Earth Rangers Releases 2023 Eco-Anxiety Index

-

July 24, 2023

Earth Rangers Releases 2023 Eco-Anxiety Index

All too often, news about the future of our planet is bad news. Your children may find themselves caught up in worries about animal extinction and climate change. According to our new research, they’re not alone. Earth Rangers partnered with Ipsos to survey 1,000 American children between the ages of 6 and 11 for our 2023 Eco-Anxiety Index. More than 80% of the kids we surveyed experience eco-anxiety: feelings of worry, fear, and even despair over environmental problems.

In the face of issues as complex and challenging as climate change and biodiversity loss, parents often don’t know how to reassure their children. If you and your family find yourselves in this situation, we have good news for you: eco-anxiety can fuel positive eco-action! 65% of the children who responded to our survey said that they take regular action to protect our planet and fight climate change. They talk with friends and family about these issues, participate in rallies and events, volunteer, support environmental organizations, and participate in eco-friendly activities at home or school.

What’s more, according to our research, eco-anxiety and eco-action always stay consistent with one another. Kids who worry less about the environment do less about it, while higher levels of eco-anxiety drive increased eco-action. Earth Rangers found that children in the Northeast and West Coast over-indexed on both eco-anxiety and eco-action. The South hovered at the national average, while the Midwest under-indexed across the board.

“Today’s generation is leveraging their concerns as a catalyst for positive change,” says Tovah Barocas, President of Earth Rangers. “Instead of seeing a problem, they see a wake-up call – and aren’t hesitating to do something about it.”

“The data doesn’t lie,” says Steve Levy, Chief Client Officer at Ipsos Canada. “The more you know about the environment, the more empowered you feel to take action on its behalf.”

If you’re a parent or an educator of an eco-anxious child, you can use our Eco-Anxiety Parent Guide to turn their anxiety into positive action. Our resources will help you validate your children’s feelings, educate them about climate change, and find new ways to protect nature—and have fun!—as a family.

Would you Rather #46

Earth Rangers

-

July 24, 2023

152

Would you rather have…

Paws with claws like a fox or hooves like a deer

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

More “Would You Rather” Questions!

Pixel Puzzler #30: The Great Reveal

Earth Rangers

-

July 21, 2023

38

We’ve gotten 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 rhinoceros! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Spiky Berry Hedgehog

Earth Rangers

-

July 20, 2023

43

Spiky Berry Hedgehog

Time:20 min

Difficulty:Easy

This prickly pear is no cactus…it’s a tasty hedgehog!

Here’s what you need:

A pear
Small fruit, like grapes, blueberries, or raspberries
Something for eyes, like raisins, bits of carrot, or pretzel pieces
Toothpicks
Vegetable peeler

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: With an adult’s help, peel the top half of the pear.

Step 2: With your pear lying on it’s side, poke as many toothpicks as you’d like into the bottom half of it.

Step 3: Push the small fruit onto the toothpicks. We used both blueberries and grapes on ours.

Step 4: Cut two little holes into the peeled half of your pear, and push in the eyes.

**That’s it! You did a grape job with your pear-fect hedgehog.**

Inky’s Picnic Plea

Earth Rangers

-

July 18, 2023

25

Yoo hoo! Yes, you! Can I have some of what you’re eating? Whaat? What do you mean a chipmunk like me can’t eat human food? That’s so sad!

What’s my name? Oh, it’s Inky. You see that pen over there? That’s what I’m named after.

I like coming here because there’s always leftover food. If I’m careful, I can find something good to eat. Yes, some of your food can cause tummy troubles for a chipmunk like me. But the biggest problem is plastic!

Leaving trash after a picnic is bad. Worse is letting any of the Single-Use Plastic Gang escape and hurt animals and the environment! These plastics are hard to recycle and they contribute to climate change. They can also injure animals like me or make us sick.

Who are they?

Four members of the Single-Use Plastic Gang like to join you during your picnics:

Aquatron is a plastic soft drink or water bottle
Baron Von Cuppington is a plastic drink cup
The Picnic Gang are plastic cutlery that help you eat
Plastosaurus is a single-use takeout container that carries food that you bought

What can you do to help?

Defeat single-use plastics by replacing them with eco-friendly, reusable picnic dishes.

What better time to start than now, during Plastic Free July?

Bring your own reusable bottle and drink cup, and say bye-bye to Aquatron and Baron Von Cuppington.

Use metal or reusable cutlery, and the Picnic Gang can’t get near you.

Bring your food in a reusable container, and Plastosaurus can roar but it can’t leave plastic behind anymore.

Celebrate this month by cutting back on plastic, enjoying fun picnics, and saving the planet! Join us for Plastic Free July!

Say NO to single-use plastics to help animals and the planet. Cut the SUP!

Generously supported by

Pawsitively Hilarious Jokes #7

Earth Rangers

-

July 17, 2023

65

What’s the scariest plant in a forest?

BamBOO!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

It’s Christmas in July!

Earth Rangers

-

July 14, 2023

308

In a hot summer like this one, what better way to cool off than to draw some winter wonders? We’ve got just the holiday fun for you! Our friends at FPAC (The Forest Products Association of Canada) want your help: they’re working on designing this year’s holiday card, and they want to feature YOU front and centre!

