Ultimate Season Showdown!

Earth Rangers

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October 12, 2023

Calling all Earth Rangers! It’s time for the Ultimate Season Showdown!

We’re going to pit the four seasons against each other: winter vs. spring vs. summer vs. fall! Which one is the best for our gardens – and all the creatures that live in them?

Spring

When spring has sprung, it’s a great time to get your garden prepared for planting. You’ll want to clean up any debris and add some topsoil. As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to plant those seedlings you grew indoors! Some plants don’t mind cool soil and can be planted earlier in the season – think potatoes, carrots, peas, lettuce, and spinach.

Be a Backyard Biologist: Springtime is when you’re going to see more birds in your yard. Try keeping track of all of the birds that you spot! Use a field guide to identify any species you don’t know.

Summer

In summer, it’s prime gardening time! The sunshine, warm weather, and rain are perfect for your plants to thrive and grow. You’ll be able to start harvesting your crops, like berries, tomatoes, and cucumbers. This is also the best time to visit farmers’ markets and enjoy all the yummy local produce.

Be a Backyard Biologist: Summer is when you’ll see lots of living things in your yard. We’re talking about plants, amphibians, birds, fungi, mammals, reptiles, insects… How many different groups of living things can you spot? Can you find them all?

Fall

Fall will arrive with its beautiful colors. When the leaves fall into your garden, you might be tempted to remove them – but leave those leaves for now! They provide nutrients for your soil AND they make a great overwintering habitat for lots of helpful insects: ladybugs, sow bugs, and caterpillars, to name a few! You’ll still have lots of tasty foods to harvest – think pumpkins, turnips, zucchini, and, apples!

Be a Backyard Biologist: If you want to see beautiful blooms in spring, fall is the perfect time to plant bulbs! You can plant tulips, daffodils and crocuses in the cool weather, and they’ll flower when things warm up!

Winter

Now, you might not expect much to be happening in your garden during the winter, and you’d be correct if you live somewhere that experiences prolonged cold temperatures and snow. Even though there aren’t any plants to be seen under all those snowflakes, now’s the perfect time to keep track of the birds and creatures who visit your yard.

Be a Backyard Biologist: Be sure to put out a well-stocked birdfeeder. And don’t forget – winter is the perfect time to plant seeds indoors so they’re ready for your garden when the warmer weather arrives!

Which season do you think should win the ultimate showdown?

It seems each season has its strengths – so which one wins the Ultimate Showdown? Is it going to be winter, spring, summer or fall? Vote for your favorite in the comments section below!

Want to learn more about your yard and all the critters that live there? Check out the Backyard Biologist mission on the Earth Rangers app!

Ap-peel-ing Cookies

Earth Rangers

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October 12, 2023

68

Ap-peel-ing Cookies

Time:15 min

Difficulty:Easy

Do you like apples? Cookies? How about both? We’ve got cookies that you’ll apple-solutely love.

Here’s what you need:

1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup of butter
Tip: You can use apple sauce instead of butter for extra fluffy cookies
An adult to help with baking
Green food colouring (or matcha powder as a natural alternative)
Red food colouring (or hibiscus powder as a natural alternative)
Chocolate chips

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Add all your dry ingredients in a big bowl and add the eggs and butter. Mix until you form a dough.

Step 2: Divide your cookie dough into three bowls. Add your green food colouring to one bowl, and red colouring to another. Leave your third bowl as is.

Chill the dough in the fridge for about 10-15 mins.

Step 3: With the help of an adult, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spoon some red dough out, and use your fingers to spread it and form a small well in the middle. Add a small spoonful of the regular coloured dough into the well and adjust your red dough around it. Using the green dough, form two small leaf shapes. Repeat for each cookie slice. Once done, add two chocolate chips in the center of each of your slices.

Step 4: Put the cookies in the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of your cookies. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges of your cookies are browned.

Let them cool, then share your cookies with your family and friends! Bon appétit!

