Junior Rangers

We've been missing out on something fun! How can that be???

There's a little-known opportunity called the Junior Ranger program that just hasn't quite gotten off the ground at Glamis. Oh, there's money for it... written into the budget (every year, far as I know). But the BLM has been so busy fending off lawsuits from one direction or another that they haven't had the time or resources to stop and promote the good stuff! But they are most definitely open to suggestions and help.

Here's kinda what I've been told it could be... Saturdays on busy weekends, or at least once a month, kids from ? to ? would meet at the Ranger Station to learn some of the basic duning rules (courtesy, conservation, safety). And there's a group out there that teaches young riders the ropes too... I'd bet even experienced kids would like the shot at a safety cone slalom course

A little badge, punch and cookies, some easy lessons on how to protect their riding rights...

So what do you think? What would you like to see a Junior Ranger program do? What age groups? What would be the best schedule?

It really is our choice

This could be way cool! The only problem is that the kids won't think it's cool! Gotta get 'em in there young, before it becomes "uncool" to take a safety course!

Vor

I think the trick to that is to make it fun for them VOR. When Vicki mentioned this to me last year I suggested having them build solar ovens and teaching them how to make tasty treats to share in camp (Gotta put those kids to use!)

I'd love to see them offer basic riding instruction but I doubt the budget is big enough to get them some trainer quads

Maybe I'm just about to totally expose myself as a geek here (too late) but as a kid I used to love trips to the "Science Center" we had in town. It was basically a Ranger Station for the local municipal park system - but they did it right. Lots of interactive displays about the land and the animials that lived there - with many animals in cages making them available for petting and feeding.

Kids tend to love creepy crawlies - give them a few fishtanks with glod in the dark scorpions and other critters from the dunes and you could probably keep most of them interested for a good hour or so if the presenter was up to snuff.

Maybe take the kids on a short nature hike in the north dunes even.

I guess one of the big things that I still don't get is how the BLM can "not get it" so hard core about Rangers and how they can interact with the public. The station at the dunes seems like an afterthought more than anything and does NOT seem like an inviting place to visit. Back east all the forests had ranger stations and they were always very inviting friendly places with rangers who had no problems coming up with low cost plans for activities to keep visitors interested.

When I moved here I assumed things would be the same - but the Ranger stations I've visted out here leave you with the feeling that if you're not on official BLM business you should just stop wasting their time - "We've got signboards with outdated postings you can go read if you want some information, now leave us alone so we can get back to work." is the impression I've been given. This is NOT issolated to the dunes but is the norm at every BLM site I've visited, the dune rangers actually seem to be a little more intersted in the public than many BLM rangers and offices I've visited.

There's a Ranger Station at Glamis?



Vor

Yeah, well, there's enough of a ranger station there right now for the Junior Ranger program anyway

Jason, I remember that conversation... seems to me you had some pretty interesting ideas for what to put in that solar oven One thing's for sure... when it's time for that particular demonstration, you're our man.

That program I mentioned where they come out and teach young riders... the equipment is usually provided. At any rate, this Junior Ranger program has a budget that should be able to handle any equipment that's not provided by the instructor.

I think a hike in the north side is perfect. Give them a little sack lunch and call in one of the less fanatical environmentalists to teach them a thing or two about what scurries beneath the sand. I'd also like them to learn how long it takes for a plastic red cup to disappear in the sand, not to mention the OHV role and the importance of family recreation.

Keep the ideas coming!

When I looked into that program thaey would teach the kids about animals in the ISDRA, ecology, etc. they had day programs and i think a night program as well. I was told last year the person who did it quit (the BLM) and this year they told me that they haven't found a replacement. So as far as I kow they haven't done this program for 2 seasons.

From what I've been told it's been a tad longer than 2 seasons

This could be a really great program. We could even take it to the point where the kids earn different stuff for various accomplishments. Completing a task gets them a one-of-a-kind Glamis patch for instance

A mixture of conservation and recreation is easy to achieve... and there's no better place to start then Glamis.

Vicki