One of the great programs that the National Park Service provides is the Junior Ranger Program.
The Junior Ranger motto is...
"Explore, Learn and Protect!"
The NPS Junior Ranger Program is:
"An activity based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national. Many national parks offer young visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service "family" as Junior Rangers. Interested youth complete a serious of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate. Junior Rangers are between the ages of 5 to 13, although people of all ages can participate."
[United States. National Park Service. "Junior Rangers | National Park Service." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nps.gov/kids/jrRangers.cfm>.]
We had the opportunity to visit John Muir National Historic Site, which was John Muir's home in Martinez, California in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 1900's. We had a lovely family picnic on the grounds just as I imagined John Muir and his family did many times!
While visiting the Visitor Center, we were pleased to find out that our son was finally old enough to participate in the Junior Ranger program so we acquired the Junior Ranger booklet and began the program.
After completing a serious of booklet activities which included:
Answering questions
Scavenger Hunt in John Muir's home
Detective Time
Drawings
Observing a Tree
Investigating Reporting
We were able to proceed with our son's "Junior Ranger Pledge" with NPS Ranger Jim! [Video]
My son was so happy he was finally a Junior Ranger that after he got his badge, we headed for a hike on Mount Wanda, which was named after one of John Muir's daughter!
Chasqui Mom, Junior Ranger David and NPS Ranger Jim
Hiking on Nature Trail on Mount Wanda, John Muir National Historic Site
It's very special to my husband and I, that my son was able to become a Junior Ranger at John Muir's home and then we were able to hike on the same trails that John Muir hiked with his children. It was a very fitting for the occasion!
Thank you National Park Service and Ranger Jim, from the bottom of our hearts!
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