A Helping Hand for Canadian Wildlife

Earth Rangers Inspires Children to Help Save Four Native Species in Decline

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2013 /CNW/ - What do the Blanding's turtle, beluga whale, Western bumble bee and barn swallow have in common? They are all animals native to Canada with populations in decline. They are also the four animals that Earth Rangers across Canada will help protect through the Earth Rangers Bring Back the Wild program.

Earth Rangers is the kid's conservation organization dedicated to educating children and families about biodiversity and empowering them to take action through a unique program called Bring Back the Wild. This national education and fundraising initiative teaches children about the importance of protecting animals by preserving their natural habitats and raises funds for research and the acquisition and restoration of wild spaces.

Now in its fourth year, this kid-powered conservation program is launching four new conservation projects:

BLANDING'S TURTLE
Threats facing Blanding's turtles include habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal pet trade and predation. Our conservation project in partnership with the Toronto Zoo will help increase the Blanding's turtle population in Ontario through a head-starting program that involves raising young turtles indoors and releasing them when they are able to survive in the wild.

BELUGA WHALE
Threats facing beluga whales include climate change, sea ice loss, pollution, predation and noise from boats. Our conservation project in partnership with the Churchill Northern Studies Centre will help purchase special underwater recorders to measure the effects of boat noise on belugas' ability to communicate, find food, raise their young and detect predators and support research on how environmental changes, like contaminants, affect beluga health.

WESTERN BUMBLE BEE
Threats facing Western bumble bees include habitat loss, disease and pests, pesticides, invasive species and climate change. Our conservation project in partnership with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum will fund research to better understand how we can help bees, study the number and variety of bees in Western Canada and create awareness about the importance of bees.

BARN SWALLOW
Threats facing barn swallows include habitat loss, climate change and pesticides. Our conservation project in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Bird Studies Canada will help rebuild five nesting habitats, help purchase 12.4 acres of land where barn swallows can make their nests and support research to see if barn swallows will adapt to artificial nests.

In conjunction with the launch of these new conservation projects, Earth Rangers is introducing a membership program to encourage children to engage in actions that directly contribute to the protection of wildlife.

When a child signs up to become an Earth Ranger, they will be invited to participate in a variety of animal saving missions. Their first mission will be to complete a Bring Back the Wild fundraising campaign to help save an animal. Along with this action, kids will receive their own personalized Earth Rangers membership card as a symbol of being an important part of the Earth Rangers community. Once their campaign is complete, members will receive additional missions that encourage environmentally responsible behaviours.

Our goal is to remind kids and their families that even small actions, when adopted by many, can have a huge impact.

About Earth Rangers: Earth Rangers is the kids' conservation organization dedicated to educating children and families about biodiversity loss and empowering them to Bring Back the Wild™.  Building on children's natural connection to wildlife, Earth Rangers' focus is to communicate to children a positive science-based message on the importance of protecting biodiversity and adopting more sustainable behaviours.  Through programs including a children's website, www.earthrangers.com, a permanent studio at the Royal Ontario Museum and a School Outreach Program featuring live Animal Ambassadors, Earth Rangers is able to reach, inspire and enable millions of children each year to take action to help ensure the lasting survival of species in Canada.

Video with caption: "When kids sign up to become Earth Rangers they can help save animals, like the beluga whale. With help from Earth Rangers across Canada, we're supporting research in Hudson Bay that studies the effects of boat noise on belugas' ability to communicate, find food, raise their young and detect predators.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130909_C5382_VIDEO_EN_30512.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130909_C5382_PHOTO_EN_30512.jpg&clientName=Earth%20Rangers&caption=When%20kids%20sign%20up%20to%20become%20Earth%20Rangers%20they%20can%20help%20save%20animals%2C%20like%20the%20beluga%20whale%2E%20With%20help%20from%20Earth%20Rangers%20%20across%20Canada%2C%20we%27re%20supporting%20research%20in%20Hudson%20Bay%20that%20studies%20the%20effects%20of%20boat%20noise%20on%20belugas%27%20ability%20to%20communicate%2C%20find%20food%2C%20raise%20their%20young%20and%20detect%20predators%2E&title=EARTH%20RANGERS%20%2D%20A%20Helping%20Hand%20For%20Canadian%20Wildlife%20%2D%20Earth%20Rangers%20Inspires%20Children%20to%20Help%20Save%20Four%20Native%20Species%20in%20Decline&headline=A%20Helping%20Hand%20For%20Canadian%20Wildlife%20%2D%20Earth%20Rangers%20Inspires%20Children%20to%20Help%20Save%20Four%20Native%20Species%20in%20Decline

SOURCE: Earth Rangers