Pinecone Bunnies

Earth Rangers

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April 20, 2023

71

Pinecone Bunnies

Time:15 min

Difficulty:Easy

These aren’t your ordinary cottontails. These pinecone bunnies are ear-resistible!

Here’s what you need:

A pinecone
A pencil
Scissors
Glue
A black marker
Paper, felt, or foam sheets in 2 different colours

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Cut out some shapes to make your bunny’s head. In the first colour, you’ll need a big circle and two big diamonds. In the second colour, you’ll need a smaller circle and two smaller diamonds.

Step 2: Glue the circles together, and the smaller diamonds to the larger ones. Once they are all dry, glue the ears to the head and draw on your bunny’s face.

Step 3: Using your first colour again, cut out four long ovals and a small circle. These will be your bunny’s arms, legs, and tail.

Step 4: Finish your bunny by gluing the head, arms, legs, and tail to the pinecone. Once everything is dry, your little critter is complete.

Now you’ve got yourself a cute Pinecone Bunny. Be sure not to let it bounce away!

Retired Ant

Earth Rangers

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April 19, 2023

51

Leaf-cutter ants have sharp mandibles that they use to cut leaves. As these insects age their mandibles wear down, using this dull cutting tool means it can take them three times as long to get the same piece of leaf. But these hard-working insects don’t exactly retire to the beach! Once a leaf-cutter ant’s mandibles are dull they take up a new role on the delivery crew where they carry the leaves back to the colony.

Meet Scarlett!

Earth Rangers

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April 17, 2023

0

The planet needs our support and we know children are ready to jump in to help! We call those kids Earth Rangers and the world needs more of them. Sharing inspiring stories is one way to spread the word about the power of eco-action.

1. What excites your child the most about being an Earth Ranger?

Matt: Scarlett is excited about helping change the world through fun activities like the ones in the app. She’s been working through the Rangers vs Plastics Challenge recently. She also loved being a clean plate champion in the All Taste, No Waste Challenge. It was really important to her.

2. Can you tell us about a Mission that Scarlett connected with?

Matt: More Plastic, More Problems is the Mission she has put the most effort into so far.

3. Has their eco-action had a ripple effect on the family and friends?

Matt: Absolutely! Scarlett has been vocal in making sure we use less plastics and create less waste. She has been asking about adding a food composter in the back yard.

4. What do you think is one of the most important things your child has learned as an Earth Ranger member?

Matt: I think she has become more aware of the resources being used around the house and at school.

5. As a parent, what do you think of Earth Rangers programs?

The Quest for the Best: The Switchback Mishap

Earth Rangers

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April 15, 2023

112

The Quest for the Best: The Switchback Mishap

The race continues! Emma finds herself on her next assignment: Exploring one of America’s famous hiking trails. Which one did our intrepid hero pick? The Appalachian Trail! With much ground to cover, and help from a chance encounter with a certain self-proclaimed “grossologist”, will Emma catch up to Ryan?
Let’s tune in and find out.

Hooray! We’re finally getting somewhere, and it’s all thanks to you guys and your awesome suggestions.
Thank you Earth Rangers Bea, Ben, Emma, Luke and Ingrid for this idea!

Emma’s adventures never end! On today’s trail, she very nearly got lost! But thankfully, she was able to make a new friend who helped her find her way. Who is that?

It was Ms. Mallory!

Whether deep in the jungle or in her very own backyard, Ms. Mallory loves learning about the natural world around her. She travels near and far to share the stories of wild and weird creatures, highlights community-science wildlife projects, and help others make a difference for wildlife too! Did you also know she likes eating bugs for snacks? Forget chocolate and candies! Her podcast “8 Minutes of eww” can turn one’s fear into a fascination for animals and much more.

Thanks to Ms. Mallory’s help, Emma learned a lot about various creepy crawlies. With this information, she was able to impress Number 1 with her super-duper millipede facts. Did you know about the Nannaria swiftae? I for one had no idea that bug was named after Taylor Swift! I wonder… Are there any other cool animals named after musicians?

Besides millipedes, Emma was able to learn a lot about spiders and opossums from her new friends! And before bumping into Ms. Mallory, Emma came across yet another fascinating creature: The Wood Frog. Here is the video she was talking about. Check it out:

Now…We can’t forget about Ryan, especially now that Emma has finally caught up to him!

Ryan went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

Thanks to the different elevations at the park, many animals and plants call that place home. In fact, there are SO many different species of insects, plants, trees, birds, and mammals that it was hard to narrow down the ones Ryan sent my way. But one stood out: The Red Salamander.

This tiny critter connects Emma and Ryan’s chosen locations completely. The Appalachian Mountains, where Emma went hiking, is known as a salamander “hotspot”. More than 77 different salamander species can be found there! The Great Smoky Mountains, that Ryan picked, is known as the “Salamander Capital of the World”. What does this mean? Well for one thing: When hiking in both those areas, be careful not to move any rocks as they are important to protect the different species who live under there!