Caleb’s Planet Cleaning Mission

Earth Rangers

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October 11, 2023

12

Caleb is a snake-lover who hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Caleb heard about Earth Rangers from CN, where his dad works. He was inspired to become an Earth Ranger because Caleb loves helping the environment!

His favourite part about being an Earth Ranger is that he gets to make the planet cleaner. Caleb loves being outside in nature and exploring. Caleb has great environmental role models. His family leads by example by always picking up garbage outside and recycling everywhere they can.

Caleb’s favourite planet-protecting action is cleaning up garbage. He wishes others would remember to clean up their own messes, too. He plans to inspire other kids by showing them how to pick up and sort garbage safely. When asked what he might do next to protect the planet, Caleb says that starting next week, he will turn off lights when his family isn’t using them. He plans to ask his mom and dad to help!

Caleb wants other kids to know that it’s important we protect animals and the environment because we don’t want animals to get sick or hurt. He knows that by working together, we can keep them safe!

Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #13

Earth Rangers

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October 9, 2023

51

What animal is the best at baseball?

The bat

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Pixel Puzzler #34: Part 1

Earth Rangers

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October 6, 2023

74

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!

Clay Otter

Earth Rangers

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October 5, 2023

99

Clay Otter

Time:60+ min

Difficulty:Easy

We’ve got a river-ting craft for you! Why not make your own clay-some otter?

Here’s what you need:

Air-dry modeling clay
Paint
Black and white markers
Optional: Glue

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Grab your modeling clay and roll out one round and one cylinder clay shape, this will be your otter’s head and body respectively.

Step 2: Roll out four clay legs, a tail, and two tiny spheres for ears.

Step 3: Assemble your otter. If your clay gets too dry, you can wet it with some water or use glue to keep the pieces together.

Leave your clay to air dry. The drying time depends on the type of air-drying modelling clay you use.

Step 4: Once your clay is dry, paint your otter! Do you want to give it a cute belly? Little muzzle?

Step 5: Finally, after your paint has dried, use your black marker to give your otter cute little eyes, a nose, and mouth!

That’s it! You have your very own clay-some river otter! What’s its name?

Help River Otter with a Wildlife Adoption!

Head to the Adoptions Section in the App!

RAWR as you find which one doesn’t belong!

Earth Rangers

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October 4, 2023

46

RAWR as you find which one doesn’t belong!

Hey Earth Rangers, it’s time to hear you RAWR!

Wait… do you remember what RAWR is?

It means Respect Animals While Recycling! Sounds simple enough, right? But sometimes it’s not so obvious how respecting animals and recycling go together.

Can you SPOT THE FAKE?

What’s recyclable anyway? You can probably name lots of recyclable things: cardboard, paper, glass jars, and many types of plastic. So let’s play a little game to check how much you already know!

See if you can spot the fake: the item that does NOT belong in the blue bin!

Is it the toilet paper roll, last week’s newspaper, the paper takeout food containers, or the cleaned yogurt drink bottle?

Click on the item you think is the fake!

Think like an animal!

Let’s remember our friends Eclipse and Luna. If YOU were an animal looking for a quick snack, any scrap of food would be better than hunting for your own meal.

When animals smell food coming from your recycling bin, they WILL investigate. And that’s where the problems start. Animals can get really sick or even die from eating out of recycling bins. They can get tangled, trapped, or stuck in different containers.

Recycle with care!

Before setting out your recycling box, remember to do the following:

● Always be sure to wash out bottles, cans, and jars.
● Put the lids back onto containers so animals can’t get stuck in them.
● Cut up six-pack rings so animals can’t get tangled up.
● Make sure you have an animal-proof bin and keep it closed securely.
● Dispose of anything toxic or dangerous in the right place: a recycling depot, NOT the blue bin.

All of this will work EVEN better if you put your recycling, garbage, and compost into animal-proof bins! Remember: when you take out the recycling, let out a loud RAWR!

