Rice Cake Owls

Creative Corner

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December 14, 2022

118

Rice Cake Owls

Time:15 min

Difficulty:Easy

Hoo wants a sweet treat? We’ve got just the tasty snack for those who are owl ears! Every bird can join in because this recipe is a real hoot.

Here’s what you need:

Rice cakes
Peanut butter (or any other nut or no-nut butter)
A banana
Blueberries
An apple
A carrot
Cheerios

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Spread peanut butter on one of your rice cakes.

Step 2: Let’s start by giving your owl some eyes! Slice the banana and place two pieces close to the top of your rice cake. Using a tiny dab of peanut butter, stick a blueberry on each banana to make your owl’s pupils.

Step 3: Cut your apple into thin wedges. Place them on your rice cake with the peel facing outwards.

Step 4: Your owl still needs a beak. Peel a carrot and cut a thin slice. Divide that slice into 4 quarters. Place one of those quarters just below the owl’s eyes.

Step 5: Finish off your owl by adding the cheerio feathers!

That’s it— your im-peck-able owl treats are ready to eat! Bon appétit!

Fantastic Forest Masterpieces

All
Contests

Earth Rangers

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December 13, 2022

65

Ah, summer! It’s time for sunshine, beaches, and thinking about Christmas. Yup, you read that right! This summer, we were all about Christmas…the Christmas in July contest, that is!

We teamed up with FPAC and challenged you to create a piece of art that captures the beauty of trees and forests. Animals were drawn, paint was splattered, trees were coloured, and now prizes have been awarded! Check out the winners of the 2022 Christmas in July contest!

First place: Nevaeh!

I like this type of forest because it reminded me of Gibson hill. Gibson hill is a walking trail with a huge forest. The cabin reminded me of someone’s cabin they built in the middle of the forest. The view is amazing.

– Nevaeh

Congratulations Nevaeh! Your artwork is being featured on FPAC’s 2022 holiday card!

Second and third place: Edwin and Mariam

We did a forest collage. First we painted our background with water colours, then we painted bubble wrap to stamp on some snow. We glued on cotton balls for some snowy hills and added paper trees and glittery sticks. Finally for a more holiday feel we added presents underneath a tree and a star for the top. Our picture is entitled “ever green, ever magical”.

– Edwin

My artwork is a starry night sky with a snow blanketed forest with snow peaked mountains. In the center, there’s a pine tree where lights are decorated. There are two gift boxes beside the tree, one with the Earth Rangers logo, and the other the FPAC logo.

– Mariam

We got over 150 amazing submissions so we couldn’t just show off the top three. Here are some other masterpieces that were sent in.

A big round of applause to these amazingly talented Earth Rangers!

Staying warm in cold weather

Earth Rangers

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December 9, 2022

166

Winter is coming in fast. It’s pretty chilly outside these days and many of us have turned on the heat. But did you know that heating uses LOTS of electricity? Before you crank the thermostat, try thinking of other ways to keep warm. Perhaps these ideas inspired by nature will help!

Put on Warmer Clothing

Deer grow thicker coats to stay warm in the winter.

Seal Up Drafts around Your Home

Snails go into their shell and close up the hole with a kind of skin made of calcium and slime. It keeps moisture from escaping and cold, dry air from getting in.

Nap and Snack

Squirrels nap and snack their way through winter. They spend the coldest part of the winter sleeping but will come out on warmer days to retrieve food they stored in the fall.

Hangout with Friends

Garter snakes hibernate in groups to keep warm. In certain areas, there can be hundreds and sometimes thousands of snakes grouped together.

Hide Somewhere Warm and Don’t Come Out Until It’s Spring

Some turtles find a spot to hide and go dormant for the winter.

What helps you keep warm on cold days? Let us know in the comments!

Did you know that turning down your thermostat in the winter can actually help slow down climate change? Learn more in the Re-set the ‘stat in the Missions section in the Earth Rangers App.

Find a Tree Game

Creative Corner

Earth Rangers

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December 8, 2022

262

Find a Tree Game

Time:15 min

Difficulty:Medium

It’s pretty easy to tell two trees apart, but can you do it with your eyes closed? Play a round of this TREEriffic game and find out!

