Junior Ranger Program

Fire Island National Seashore has a vibrant and growing Junior Ranger program, with booklets to complete on your own, or ranger-guided programs to help you learn more.

Pick up a copy of Fire Island National Seashore's basic 16-page Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at any of the park visitor centers. This colorful booklet includes a visitor center treasure hunt, and is designed to be completed on site.

You may also download a copy of the old 24-page Junior Ranger Activity Booklet to work on before your arrival.

Both booklets are available to help young people and their families learn more about the National Park Service and Fire Island National Seashore.

One requirement of the on-line version of the Junior Ranger Activity Booklet Learning All About Fire Island National Seashore is to attend a guided program or watch the park's orientation video at a visitor center. There are 12 additional activities in the Junior Ranger Activity Booklet. You may find the answers to help complete the booklet by studying brochures available at the park, or by searching the park's web site.

Fire Island National Seashore offers a balance of recreational and educational programs for individuals, families, and groups. Most programs are free, but program fees are charged by some of the park's partners or for special events.

During the summer, Fire Island National Seashore also conducts a weekly 1½-hour Junior Ranger: Path to Discovery program. The activities are held at Sailors Haven, Watch Hill, and at the Wilderness Visitor Center. Each week, a different topic is covered. The ranger and volunteers conducting the programs also helped participants complete their booklets.

The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society offers a six-week Junior Lighthouse Keeper Program on either Tuesday (for middle school children) or Wednesday (for 7- to 10-year-olds) from mid-July until late August. There is a program fee and pre-registration is required (631-661-4876).

New for 2009: A Floyd Estate Junior Ranger Program, on three consecutive Fridays in July and August. Programs are free, but registration is required (631-399-2030).

Watch Hill and Sailors Haven are open from mid-May to mid-October. Hours vary by season. Both are accessible by ferry or private boat. The Wilderness Visitor Center is open weekends during the spring, then Wednesday through Sunday from late June through December 31. The William Floyd Estate is open Friday through Sunday, Memorial Day weekend through October. The Fire Island Lighthouse is open year-round.

Logistics on Fire Island can be quite complicated, so be sure to review ferry schedules in advance. Ferries run regularly to the island in the summer months but are limited in the off-season. A water taxi provides service between island communities and park locations. See "Directions" for park access information.

A  new addition to the Fire Island National Seashore suite of Junior Ranger activity booklets is "Bernie the Boater." Complete this fun and colorful workbook about boating safety and protecting marine resources. Then bring your booklet to one of the park's visitor centers to claim your vibrant pin!

 

Mark Your Calendar! Special National Junior Ranger Day activities are planned for Saturday, April 24, 2010.

Park rangers and volunteers conducted a Junior Ranger Workshop at the Fire Island Lighthouse on April 25, 2009, and almost 500 participants earn their 2009 National Junior Ranger Day patch and other Fire Island National Seashore Junior Ranger patches and badges. 

Fire Island National Seashore unveiled its new Advanced Junior Ranger activity booklet during the Fire Island Lighthouse 150th Anniversary Celebration. A draft Fire Island Lighthouse Junior Ranger workbook was also tested during the program in November. 

Fire Island National Seashore Summer Interpretive Programs
Fire Island Lighthouse Programs		2009 Sailors Haven Programs
2009 Watch Hill Programs		2009 Wilderness Programs
2009 William Floyd Estate Programs		Fire Island Trek
National Park Week Programs: April 18-26, 2009               Read More about 2009 activities!		Special Events

National Park Service/Boy Scouts of America
Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger Program

The Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger program engages Scouts in educational programs and volunteer service projects in national park sites to:

• Gain a better understanding of the National Park Service mission and conserving the nation’s natural, cultural and historic resources.
• Explore the national parks.
• Practice good citizenship and kindness.

Learn More!

Resource Stewardship Girl Scout Ranger Program

Girl Scouts can earn a certificate and/or patch to recognize their leadership development and resource stewardship activities by participating in a new National Park Service program.

Learn More!

A National Park Service partner—the National Park Foundation—has provided support for Junior Ranger programs around the country.

During National Park Week 2008, the National Park Foundation also unveiled a new Kid Power Eco-Activity Book. Learn more at the NPF web site:  

www.nationalparks.org/get-involved/national-park-week/

RangerZONE: Be a Junior Ranger!

Junior Ranger Gazette - This journal includes fun facts, activities, and stories about the national parks across the country.

• Check out page 9!