Get more tips by accepting the RAWR Mission! Look for it in the Mission section in the Earth Rangers App.

Generously supported in Manitoba by:

Generously supported in Ontario by:

Congratulations to the Winners of Our Backyard Biologist Photo Contest!

Earth Rangers

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October 3, 2023

16

Congratulations to the Winners of Our Backyard Biologist Photo Contest!

Winner Kenzie with Earth Ranger Michela, and Chief Owl Officer Sonic

The wait is over: We’re ready to announce the winners of our Backyard Biologist Photo Contest!

We asked Earth Rangers all across Canada to take stunning snapshots of the natural world for a chance to win a brand-spanking-new Rebel T7 camera from Canon–and wow, did you all deliver!

Over 1,700 of you submitted your best photos in three categories: Epic Landscape, Wonderful Wildlife, and Coolest Colours. It was a tough decision, but after lots of deliberation, we’ve narrowed it down to the best of the best.

We unveiled the winners on September 1 during a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum. Winner Kenzie was presented with her new Canon camera by none other than our Chief Owl Officer, Sonic!

Now, we’re sitting down to interview our winners about how they took their photos, why they’re curious about photography, and what advice they have for other budding wildlife photographers!

Stay tuned here on the Wild Wire blog for more cool contests and creative activities. With funny jokes, tasty recipes, and crafty upcycling ideas, there’s always something new for you to explore!

And don’t forget to accept the Backyard Biologist mission, which is generously supported by Canon, in the Earth Rangers app! You’ll learn about the importance of citizen science, look for interesting plants and animals in your community, and figure out how to identify your finds!

Epic Landscape: Kate, 8

Tell me more about how you took this photo!

I took the mountain photo from a little boat! I took many shots, and stayed really really still. It was incredible and I can’t believe how beautiful the mountains are! It’s so wonderful!! It shows so many colors and life!

What made you want to try photography?

Seeing other people’s photos and being inspired! Like Robert Irwin!

What are some of your favourite things to photograph?

Big landscapes and animals if I can catch them before they move!

Can you tell us a little bit about how you shot your winning photograph?

I took many shots, and stayed really really still.

What advice do you have for other kids who might be interested in trying photography?

Start noticing more! Like things that would be cool to photograph and really notice what you like about them and what you want to capture.

If you could photograph any animal in the world up close, which one would it be?

A giraffe!!!!! I love how tall they are and their crazy tongues! And cheetahs!

Wonderful Wildlife: Maya, 9

Tell me more about how you took this photo!

I went to Newfoundland for my photos to a place called Elliston where there is a puffin viewing site. My dad and I had to carefully crouch near the edge of a cliff to get the photos. I learned that if I stood still for a while, the puffins would come right up to me. So I did that, and when one would come pretty close, I would take a bunch of photos of it, and then I chose my favourite. The puffins were so funny and cool to look at as they flew around and collected grass for their nests! I had such a fun time taking photos with my dad.

What made you want to try photography?

I saw some cool photos that my dad had taken and I wanted to try and take some cool photos too.

What are some of your favourite things to photograph?

I mostly like to photograph things in nature, like animals and flowers.

What advice do you have for other kids who might be interested in trying photography?

Try different angles, lighting, and camera settings to take interesting photos. Also, you need to be patient, determined, and not give up.

If you could photograph any animal in the world up close, which one would it be?

Definitely a snow leopard.

Coolest Colours: Kenzie, 12

Tell me more about how you took this photo!

I used my resources around me to create a nice warm colour filter. I took this photo using my mom’s phone and sunglasses (for the colour). I like to be creative to create better photos and express myself. It was during a 4-day vacation in Long Beach with my mom, brother, my mom’s friend, and her two sons. That weekend, there were so many waves, it was too dangerous to swim without a life jacket, but it was really fun on boogie boards.

What made you want to try photography?

My uncle Adam used to do photography professionally so I decided to try and loved it! I’ve been taking pictures of things in nature ever since.