About the game:

Number of players: an even number (it will be played in pairs)
Location: somewhere with lots of trees
Materials: a timer and a blindfold (optional)

Here’s how you play:

Step 1: Pair up. Choose one person to be the finder and the other person to be the guide.

Step 2: The finder should close their eyes or cover them with a blindfold. They will keep them covered for the next 3 steps.

Step 3: The guide spins the finder around and then leads them to a tree. TIP: To make it more challenging, the guide can add fake turns along the way.

Step 4: The finder has 30 seconds to feel around the tree. They should try to find things that make the tree stand out so they know what to look for later.

Step 5: The guide leads the finder back to the starting point and spins them around.

Step 6: Now the finder has to find that same tree but with their eyes open. Use a timer to record how long it takes. TIP: If the finder gets stuck, the guide can give them hints to help.

Step 7: Once the finder has found the tree, they should do a happy dance. Then it’s time to switch roles and do it again. The player who finds the tree the fastest is the winner.

Crabeater Seal

Earth Rangers

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December 7, 2022

46

Sometimes animals have names that just don’t make any sense! A Purple finch isn’t purple, not all ladybugs are female, a sea cucumber isn’t an underwater vegetable, and don’t forget silverfish, which definitely aren’t fish! Well, the Crabeater seal isn’t any different.

There are lots of things a Crabeater seal could be named after; their bodies are built for speed and they are one of the fastest seals when moving on land. With around 15 million of them, Crabeater seals have the largest population of all pinniped (aquatic meat-eating mammals with fins for feet like seals, walruses, and sea lions). Their teeth are even specially designed for eating krill (not crab), which makes up about 95% of their diet. Instead of all of these cool traits, the Crabeater seal is named after crabs, a crustacean that isn’t even found in the Antarctic, where these seals live. Oh well! You know what they say…a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.

Know any other animals in need of a new name? Post a comment below and tell us what you think they should be called!

Make Your Holiday Gift-Giving Greener!

Earth Rangers

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December 2, 2022

76

If you’ve got some serious gift-giving to do, we’ve got you covered. Here are our top ways to make sure the presents you give are eco-friendly.

Watch Out for Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a way that companies try to trick you into thinking something is eco-friendly when it’s not. They can use words like “eco”, “green”, “sustainable” or “natural” but their products may be none of those things. Instead, make sure to look for:

Ecolabels—you can find a list in the Certified Green Mission!
Packaging made from recycled materials, and
Info on the company’s website that proves they are eco-friendly.

Choose Gifts That Don’t Have a Lot of Packaging

Try to find gifts that use paper or cardboard packaging instead of plastic.

Make Your Own Wrapping Paper

Get some plain shelf paper and draw a pretty scene. You can also use some newspaper! We recommend using the comics section to make your gift wrap fun (and funny).

Go for Quality, Not Quantity

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the season and end up buying more than you need. But the secret to being green is to buy less, not more. All the things you buy are made using the Earth’s resources so make sure you don’t waste them. Don’t buy lots of gifts when one really thoughtful one will do.

DIY Something Amazing

Are you an expert artist? Maybe your skills are in the kitchen. It’s time to use those abilities and create gifts from the heart. After all, the best gifts are handmade!

Support Eco-Friendly Companies

You’ll have to do a little research, but it will be totally worth it. Go through your list of gifts to buy and see if you can find companies that make them in sustainable, ecologically-conscious ways. That way you can feel better about the gifts you’re giving.

Want to learn more about ecolabels and get a handy guide? Check out Certified Green in the Missions section in the Earth Rangers App.

In partnership with:

Can You Catch a Yawn from a Chimpanzee?

Earth Rangers

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November 30, 2022

105

Make sure you don’t scroll down to the photos below unless you have a pillow and a blanket ready for a nap. These images will make you sleeepppy.

A few years ago, a bunch of researchers sat next to 33 chimpanzees and started yawning a lot. Guess what the chimpanzees did? They yawned back! They helped prove what we’ve all known for a long time: yawning is contagious!

