 |
| Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program Logo. Image courtesy floridastateparks.org |
The Florida State Parks Service has just launched a BRAND NEW Statewide Junior Ranger Program! Starting TODAY, July 1, 2014, when you visit a participating state park or trail (which is mostly all of them) you can become a Florida State Park Junior Ranger!
Finally! I always thought they should have a "real" program like the NPS does, and I'm glad to see that it is coming to fruition. The prospect of this new program is exciting and I hope it will add a fun and educational dimension to a state park visit where kids can actually learn something about the park they're visiting and not just how nice the beach/facilities are.
The old "program" (if you could call it that) was a bit of a mess as very few parks offered it and sometimes it was only a ranger program held maybe once a week during the day. The whole thing was just very un-promoted and unadvertised. I myself only found out Florida had a Junior Ranger program by accident when I visited the small nature center at Bahia Honda State Park last year and saw the booklet with the patch already stapled to it just lying there on a table unsupervised . . . Yeah. Very appealing, lol.
But enough about the old. This is a brand new program, so we all need to be patient as the kinks get worked out. The ranger I spoke to over the phone said that it was a mostly self-guided program geared toward elementary-aged students, but she assured me that kids of all ages would enjoy completing the activities. When I asked about the rewards aspect of the project and the PASSPORT (capitalized per FSP website), things got a bit more confusing, but I think that's just cause they're trying to figure it out as they go (and I don't blame her for not really knowing; it just started today after all!), but here's what I got out of our brief dialogue:
 |
| Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program Rewards Illustration (from L-R) Badge, Patch, Pin. Image courtesy floridastateparks.org |
2. Complete 6 activities from your Kit and review your work with a Ranger.
3. You are sworn in and issued a completion certificate, ID card and PASSPORT, AND you also get a program patch from the park site you are visiting (similar to the NPS patches, I guess)
4. As you complete other programs in the Florida State Park system, you obtain more stamps for your PASSPORT.
5. Once you complete your entire PASSPORT book, you turn it in to get your Official Junior Ranger Badge, Patch or Pin.
Please read more about the program after the jump. Looking forward to visiting a Florida State Park very soon (and I guess I'll find out first-hand how they handle the not-so-Junior Rangers who want to participate, haha). But in the meantime. . . .
Explore On, Junior Rangers! :)
About the Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program
 |
| Banner from the Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program webpage Image courtesy floridastateparks.org |
This brand-new program, available starting July 1, provides the opportunity for park visitors to learn, serve and share our parks' natural and cultural resources. Completing Junior Ranger activities based on four categories (Cultural Resources, Natural Resources, Recreation and Service), kids will learn important aspects about protecting Florida State Parks. In addition, Junior Rangers will become eligible for Junior Ranger rewards such as badges, patches and pins, and in the future, program merchandise will be available for purchase.
How It Works
(direct from floridastateparks.org)
1. Visit a participating Florida State Park and ask for their Junior Ranger Kit.
2. Complete 6 CORE Activities from the Kit.
3. Review the 6 CORE Activities with a Ranger.
4. Recite the Junior Ranger Pledge to receive a Certificate, Member ID Card, and the Official Junior Ranger PASSPORT!
5. Complete more activities to earn stamps for your PASSPORT.
6. Turn in your completed PASSPORT to receive an Official Junior Ranger Badge, Patch or Pin!
For a map of Participating Parks, visit floridastateparks.org or click here (PDF).
Source: floridastateparks.org
No comments:
Post a Comment