FSNHS to host Junior Ranger Day

Area youth will have an opportunity this weekend to learn about the role and mission of the National Park Service.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site will celebrate National Park Week on Saturday by participating in the NPS Junior Ranger Day. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, participants will be able to explore the site and complete various activities that are featured in the park's Junior Ranger booklet, which is provided free of charge by the Western National Park Association. Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a Junior Ranger badge, as well as a pin, decal and a certificate.

NPS Ranger Kelley Collins said the purpose of the program is to help teach youth about Fort Scott's role in U.S. history, the importance of the country's national parks, and the mission of the NPS, which is to preserve and protect the nation's natural and cultural resources.

"We want to have kids understand the need for preserving sites such as this and other NPS areas, and their importance to our country," she said.

FSNHS staff recently launched the site's new Junior Ranger booklet, which outlines a series of interactive activities that are designed to engage children as they explore the historic site and are needed to complete the program. Activities include the simulated grooming of a horse, the washing of clothes on a scrub board, the calculating of the cost of items at the sutler store, and the managing of the supply inventory at the quartermaster.

Collins said participants will each have a haversack, or small bag, that contains maps and other items needed to work through activities in the booklet, as well as other objects related to the history of the fort and items commonly used daily by people who lived at the fort during the mid-1800s.

"We hope it will give them more of a connection rather than seeing something behind a pane of glass or reading a sign," she said.

According to a FSNHS statement, there will also be opportunities for participants to use their artistic and puzzle-solving abilities as they work their way through the booklet.

Collins said while the Junior Ranger booklet is primarily designed for youth between 5 and 15 years of age, anyone who is interested may participate in the program.

"The booklet is designed for a certain age group, but anybody can do the program," she said. "Adults can participate if they want to. We don't say 'no' to anyone who wants to participate."

To assist participants in the program, site volunteers and staff will be dressed in period costume and stationed at various locations throughout the site to help participants navigate their way through the required activities. A variety of children's games will also be available to participants throughout the day. Collins said younger participants will only be required to complete age-specific activities, while older participants can complete all activities in the booklet if they wish.

Children who are not able to make it to a national park to participate in Junior Ranger Day activities may visit the Web site, www.nps.gov/webrangers. At that site, children can participate in a variety of online activities in which they can earn Junior Ranger certificates.

Collins said fort staff handed out 655 Junior Ranger booklets during last year's program, and are hoping for even more participants this year.

"We're hoping that number increases with the new booklet and the addition of the haversack," she said. "We wanted to make it more exciting and interactive for kids, so we hope more will participate."

Since the Junior Ranger booklet is still in the development phase, feedback from participants regarding activities featured in the book is welcome and appreciated, the FSNHS statement said.

FSNHS, a unit of the NPS, is commemorating Junior Ranger Day as part of National Park Week, which continues through Sunday. There are more than 390 NPS units across the country, and most of them have Junior Ranger programs designed to connect youth to the national parks. Many of those units are participating in Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, the FSNHS statement said.

For more information, call the site at (620) 223-0310, or visit www.nps.gov/fosc. More information about National Parks Week activities can be found at www.nps.gov/npweek.