The researchers made a lot of chimps look pretty sleepy, but no word yet if there was an increase in nap time for both researchers and chimpanzees.

If we can make chimpanzees yawn, can animals make us yawn? Scroll through these pictures and let us know if feel a yawn coming on!

fox yawning — Fox. Photo credit: Tambako Jaguar

japanese snow monkey yawning — Japanese snow monkey

wolf yawning — Wolf. Photo credit: Flick user breenzanemom

yawning red panda — Red panda. Photo credit: Flickr User, hizonic

Quiz: Remarkable Renewable Energy

Earth Rangers

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November 29, 2022

60

Time for a pop quiz! Where would you find the biggest solar farm in the world? Can wind turbines be built on water? Do hydrogen-powered cars exist? Find out the answer to all of these questions and more in the Remarkable Renewable Energy Quiz!

You can learn more about renewable energy by accepting the We’ve Got the Power Mission. Look for it in the Mission section in the Earth Rangers App!

Ask an Expert: Peatlands Pro

Earth Rangers

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November 25, 2022

111

What do polar bears, wood frogs, and caribou have in common? They all rely on the peatlands around Hudson Bay at some point during the year! But what in the world are peatlands? Well, we called in a Peatlands Pro to help answer that question.

Have you ever wondered what makes peatlands so special? Curious about the other types of animals that live there? Want to know how these ecosystems help us fight climate change?

Now is your chance to ask an expert!

Early next month, we’re chatting with Peatlands Pro, Connie O’Conner, PhD. She is the Director of the Ontario Northern Boreal Program at WCS Canada. You’re helping support their work with every polar bear, wood frog, and caribou adoption.

What are we going to ask Connie about? We don’t know! You tell us!

Ask your questions in the comments. We’ll select some and share them with Connie when we go live on Facebook on December 6 at 11:00 am ET!

Not able to join us on December 6? Don’t worry! We’ll post her answers on the blog after the interview.

Want to support WCS Canada’s work? Look for the polar bear, wood frog, or caribou in the Adoptions section of the Earth Rangers App.

Tap here to learn more about peatlands and WCS Canada’s work!

Jumping Frogs

Creative Corner

Earth Rangers

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November 24, 2022

179

Jumping Frogs

Time:15 min

Difficulty:Hard

Boing! Boing! Boing! Frogs are famous for their giant jumps and huge hops! Are you ready to leap along with some paper frogs that actually jump? Grab your paper and start folding!

Here’s what you need:

A square piece of paper
- Tip: Upcycle an old piece of paper or newspaper instead of using something new
A marker to make the eyes
A flat surface
An adult to help

Here’s how you make it:

Step 1: Fold your paper in half to create a rectangle.

Step 2: One at a time, fold the top corners of your rectangle down and unfold them.

Step 3: Turn the paper over. Squeeze the sides of the paper together, so your corner folds meet in the middle, and press down. Your paper will now have a triangular top.

Step 4: Fold the square’s bottom edge of the paper up to meet the base of the triangle. This will give you a rectangle on the bottom half.

Step 5: Fold the edges of the square and the bottom layer of the triangle inwards so they meet in the centre. This will give you a smaller square and a triangle, creating a house shape. Leave the triangle on top as is.

Step 6: Fold the square’s bottom edge of the paper up to meet the base of the triangle. Fold the top outside corners down to the centre, then unfold until it looks like Step 5. Pull the two corners in the middle at the base outwards so that they are in line with the base of the triangle, creating a boat-shaped flap.

Step 7: Fold down the corners of the boat-shaped flap so they meet in the middle.

Step 8: To make the frog legs, fold all four flaps outwards.

Step 9: Fold the frog in half so that the bottom legs touch the top legs. Then fold the top piece in half.

Step 10: Flip your frog over! Use a marker to draw on its eyes!

Your frog is done! Keep making as many as you want. We made a frog family!

How to make it jump: Push down on the back end of your frog and let your finger slide off to watch your frog leap! It might take some practice so keep trying if it doesn’t work right away.