Check out last year’s winning card from Earth Ranger Nevaeh!

All you need to do is create a piece of art that captures the beauty of trees and forests, then submit it to win one of THREE swag bags full of goodies, plus a chance to have your artwork featured on their Christmas card!

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Your artwork can be a painting, drawing, or you can get creative and design something using found forest materials. The sky is the limit!

2. The more creative the submission, the better! Take a walk through your fave forest and keep your eyes peeled for some inspiration. Think back to a time when you were awed by an outstanding tree. Can you recreate this moment on paper?

3. Your submission doesn’t have to be festive, but if you feel like getting into the holiday spirit, bring it on!

Need some inspiration? Check out some of last year’s top submissions!

Here’s how to enter:

Once you’re completed your masterpiece, have a parent or guardian upload a photo of it and complete the entry form here:

www.earthrangers.com/EN/CA/holidaycardcontest/

Hurry: the contest closes on August 14, so be sure to submit your entry soon!

Ultimate Shoreline Showdown

Earth Rangers

-

July 14, 2023

22

It’s warm out! Want to go to the beach?

Beaches are any strip of land along the edge of an ocean, lake or river, and great places to spot wildlife! There are plenty of types of beaches, including sand beaches, shingle beaches, and shore platforms. Is there one you would want visit? Who would win at Ultimate Shoreline Showdown?

Sand Beaches

Sand beaches are created when rocks or minerals are broken into teeny, tiny pieces. The sand comes in different colours: brown, white, black, green, pink, violet, and red. Many animals live on these shores, burrowing underground to hide from predators or lay their eggs.

What to look out for: Sea turtles, crabs, birds, or seals.

Be a Shoreline Saver: Sand beaches are popular, but easily damaged—and plastic is a huge culprit! Plastic trash breaks down into very small pieces, called microplastics, and they have been found in high concentrations in beach sand around the world. You can help by picking up any plastic trash or pieces you find on sandy beaches, and disposing of them responsibly!

Shingle Beaches

Don’t forget your water shoes! Shingle beaches, pebble beaches, rocky beaches – they all involve the same thing: rocks. Most shingle beaches come from glacier remains or wave action on cliffs and riverbeds, which create the pebbles. Shingle beach rocks come in many shapes and sizes and some, like quartz and granite, even have crystals.

What to look out for: Birds, worms, snails, crabs, plankton, sea anemones, and even rabbits or foxes. Watch out for the sea urchins!

Be a Shoreline Saver: Shingle beaches – especially ones that also have plants – are home to a huge variety of species. Some are even recognized as internationally important habitats! When cleaning up a shingle beach, take extra care to look for litter that can hurt or ensnare animals, like cans with sharp edges and long pieces of string.

Shore Platforms

Shore platforms go by many names, like wave-cut platforms, coastal benches, or rocky shores. They are made from sea waves hitting cliffs and creating a flattened area. Because of the waves and the tides, these shorelines can be dangerous for humans, but they are still important homes for plants and marine animals!

What to look out for: Fish nurseries, kelp, coral, anemones, limpets, oysters, mussels, or barnacles

Be a Shoreline Saver: Shore platforms may have fewer visitors, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help them stay clean! Our waterways are all connected, meaning litter around creeks, rivers, and lakes all eventually end up in the ocean. Stop ocean pollution in its tracks by picking up shoreline litter, anywhere you go!

Which shoreline do you think should win the ultimate showdown?

When we work to reduce waste and keep our shorelines clean, everyone can enjoy them!

What can you do to help clean up? Accept Shoreline Saver in the Mission section in the Earth Rangers App! You’ll get ton of helpful information to get you well on your way to becoming a shoreline superstar!

Generously supported by

Pixel Puzzler #30: Part 1

Earth Rangers

-

July 14, 2023

76

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!

Platypus Scramble

Earth Rangers

-

July 13, 2023

104

Platypus Scramble

Time:10 min

Difficulty:Medium

Let’s get ready to unscramble! See if you can figure out the words in this platy-puzzle.

Here’s how to play:

Read the paragraph below and use it to unscramble the words.

When it comes to weird animals, no one beats the platypus. They have a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver’s, and webbed feet. They live in Australia and have some cool superpowers. They use electric signals underwater while hunting to find their prey. When they’re under attack, they use the venomous spurs on their back legs to defend themselves. To top it all off, they also lay eggs! What interesting creatures!

Would you rather have…

Paws with claws like a fox or hooves like a deer

Tell us which one you pick in the comments!

Spiky Berry Hedgehog

Here’s what you need:

Here’s how you make it:

That’s it! You did a grape job with your pear-fect hedgehog.

Who are they?

What can you do to help?

Generously supported by

What’s the scariest plant in a forest?

Here’s what you need to know:

Here’s how to enter:

Hurry: the contest closes on August 14, so be sure to submit your entry soon!

Sand Beaches

Shingle Beaches

Shore Platforms

When we work to reduce waste and keep our shorelines clean, everyone can enjoy them!

Generously supported by

Check back next week for the answer!

Platypus Scramble

Here’s how to play:

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

**That’s it! You did a grape job with your pear-fect hedgehog.**