SOS: Save Our Shorelines!

Summertime is just around the corner and the weather will finally warm enough for a trip to the beach. How about visiting world’s largest island-in-a-lake, Manitoulin Island, located on beautiful Lake Huron? What could be better: playing in the sand, building castles, taking a dip in the lake…but what if you happen to spot some garbage on the shoreline? Suddenly that summertime vacation doesn’t seem like so much fun. Especially for the animals that have to live on the island year-round.

Manitoulin Island is home to over 108 lakes. That’s right: the island is SO big that it has 108 lakes on it…some of which have islands of their own! It’s also home to many unique and special species of animals and plants. No matter where the location, all shoreline fauna and flora rely on a pollution-free habitat to call home.

Earth Rangers to the Rescue!

And that’s where you come in: Earth Rangers to the rescue! With your vast knowledge of nature, animals and the environment, you have the power to help make any messy shoreline into the perfect place for everyone to enjoy.  (And that includes the shorelines of rivers, streams, ponds, creeks and wetlands – even if you can’t vacation there, the creatures that make those shorelines their home will definitely appreciate a helping hand in cleaning up.)

Why do we need to keep them clean?

First, let’s talk about why keeping the shoreline clean is so important. When garbage pollutes the shoreline, it’s more than just an eyesore. Animals can get tangled up in it. Sometimes, certain plastic garbage might look like food and cause animals to choke. Garbage can also get washed into a body of water and cause problems there. (Imagine seeing a bag floating on the pond – does it look a bit like a fish, if you’re a hungry bird?)

Become a Shoreline Saver!

So 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!

If you could save any shoreline in the world, what would you choose?

Three-eyed Lizard

Sometimes two eyes just aren’t enough, thankfully the Tuatara, a lizard that lives on a few remote islands near New Zealand, has an extra one. The Tuatara has a third eye on the top of its head, we aren’t certain what it is used for but we do know that it gets covered by scales as the lizard grows up.

tuatura lizard
Flickr credit: boboD90

Enter the Backyard Biologist Contest

Whether you live in the country or in the city, there are interesting plants and animals all around you. Just head out to your local park, pond, or even just look closely at the ground beneath your feet. You’ll be amazed at all the life you see! And until June 12, snapping a picture of this biodiversity could make you a winner!

For today’s Eco-Activity, we want you to get outside, snap some pictures and enter the Backyard Biologist Contest!

We’ll pick one winner from each of the following categories:

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Share your pictures with us in the Backyard Biologist Mission in the App, or at www.earthrangers.com/backyardbiocontest. You can upload one picture per category. Make sure you include a description of the photo and an explanation about how you identified it (as any true biologist would do, of course).

The Prize:

The winners get an awesome camera from Canon and have their photographs displayed in the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity at the Royal Ontario Museum! Pretty sweet, right?

Say thank you to these Treerific allies!

New Challenge alert! Become a Tree Hugger and be a friend to trees! Look for it in the Challenges section in the Earth Rangers App and on Project2050.ca.

When you think of the things trees do for us, what comes to mind? Do you think about… 

  • Shade on a hot day
  • Delicious fruit like apples and oranges
  • All the animals that call trees home
  • Taking a great big breath of fresh air, or
  • The paper and wood we use every day?

It’s clear trees do a lot for us, but one thing they do is more important than all the rest. Every day, trees help us by sucking up harmful greenhouse gases from the air. This makes them Treerific allies in the fight against climate change. 

Join the Tree Hugger Challenge and we’ll show you how you can be a friend to trees while fighting climate change! You’ll do things like…

Eat less meat
Send e-cards
Give paper a second life

Borrow from the library

We’ve set our goal to the highest level yet! When we log 100,000 habits as a group, we’ll help plant a whole bunch of trees! Will you help us?

Become a tree BFF with the Tree Hugger Challenge!

Pixel Puzzler #14: Part 1

Let’s put your identification skills to the test! Can you guess what is hidden in this picture? Make your guess in the comments.

Check out the answer!

Tap here for more cool stuff like this!

