TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Idaho Parks and Rec won a second-place award for its Junior Ranger Program from the National Association for Interpretation.
The National Association for Interpretation helps thousands of children discover and appreciate the natural world on display at Idaho’s State Parks each year.
The Junior Ranger Program Activity Guide placed in the Site Publication category at the association’s national conference, Parks and Rec says. The competition covered 2019 publications, and included submissions from National Park Service units and other state park systems.
Parks and Rec says in 2019, more than 8,000 children, ages 6 to 12, participated in the Junior Ranger program, completing activities offered available at 22 Idaho State Parks. The guide includes information on safety and Leave No Trace principles, plus lessons about Idaho’s state plants and animals, specific information about nocturnal wildlife, ideas for making projects, as well as questions to help children reflect on their visit on the way home.
The guide came from the department’s Interpretive Team, which for 2019 included: Jamie Little, Experience/Education Supervisor; Wallace Keck, Manager at City of Rocks/Castle Rocks Parks; Terri Bryant, Ranger at Ponderosa; Errin Bair, Ranger at Farragut; Mary McGraw; Manager at Round Lake; Courtney Davenport, Ranger at Lucky Peak, and Kathleen Durfee, Manager at Old Mission/Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Junior Ranger program moved online in 2020 and can be accessed online.
