TRURO, N.S. — One of Thomas McDowall’s proudest moments was saving birds on a beach.
Together with his younger brother Owen, he scoured Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast, picking up trash that could injure Piping Plover birds, who nest on beaches across the province.
“I feel like I’m doing my part,” said Thomas, 13. “I’m really making a change in the environment and if more people do the same, then we can make enormous changes together with everyone.”
Thomas’s mission to save the Piping Plover is just one of many he has achieved as a member of Earth Rangers, an environmental charity focused on youth.
The family have been using the Earth Rangers App for three weeks, ahead of its general release on Jan. 21. They were offered a sneak preview as both Thomas and Owen have been Earth Rangers since 2015.
Both boys are now the driving force behind their family’s greener lifestyle at home in Truro.
The McDowall family now use LED lights, recycle their batteries and have cut back on plastic usage. They have also installed a heat pump and turned down their thermostat, even if it means wearing sweaters indoors, reducing their heating oil consumption.
All of these activities are missions on the Earth Rangers App. Their completion allows Thomas and Owen to ‘level up’ and unlock new animals from bears to turtles as they learn about animal habitats.
Both boys have been involved in environmental campaigns over the last five years, such as running lemonade stands to raise money for protecting the eastern wolf and wolverine.
Such activism comes naturally to Thomas, who has always been an animal lover.
“I’ve always looked out for animals and whenever in my neighbourhood I see something very small, like a bug that was possibly hurt, I’d help it,” he said. “That led me to do something even bigger for the environment through Earth Rangers.”
However, Thomas said he has not taken part in any of the youth climate strikes inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
While Thomas is worried about the impact of climate change, he is focusing on making individual choices, which he says can still make a major positive impact.
We really do need to act now, or it may be too late,” said Thomas.
His mother Michelle said her boys’ Earth Rangers activities have made both her and their father Jeff more aware of the decisions they make. One choice she made was giving away their old coffee machine and buying a new one without disposable plastic pods.
“I’m very proud of what they’ve done so far and I’m happy that Earth Rangers exists, because it’s a way that gets them engaged in good habits going forward,” said Michelle. “Rather than yelling at them to turn off the lights, they learn about it as a mission and then understand the value of saving energy.”
SIDEBAR: How the new Earth Rangers App works
Children and youth who download the Earth Rangers App can complete more than two dozen ‘real-life’ missions to help the planet.
These include shoreline clean-ups, battery recycling drives and conserving energy, as the McDowall family from Truro have done. Other activities include creating butterfly gardens.
In addition to missions and local events, members are also able to symbolically ‘adopt’ a wide range of Canadian animals, with funds going towards habitat restoration or research projects.
Members can create their own avatar, score points for each completed activity, earn badges and level up to unlock special rewards.
The app is available for download now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Earth Rangers itself is a Canadian organization founded in 2004. Since then, it has attracted members worldwide with its aim of protecting wildlife and the natural environment.
