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?
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 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!
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!
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!
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
Fascinating Animals
The Great Barrier Reef
Incredible Plants
The Amazon Rainforest
Amazing Ecosystems
…and so much more!
What’s your favourite thing about planet Earth? Let us know in the comments!
Do you love animals and our planet? Join our team! Get the Earth Rangers App to join thousands of kids just like YOU who want to make a difference!
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.
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!
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 seahorse! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
The race is on! Emma and Ryan are competing to decide who will get to be the future host of the Earth Rangers podcast. Their first stop: New York City! In the Big Apple Emma is tasked to investigate the secret life of creatures from the city; but what kind of wild animals would want to live in such a bright, loud, and crowded place? Let’s tune in and find out.
Hi everyone! Nat here, and guess what? This is it Earth Rangers: Emma’s quest has finally begun! The contestants are in New York. Those of you who guessed it was the Big Apple were completely correct! Hmmm…I wonder why Number 1 picked that of all places?
First of all, let’s recap Number 1’s rules, so we can help Emma the best way we can:
On every leg of the race Number 1 will give an assignment. Emma and Ryan can pick how they research it!
Emma and Ryan must keep their carbon footprint low. This means: Trains, buses, carpool and hiking are OK. But no air travel is allowed in this race. (So ideas for places that would see Emma taking an airplane to reach won’t work. No Bessy for this mission! Hmmm…This will be tricky since they probably won’t have much time in-between missions to get to their next destination! Let’s do our best to give her good spots to reach next!)
Emma and Ryan will present ONE animal fact they learned from their quest. No googling allowed. The most interesting or fascinating fact wins! (Note that she didn’t say Emma can’t use the WildWire Blog! So that’s good…)
The person with the most points at the end of the competition will win the role of podcast host.
In this episode, we got a good look at what the assignments will look like going forward. For her first fact, Emma presented some great turtle trivia! But it seems that was not enough. Ryan was able to impress Number 1 with some great bird facts of his own! I wonder where he could have gotten them…
Despite feeling out of place, Emma learned a lot about animals while visiting Central Park. Did you know there was a huge green space in the middle of the city? Even in big busy cities like New York, there is still grass, lake, and trees for animals to enjoy!
Spaces like these are very important for the environment. They provide shelter for animals, and help give those living in the city a place to be in nature – but more importantly: trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen! In a place with so many people, you need these nature spots.
This isn’t all Emma has about New York! She asked me to share cool photos and trivia with you guys. She may be super busy but she’ll be doing her best to keep in contact with us while on the road and share anything she learns along the way.
Emma was eager to tell me how happy she is that the next mission is going to be out of the big city. New York is great, but it was hard to navigate. Definitely not easy when in a competition! She is grateful for all the sweet comments you left on the app; they made the trip to New York much nicer.
During her time with Christina and her class, Emma learned about some city-dwelling animals, like the coyote, rats, pigeons and more surprisingly: Turtles! For her first quest, Emma presented facts on the snapping turtle to Number 1. She wanted me to share some more cool things about the other turtles Christina mentioned that didn’t get much love!
The Painted Turtle: One of the more common species of turtle in America. Its shell is smooth, usually dark with bright red or yellow markings. Painted turtles eat a variety of foods, but younger ones usually start with fish or insects, eventually enjoying plants!
The Musk Turtle: Musk Turtles are also known as “Stinkpots” because they create a stinky “musky” smell to scare off predators when in danger. These turtles have a dome-shaped shell, and are able to extend their head as far as their back legs, how cool is that?!
The Box Turtle: These turtles may look a lot more like their ground-dwelling tortoise friends, but they prefer damp places, especially swamps and edges of streams. The box turtle has an interesting shell, which can close completely over its head and legs, in a sense “boxing it in”.
Christina also mentioned a certain species of invasive turtles…do you guys remember what it was? Here’s a hint: It’s got red spots!
So, what about Ryan? Do you wonder how exactly he spent his time in the city?
Well, from what I’ve heard around the office, it sounds like he headed straight to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
It’s a wildlife refuge in Brooklyn. It’s a large space of water, forests, fields and islands, the perfect habitat for many animals! What the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is best known for, however, is the great opportunities to observe migratory birds!
Here are some of the birds Ryan might have spotted there:
Piping Plover: The piping plover is a shorebird that can be found on sandy beaches. Its tiny size and sandy colors help them hide from predators. If you see one, don’t get too close! This bird species is endangered, made worse by human/animal disturbances that can cause the parents to abandon their nests. During the breeding season, rangers and park staff do their best to create a safe enclosure for plovers away from danger.
Osprey: Unlike other raptors of its kind, ospreys eat fish and only fish! This has given them the name of “Sea hawk” or “Fish hawk”. These birds live all over the world, from North America, Europe, Africa, Asia to even Australia. Osprey’s mate for life, and will continue to stay together for years. Aww!
American Woodcock: If there’s one bird known for their cool dance moves, it would be the woodcock! While looking for food, they will move by rocking back and forth, looking very much like some special dance. Speaking of food, the Woodcock’s long beak helps it grab various insects and plants. Yum!
Let’s not ignore Ryan’s additional fact. Light pollution is indeed a problem for migratory birds, especially those that cross the cities! Wherever Ryan got that information, it is an important one for us Earth Rangers to remember! Lights confuse birds, causing them to use up all their energy – which puts them at risk of predators or even window collisions!
Nat’s tip of the day: If you find an injured bird, seek an adult who can help! Handling and talking to a hurt bird yourself can create a lot of stress, which will only cause more pain. The best thing to do is get them to your closest wildlife rehabilitation center.
In his message to HQ, Ryan boasted about knowing already where he would go next. In fact, he’s already on the road! What does that mean for us?! We don’t have much time! Number 1’s next assignment is “explore one of America’s famous hiking trails” – so where can Emma go next? Do you know some great hikes in some of the surrounding states? Drop a comment with some suggestions and hopefully, she’ll see them!
That’s not all! As thank you for all of your support, Emma has a little treat for you. 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 animal is the symbol of the New York State?”
Be the first to guess the correct answer! The winner will be announced next episode, once Emma has managed to take on her next mission!
Got any nearby places for Emma to head to next? Let us know in the comments! Do be 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!
