You can spot shamrocks everywhere on St. Patrick’s Day but how much do you know about them? Take this quiz and find out!
What makes a platypus so dangerous?
The platypus is a very interesting animal. It has a beak that looks like it belongs to a duck, which it uses to dig up invertebrates from lake beds. It is also one of only mammals to lay eggs.
Just because they are a little peculiar doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. They are more dangerous then you think! The male platypus has a spur on its hind foot that contains venom lethal enough to kill a dog! This makes them one of the few venomous mammals on the planet!
Eco-Activity: DIY Cutlery Pouch
You’ve got your reusable bottle, your reusable grocery bags and you’re on your way to saying “so long” to all single-use plastics. But you’ve run into a problem: your reusable cutlery is rolling around in your bag and getting all gross. Sounds like you could use an awesome DIY cutlery pouch!
Check out the instructions below, or follow along with this video.
Here’s what you need:
- A big piece of scrap fabric
- Something to draw with that won’t show through the fabric, like a pencil
- Needle and thread
- Button (optional)
Here’s how to make it:
- Cut two rectangular pieces out of your fabric. Make sure they are longer and wider than your cutlery set. The bigger the better as you can always cut off the extra fabric
- Put the two nice sides of your fabric together so you’re looking at the plain side. Place your cutlery set on the fabric, leaving a few inches at the top. Draw a box around the sides and along the bottom
- Sew up the sides and bottom using the box as your guide. Keep about a half an inch of fabric around the outside and trim off the rest.
- Flip your fabric inside-out so that the nice side is facing outwards, and put your cutlery in to make sure it fits
- Fold the top part of your fabric over the cutlery. This will be the flap that keeps your pouch closed. Make a mental note of where the flap meets the rest of the pouch
- Take your cutlery out, and sew a button onto the pouch in a spot that will connect with the flap.
- Cut a small hole in the flap that lines up with the button. Make sure it’s big enough for the button to fit through snugly
- Put your cutlery set inside, close and fasten your pouch, and voila! Stash your pouch in your bag to make sure you never need single-use plastic cutlery again!
Would You Rather? #7
Would you rather swim with…
River dolphins in the Amazon River or humpback whales in the St. Lawrence River?
Tell us which one you pick in the comments!
March 14 is International Day of Action For Rivers, a day when we celebrate and raise awareness about the importance of rivers. You can help by telling someone you know why rivers are important to you!
More “Would You Rather” Questions!
Pixel Puzzler #12: The Great Reveal
We’ve gotten tons of great guesses on Part 1 of the 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 Monarch butterfly! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
Caption This: What is this Chameleon Thinking?
We need your help! This animal is trying to tell us something but we can’t figure it out! Do you know what this chameleon is thinking?
Post your ideas in the comment section below.
Pixel Puzzler #12: The Great Reveal
We’ve gotten tons of great guesses on Part 1 of the 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 Monarch butterfly! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
Eco-Activity: Upcycled Tee-tote!
Did you know that a plastic bag under water can look just like a jellyfish—at least sea turtles think they do. Sea turtles gobble them up thinking they are a tasty treat and get very sick. Let’s help sea turtles and say goodbye to plastic bags by using reusable ones instead! In fact, we’ve got a cool DIY tote bag right here to help you get started!
Check out the instructions below, or follow along with this video.
Here’s what you need:
- An old t-shirt
- Scissors
- Help from an adult
Here’s how you make it:
Dad on Duty
Male emperor penguins stand for 65 long, cold days and sometimes in blinding storms, to protect their offspring before they hatch. They don’t even get a bite to eat until their partners return to take over!
Eco-Activity: Call of the Wild
| Awooo! Roar! Meow! Glub! Seems like that would be pretty easy to remember, but what if you’re under intense game time pressure? Let’s see how you stand up with a little game we like to call Call of the Wild! |
| Objective: Keep the chain going as long as you can! Players: At least 2 Instructions: |
- First player makes an animal sound or action.
- Next player copies that sound or action and adds a new one to the end.
- Next player repeats the first two and adds another.
- Keep the chain going as long as you can. The game ends when someone forgets the order.
- When you’re done the first game, play it again and try and beat your record!
What was your longest chain? Let us know on social media using #EarthRangers!
