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April 22 is Earth Day, and your children will likely come
home from school talking about recycling and fuel conservation. But it is difficult to instill a lasting sense of responsibility
to our planet when kids spend the bulk of their days inside playing
Wii or on the computer. How can you care about Mother
Nature when you never encounter her? |
The Georgia State Parks Service has come up with a great way to lure your kids out of doors and introduce them to the natural beauty and resources that inspired Earth Day: the Junior Ranger program.
Children ages 6-12 commune with nature, explore history and enjoy outdoor recreation while earning Junior Ranger badges. Some of the activities can be done in your own back yard and others involve getting out on nearby hiking or biking trails.
For more information about the Junior Ranger program, click here. Even if you don’t formally join the program, spend
Earth Day introducing your Wii one to the great outdoors. Here are a
few items from the Junior Ranger list to get you started.
1.
Hike
near
Home
Explore
Flat
Rock
Park,
observe the
Chattahoochee
from
the
Riverwalk
or
traverse
a
path
at
Callaway
Gardens.
2.
Enjoy
a
Sunrise
or
Sunset
Find
a
spot
as
free
as
possible
from
light
pollution.
Take
in
the
sights
and
sounds
as
the
diurnal
and
nocturnal
critters
change
shifts.
3.
Keep
an
Outdoor
Journal
Help
your
child
write
and
sketch
about
your
outdoor
adventures.
Visit
the
library
to
see
famous
naturalists’
work
like
William
Bartram
and
John
Muir.
4.
Set
up
a
Campsite
Teach
your
child
to
put
up
a
tent.
Camp
out
for
a
night
and
talk
about
what
you
might
need
to
survive
in
the
woods.
This
can
be
done
in
your
own
backyard,
but
would
be
much
more
fun
at
a
local
campground!
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