Say Hello to Super Ranger Sam

Meet Sam! He’s a 7-year-old who really knows what it means to be an Earth Ranger. He is allergic to a lot of stuff outside, BUT that doesn’t keep him from doing what he can to protect the planet!

After Sam joined Earth Rangers, the first thing he did was plant a garden! He teamed up with his mom (who is an expert gardener) and planted a bunch of flowers and food. Now they have lots of food to eat that they’ve grown themselves! 

Their garden is visited by lots of hungry bees and birds. Sam jumped into action to make them feel welcome. He put in a bee hotel and a bird house that he made HIMSELF, and a family of sparrows nest in it each year! Go, Sam, go! 

Sam is also a Mission Master! He has done so many, but his favourite is Just 1 Tree. That’s where you plant trees to help fight climate change. Sam loves everything about trees, whether it’s climbing them or just exploring the forests they create. Plus, trees are home to Sam’s all-time favourite animal: squirrels!

Sam and his family try their best to walk and ride their bikes as much as possible. They compost the scraps from the fruits and vegetables that they grow and return it back to the earth! They also try to use as little packaging as possible, and Sam helps his dad sort the recycling almost every week! 

What words does Sam have for kids like YOU? It’s important protect the planet because “when we help the earth and work together, we can conquer our garbage problems and climate change!” 

Earth Ranger Sam is the perfect example of a Super Ranger!
These are kids who go above and beyond to make the planet a better place.

Just a Little Bit Birdy!

Few things say spring more than the happy soundtrack of chirping birds. Our flying friends are all around us, and that’s why it’s the perfect time for today’s Eco-Activity! Head out to your ‘hood and take note of the birds you see, then snap photos or sketch away and add your field notes to create your own local bird guide!

Here’s how to get guiding!

1. Go for a walk around your neighbourhood and see if you can spot 2-3 different bird species.

2. Once you’ve found your birds, take photos, make sketches, and jot down notes about their behaviour in your notebook.

3. When you’re happy with the number of different birds you’ve found, it’s time to make your field guide!

4. Using paper and colouring tools, draw or print out photos of the birds you saw, then include your observations below. Make notes on things like:

    a. The bird’s common and scientific name

    b. Its physical characteristics – how big is it? What colours are its feathers?

    c. Its behaviour – what was it doing? Was it flying? What did its song sound like? Was it alone or in a group?

5. Take your guide to the next level by looking up more details about the birds you’ve found, like their habitat range, diet, and migration patterns!

A Moody Blue Jay

If you’re happy and you know it, raise your feathers? The blue jay has a crest of feathers on its head that it raises or lowers based on its mood.

blue_jay

Honouring Indigenous Lands

We all have a favourite spot in nature. It could be somewhere huge, like Banff National Park, or somewhere small, like the park near your house. Maybe it’s even your own backyard! The spot is special to you, but did you know that its also on Traditional Indigenous Territory?

For today’s Eco-Activity, you’ll be learning about the Traditional Indigenous Territory your favourite nature spot is part of!

Virtually all of the land in Canada is on Traditional Indigenous Territory. Find out which one your favourite place is on by using this map: native-land.ca/!

Study up on your Indigenous region’s history and culture. Research the communities who live there, the languages they speak, and their important symbols and traditions.

It’s important to acknowledge that your favourite nature spot is on the Traditional Territories of Indigenous People. One way we can do this is through a land acknowledgement. Just replace the underlined words in the paragraph below with the names of the groups in your area.

More Plastic More Problems Contest Winners

Have you met the Single-use Plastic Gang? They are up to no good and cause really big problems for the planet. Each member is designed to be used once and then thrown away. Not only does it take a lot of resources to make them, they also contribute to climate change and can be really bad for animals.

In March, we decided to TAKE. THEM. DOWN. but we needed your help! That’s why we launched the More Plastic More Problems Contest. Together, we stopped the gang 482 times! That’s amazing! We definitely put a hole in their plastic bag!

Let’s give a BIG congratulations to the winners:

Missed the contest? No sweat! You can still help us defeat the Single-use Plastic Gang by accepting the More Plastic More Problems Mission in the App!

The More Plastic More Problems Mission is generously supported by: