A father and son enjoy learning about frogs during the "kickoff" of Great Swamp NWR's new Junior Refuge Manager program. Photo by Friends of Great Swamp NWR, 4/25/2009, Wildlife Observation Center.

Friends of Great Swamp NWR members prepare to register youth to participate in the Refuge's new Junior Refuge Manager program. Photo by Friends of Great Swamp NWR, 4/25/2009, Wildlife Observation Center.

The "Invertebrates" page from the Junior Refuge Manager Activity Book created by the Friends of Great Swamp NWR.

In response to the many calls to involve our children in outdoor activities, the Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey) have developed a Junior Refuge Manager Program. The new program was officially launched on Saturday April 25 at the Refuge’s popular Wildlife Observation Center where twenty-eight children signed up to get started on earning their Junior Refuge Manager badge¾and learning about wildlife, habitat, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge at the same time.

The Junior Refuge Manager Program is being funded by a $6,000 Challenge Cost Share Grant awarded by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This grant must be matched by the Friends of Great Swamp through donations of volunteer hours or funds for which they are well on their way.

For the past few months, the Friends have been developing an Activity Book for kids to complete in order to earn their Junior Refuge Manager badge. Volunteer Judy Schmidt and her team identified a variety of pertinent topics including frogs, snakes, turtles, invertebrates, birds, and optics (magnifying glass, binoculars). Then they developed a series of questions and exercises for each topic. Through visits to the Wildlife Observation Center, children work to complete each page which is then “certified” by a Friends’ volunteer or Refuge employee. One of the main objectives of the program is to help children take time and observe wildlife and nature, noting field marks, behavior, and habitat. The Activity Book has nine activity pages which require certification. To assist aspiring Junior Refuge Managers in completing their Activity Books, volunteers are available at the Wildlife Observation Center on weekends through early June. These volunteers, called Swamp Nature Guides, are armed with scopes, binoculars, magnifying glasses, field guides, and other tools, to help children get a close-up look at wildlife and answer questions.  Once all of the pages have been completed and certified, the child is awarded an official Junior Refuge Manager badge, a Junior Refuge Manager certificate, and a $5.00 coupon to be used towards the purchase of a field guide from the Friends Bookstore. The program is geared to children between the ages of 5 and 13 and completing the Activity Book requires at least two visits to the Refuge. This is an ongoing program and Activity Books will be available at the Friends Bookstore & Gift Shop as well as at the Wildlife Observation Center for a small fee. Swamp Nature Guides will be also be scheduled at the Wildlife Observation Center during the Fall migration season.