Earth Rangers

Earth Rangers is a registered non-profit organization located in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1999 by Robert Schad, Earth Rangers focuses on providing environmental education to youth through school assemblies and hands-on action programs.

Earth Rangers is fully supported through donations and partnerships, and provides the majority of its programs free of charge. Major donors include Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd, the Krembil Foundation and the Schad Foundation.

The Earth Rangers Show

Earth Rangers delivers their message through curriculum-linked educational assemblies. The Show is provided free of charge to elementary schools located in the Greater Toronto Area, and also participates in local events on a fee-for-service basis.

Shows are tailored to the specific curriculum of the audience. The grades 1 – 3 show focuses on making environmentally conscious choices and the 3 R’s, while the grades 4 – 6 show emphasizes energy conservation. A grade 7-8 program will be added in September 2007.

Ambassador Animals

One of the shows unique features is the integration of ‘Animal Ambassadors’ to deliver their message. These animals each have a story of how human actions have impacted their lives. Children are given the chance to meet these animals and understand how their choices affect animals and the environment. The assemblies motivate students to take action to protect the planet.

Earth Rangers currently cares for 18 animals, all of which live at the Earth Ranger Centre. Animals are acquired at Earth Rangers through 2 methods: rescues and through captive breeding programs that are designed to ensure the survival of the species. All of our animals are non-releasable, which means that they could not survive back in the wild, either because of an injury, or because they no longer have the skills to provide for themselves. These animals are cared for at the Centre and help us educate about the importance of taking action to protect the environment.

As the popularity of the show continues to increase, Earth Rangers is adding additional presentation teams in order to meet the high demand from schools and spread their message to more students.

Earth Rangers In Action

The Earth Rangers Show is supplemented by an Action Program, where we go into the schools and help teachers and students develop and implement an action project within the school. Action kits are also provided as a resource to schools free-of-charge and give students and teachers ideas and tools for hands-on activities to care for and learn about the environment.

Some examples of Action Projects include litterless lunch campaigns, compost programs and anti-idling campaigns.

Earth Rangers Centre

The 60,000 square foot Earth Rangers Centre was constructed in 2004 and is a Canadian landmark for energy efficiency and sustainable practices. The Earth Rangers Center has received LEED Gold designation from the Canada Green Building Council. The Centre is located in the Kortright Centre conservation area in Woodbridge, Ontario.

Design and technology

The Earth Rangers Centre incorporates a variety of design features and technologies to minimize environmental impact.

Water

An onsite well supplies potable water for the entire facility. A ZENON membrane bioreactor and UV light sterilization lets the facility recycle up to 9,850 litres of wastewater daily. The reclaimed water is reused for irrigation, floor washing and toilet flushing.

Rainwater is harvested from roof run-off and stored in a 310 cubic metre, buried, concrete tank to supplement the treated water and provide fire protection.

Heating & Cooling

The Earth Rangers Centre is largely heated and cooled by 21 kilometers of tubing embedded in concrete slabs. A constant flow of liquid through these slabs causes the concrete to become thermally activated which in turn raises or lowers the temperature inside the building as required. During cooling season, the system uses cooling-tower water in the tubing to allow the chiller to be turned off, reducing the amount of electricity required for cooling.The building is well insulated (minimum of R40 in the roof and R20 in the walls) to keep heating and cooling loads to a minimum. The curtain wall facade is constructed of panels using local aggregate. The windows in the office are double-glazed with low-e coatings, argon gas filled and have insulating frames and edge spacers. The window design enhances daylight penetration into the building while avoiding glare. A high efficiency natural gas boiler heats water for the radiant floors and ceilings. Vehicle storage and receiving areas are heated by gas-fired infrared radiant heaters.

Ventilation

The Earth Rangers Centre incorporates a network of underground tunnels, known as Earth Tubes, which pre-temper the air entering the building by using the constant temperature of the earth.Fresh air is delivered to all areas by "displacement ventilation". Ventilation air is supplied at close to floor level, rises naturally to ceiling level and is exhausted through vents. There is no mixing or re-circulation of the air. The supply air is conditioned to approximately 18°C with the aid of heat recovery on the building exhaust air. Displacement ventilation provides superior indoor air quality, occupant comfort and requires less fan power for air circulation.

Lighting

11 North-facing skylights provide a diffuse natural light, reducing lighting energy requirements by up to 50%. The south face of the skylights is sloped at 30 degrees to accommodate solar panels for heating domestic hot water and generating electricity. High efficiency lighting systems are used throughout the building. Controls turn lights down or off when there is sufficient daylight or when rooms are unoccupied.

Dehumidification

The Centre uses a combination of dehumidification technologies, including an enthalpy wheel energy exchanger and an innovative liquid desiccant dehumidifier. The first application in Canada of this technology, it promises to be an energy-efficient means of cooling buildings in southern Canada. Minimizing pump and fan power requirements, and intelligent use of motor controls will further reduce the annual electrical costs.

Future Developments

The Earth Rangers Centre is in the process of being transformed into a public destination which will showcase the buildings’ design and technologies. The interactive exhibits will highlight the various systems in place and examine their environmental and economical benefits. Renovations to the Centre are projected to be completed in 2008.

External links

* [http://www.earthrangers.ca Earth Rangers] - official website