When do you tell your kids that not all is right with the world? When do you tell them elephants are poached for their tusks, that there is a pipeline being directed through the Great Bear Rainforest, and that climate change and the destruction of habitat is real? And how do you do so while maintaining that safe, secure space for your child to inhabit?

Well really, the answer lies in how do we create that same safety in an unsafe world for ourselves. I want my child to understand the world, to be grateful for the food we eat, the beauty of our natural world, and to seek out hope and goodness wherever we can find it. I remember growing up and learning about animals through school, and also through programs like Brownies – Super Grammy was my Tawney Owl. It got me thinking about ways to be proactive and positive in my son’s education. To teach him that even though there are wrongs to right in this world, we can make a difference when we work at it together. Plus it brings a smile to my face when I think about completing missions with Ben, like building bat houses, or planting milkweed for the monarch butterflies who have recently made an astonishing comeback in a big cloud that was actually the shape of a butterfly no less!

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Ever since we saw the Earth Rangers Foundation commercial, most likely on a break from Wild Kratts when I saw how excited The Menace got, the idea had been percolating. Having a child who wants to get involved in a program like this is the perfect opportunity for me to get involved in things that have been on my radar. As well,  it is the perfect time to start getting The Ginger Menace used to giving back in a fun and interesting way. So we hopped online and went to the Earth Rangers website and now The Ginger Menace is officially an Earth Ranger and has the badge to prove it. Below is the letter we sent out for our first mother-son campaign for a little bird called the bobolink! Photograph credit here. Please go to our donation page if you would like to help us, and stay tuned to “The Ginger Menace” to see us reach our goal and go on other mommy-son nature adventures!

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Hello, I’m a proud Earth Ranger!

That means I’m doing my part by helping to protect animals and their habitats. You can do your part by supporting my Bring Back the Wild campaign for the bobolink, which is endangered and needs our help! Threats facing the bobolink include grassland habitat loss, reduced pastureland and pollution.

The funds raised will help to restore habitat for the bobolink, search for nests and record the number of baby bobolinks born in restored vs. unrestored habitats. It will also allow us to purchase and place geolocators on bobolinks to learn more about their migration patterns. My goal is to raise $25 and here’s how you can help. 
 Sponsor my campaign, by making a donation

Click HERE to visit my personal donation page on EathRangers.com 

Please visit my personal donation page on Earthrangers.com and learn more about how Earth Rangers is helping the bobolink!

Thank you for your support (and the bobolink thanks you too)

Earth Ranger Benjamin(AKA TheGingerMenace) and his mom.

About the Author

Kelly Wilk is a freelance writer and single mom to red-headed, Irish, Aries boy who is growing up way too fast. Follow their adventures on PinkPlayMags' parenting blog "The Ginger Gent" , and also on Kelly's own website and blog, Brave. Creative. Me at www.kellywilk.ca