COLUMBIA, S.C. — The junior rangers program is coming down from a busy summer, and it’ll continue throughout the school year. It’s a way for kids throughout the Midlands to learn about our state parks.
Six-year-old Silas Abshire recently reached level three. He is now an official Junior Ranger.
When he goes to the park, he spends a lot of his time picking up trash.
"Earth could become a landfill if too much trash just comes on the ground," he told me.
This is something he’s learned from Ranger Stacy Jenson at Sesquicentennial State Park. She said stewardship and service are at the heart of what it means to be a state park ranger. The junior program is developed with the same ideals in mind.
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"We’re trying to create stewards for the future, so we want kids to not only understand the parks but appreciate them," Jenson said. "That way these state parks and natural places that hold our natural and cultural history will be protected hopefully forever for future generations."
This is something Silas and his younger brother Parker have taken to heart. In addition to picking up trash, they’ve learned about nature.
"We had to, like, catch bugs and you got to look at them," Silas explained. "And I caught a really cool butterfly…no dragonfly! It had a pattern of a zebra on its wings."
This program picks up during the summer, but it’s not going anywhere. Even after school starts, the program runs for free year-round.
To become an official junior ranger, children complete three different levels, which have different activities. From learning about plants and animals to visiting a certain number of state parks, this is a way for kids to get outside and learn about the state they live in and how to keep it clean.
Parker and Silas’s mom Sarah told me she likes that the program is self-led. There’s no time limit, so children can take as long as they want to compete the three levels. And, you can do it anywhere.
"Here in the Midlands especially, all of the state parks are pretty close to us," she said. "You can go to the coast, you can go to the mountains, you can stay here in the Midlands. Anything!"
Jenson has been a ranger for 19 years. She says the junior rangers program is a highlight.
"I love interacting with kids. They’re my favorite people," she said. "So getting to explore nature with them and learn new things and learn how cool and amazing nature is is super rewarding and it’s really fun."
More information about the program is available at SouthCarolinaParks.com. For a program overview, you can visit SCJrRangers.com.