Junior Ranger Essay Contest

The winner of the 2008 Junior Ranger essay contest will receive an all expense paid family vacation to one of the country's most remarkable national parks and a starring role in an electronic field trip seen by millions of school children across the country. The essay contest is open to children between 9 and 12 years of age. Each contestant must express his or her thoughts on "What can you do now to turn over a new leaf for the environment and help preserve our national parks?" Contest information is available at www.nps.gov.

Kids who visit the Missouri National Recreational River are in for a treat! Recreational activities abound here. They include hiking, fishing, canoeing, boating, and picnicking, just to name a few. Touch tables and interactive activities are available at the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center and at the visitor center at Ponca State Park. The rivers provide lots of things to see and areas to explore. Keep your eyes wide open.

If you don't get a chance to visit the Missouri National Recreational River, don't despair! The National Park Service has put together a Web Ranger program for kids to complete online. The program helps kids explore many of the famous and not-so-famous parks, and gives kids an appreciation for the scenic beauty and historical significance of the parks. Please click here to participate in the Web Ranger program.

Many parks in the National Park System have gone high-tech lately, and have added Junior Ranger programs online. To see a list of these parks, click on Junior Ranger Online.

In addition, the Junior Ranger Gazette is now available online. Here are all kinds of fun stuff about your national parks, plus games, puzzles, and even recipies! Click here to view it or pick up a copy at your nearest national park.