Ocean
Watching them crawl toward the waves was an amazing moment. I knew that all our hard work had paid off! By protecting their beaches and keeping their oceans clean, we’re helping sea turtles survive for years to come.
Do you want to save sea turtles too?
Adopt a sea turtle to support Gerardo and his friends!
What do you know about caribou?
What do you know about caribou?
Time:5 min
Difficulty:Medium
Are you looking for a quiz that’s all fawn and games? We got a quiz that caribou-t you!
Post your results in the comments below to let us know how you did!
Lunch Crunch: Emma’s Fox-tastic Fiasco
Earth Ranger Emma’s plane repairs take a foxy turn when a red fox sneaks off with her lunch!
Stranded in the Ottawa Valley, Emma teams up with conservationist Megan Quinn to uncover the secrets of these clever creatures, from their adaptability to their role in the ecosystem. But just as the plane is ready to go, a mysterious gliding creature sparks Emma’s curiosity. What could it be?
Tune in for a wild adventure full of surprises!
Flight Interrupted: An Owl-some Adventure
Earth Ranger Emma’s flight back to the Earth Rangers Centre takes a wild turn when she’s caught in a storm and forced into an emergency landing!
Stranded in the snowy Ottawa Valley, she’s surrounded by a “blizzard” of snowy owls and, with help from local conservationist Megan Quinn, learns more about these majestic birds.
Can Emma patch up her plane and take off before the storm worsens? Tune in for a frosty adventure you won’t forget!
Soaring Secrets: Emma’s Squirrelly Discovery
With her plane finally repaired, Earth Ranger Emma is ready to take off – until curiosity gets the best of her! That mysterious gliding creature from last episode is still on her mind, and with help from conservationist Megan Quinn, she sets off on one last Ottawa Valley adventure. The answer? A flying squirrel!
Join Emma as she uncovers the secrets of these nighttime navigators, from their incredible gliding abilities to their hidden life in the treetops. But will she finally take to the skies, or will another surprise keep her grounded? Tune in to find out!