What are some of your favourite things to photograph?

Sunsets and the sky. The sky is never boring! It’s always filled with colours and clouds.

What advice do you have for other kids who might be interested in trying photography?

Be creative and think of new ways to see the world

If you could photograph any animal in the world up close, which one would it be?

Turtles. I LOVE turtles and they are so cute and interesting, the way every shell is unique.

The Backyard Biologist Photo Contest is generously supported by:

In partnership with:

Ultimate Guide to National Parks: Yellowstone

Earth Rangers

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October 3, 2023

59

Ultimate Guide to National Parks: Yellowstone

Welcome back to Emma’s ultimate guide to national parks. Yes, yes… We heard you!! Emma got an overwhelming amount of requests to go to explore Yellowstone National Park. Is it worth the hype? Spoiler alert: We sure think so. But beware: Stay out of the splash zone – we’ll go see Old Faithful!

Emma has made it to Yellowstone National Park! Thank you all for recommending it as a destination, it was a great place to check out!

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the US, and one of the oldest national parks in the world, only predated by Khan Mountain National Park in Mongolia. It is famous for its scenic views, beautiful lakes, and rivers, but especially for its special geology. You can find many different thermal features here: Geysers, hot springs, mud pots, steam vents, and travertine terraces.

What are all these different thermal features?

Hot springs are spring that brings hot warm to the surface. Thanks to different microorganisms, some of these pools can look almost rainbow in color, from orange, yellow, and green, to bright blue.

Geysers are a type of hot spring with erupting water and steam.

Mud Pots are a type of acidic hot spring, made of rocks turned into mud or clay that stinks like rotten eggs.

Steam Vents are when what little water there is evaporates as it rises to the surface, releasing steam through fissures.

Travertine Terraces are limestone deposits around hot springs that create a stair-like look.

Living among this geological marvel are plenty of creatures, like bears, frogs, and wolves. Among those, did you know Yellowstone National Park has no one, not two, but several horned and hooved animals?

In Yellowstone National Park you can find between 2300 and 5500 American bison. What’s so special about a bison? They’re huge – the biggest land mammals in North America, actually! In the park, they’re split into two herds: one in the Lamar Valley and one in Hayden Valley.

Pronghorns are a special type of hoofed mammal, related to goats and antelopes. They are the fastest land mammals in North America. They are super small, growing to a size of 4.5 feet long and about 3 feet tall.

Finally, there’s elk, which happens to be one of the largest species of deer on earth! They can weigh up to 700 pounds, and unlike Pronghorns who all have horns, only male elk have antlers. These antlers alone can weigh up to 40 pounds!

Which of these three horned and hooves animals do you like the best? Do you have any other fun facts about them to share? Can’t think of anything? We’d love to hear other cool things that can be found in Yellowstone!

What do you think of Yellowstone National Park? Is it as cool as everyone thinks, or is there a better park to check out?
Do you have any ideas of where Emma could go next? Let us know in the comments below!

Would you Rather #51

Earth Rangers

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October 2, 2023

154

Ultimate Season Showdown!

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Caleb’s Planet Cleaning Mission

Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #13

What animal is the best at baseball?

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Pixel Puzzler #34: Part 1

Check back next week for the answer!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Clay Otter

Clay Otter

Here’s what you need:

Here’s how you make it:

That’s it! You have your very own clay-some river otter! What’s its name?

Help River Otter with a Wildlife Adoption!

RAWR as you find which one doesn’t belong!

Can you SPOT THE FAKE?

Click on the item you think is the fake!

Think like an animal!

Recycle with care!

Congratulations to the Winners of Our Backyard Biologist Photo Contest!

Epic Landscape: Kate, 8

Wonderful Wildlife: Maya, 9

Coolest Colours: Kenzie, 12

Ultimate Guide to National Parks: Yellowstone

Would you Rather #51

Would you rather…

Spin a web with a spider or build a hive with a bee

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

More “Would You Rather” Questions!

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