But wait! This is only the beginning. Emma has won her first point in the Quest for the Best, but she’s got still ways to go before she can save her role as host of the podcast. Let’s keep it up! Emma’s next assignment is “to go underground” – so what nearby cave system can she explore? Have any of you gone underground? Drop a comment with some suggestions, and I’ll pass them on to her!

And here is this episode’s listener competition: The first person to type the correct answer to this Trivia question into the comments will win a “keep on ranging” podcast T-shirt for their avatar:

“What class of animals do frogs and salamanders belong to?”

Be the first to guess the correct answer!
Like before, the winner will be announced next episode, after Emma has had a chance to go spelunking!

🎺 Congratulations to Earth Ranger Harry for being the first to comment on the correct answer in the last episode!! 🎺
The solution to the quiz question “What animal is the symbol of the New York State?” is the beaver.
Be sure to check your inbox for the aware code to receive your special t-shirt.

Do you have a great recommendation for a cave that Emma could visit? Let us know in the comments!
Careful – Don’t forget the no airplane rule!

Want to instead try your best with the trivia question? If you don’t have any ideas for either of those, I’m sure Emma would love to hear some cool animal facts to help inspire her! She needs all the trivia she can get to help her win the competition!

Pixel Puzzler #25: Part 1

Earth Rangers

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April 14, 2023

223

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!

Painted Dog Scramble

Earth Rangers

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April 13, 2023

174

Painted Dog Scramble

Time:10 min

Difficulty:Medium

These aren’t scrambled eggs. They’re scrambled words! Can you unscramble them?

Here’s how to play:

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

Have you ever heard of an African wild dog? They’re also called painted dogs because of their coat. Doesn’t it look like they’ve been splashed with paint? These dogs live in African savannas and are great hunters. By working as a team, they can take down animals much bigger than them. Gazelles, wildebeest, and even zebras better watch out!

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

Epically Awesome Earth Day

Earth Rangers

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April 12, 2023

36

Ah, Earth Month, our favourite time of year. Every year at Earth Rangers, we celebrate it by doing something special. This year, we have the new Bring a Friend Mission. That’s where you team up with your friends to save animals. Check it out in the Mission section in the Earth Rangers App!

A young sapling sprouting out of the ground.

Now, did you know that Earth Month actually started as just one day? It’s true! It’s called Earth Day. Here are some fast facts:

Earth Day is April 22 every year. This year it’s on a Saturday.
The first Earth Day was in 1970. That means Earth Day will turn 53 this year!
It was started by a senator after a huge oil spill in California.
Students across the US joined in to bring attention to protecting the planet.
In 1990, Earth Day started being celebrated around the world.

We can’t talk about Earth Day without sharing a few things that make our planet great! Let’s take a look at some of our favourites:

Epic Mountains

A view of mountains over a lake with trees. Lake Moraine, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Fascinating Animals

A male a lion with 4 cubs in front of some grasses

A sea turtle looking at camera while swimming underwater

The Great Barrier Reef

Incredible Plants

A wind swept tree in front of a dirt hill

white lily and lily pads floating on water

The Amazon Rainforest

aerial view of a forest with a river running through it. The Amazing Rainforest

Amazing Ecosystems

secretary bird standing beside a tree in a savanna, Africa

View of a lake in a wetland with trees in the background and a rocky shore.

…and so much more!

What’s your favourite thing about planet Earth? Let us know in the comments!

Hungry Hungry Plant

Earth Rangers

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April 12, 2023

59

Carnivorous, or meat-eating, plants mean business when it comes to hunting. The pitcher plant traps its prey by using a deep liquid called a pitfall trap. If an insect falls into the ‘pitcher’ of liquid they are stuck because the sides of the plant are slippery or grooved to keep anything from crawling back out.

Meet Tyler!

Earth Rangers

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April 10, 2023

0

The planet needs our support, and sharing inspiring stories is one way to spread the word about the power of eco-action! Our Earth Month Showcase is the chance to meet Super Rangers and their parents. Lester from Memphis, Tennessee has an enthusiastic Earth Ranger on his hands! Meet 10-year old Tyler.

1. Tell us a little bit about your animal-saving hero.

Tyler is very determined when he has his mind set on something. He won’t rest until it’s complete. He likes to accept missions to make his environment better and earn points in the app.

2. So we’d love to know! What is Tyler’s favourite animal and why?

Bears, because they’re very big and tall!

3. Tell us about one activity in particular that your child really connected with.

One of the activities he enjoyed the most was picking up plastic waste and disposing of it. It’s really important for him to keep his environment clean and waste free.

4. As a parent, what do you think of Earth Rangers programs?

Stay tuned for more stories in our Earth Month Showcase!

Would you Rather #40

Earth Rangers

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April 10, 2023

370