7LA’s Junior Ranger Program: Learning and Fun for All
I became a park ranger in the summer of 1980 at Crescent Beach State Park in Maine. It was a fine job, mostly mowing lawns, hauling trash, and helping with crowd control. Worthy work, no doubt, but looking back, I wasn’t learning a whole lot about the natural world I was being paid to protect.
Decades later, I was “demoted” when I became a junior ranger at Kenai Fjord National Park in Alaska in 2017. And I must tell you, being a junior ranger was a lot more fun.
My first badge came the hard way, or rather, the spectacular way during a six-hour, 105-mile, ranger-guided cruise aboard the Spirit of Adventure out of Seward, Alaska. Alongside a group of all ages, I raised my right hand and pledged to protect parks, communities, and the Earth. I learned about glaciers, wildlife, geology, history and conservation. Most importantly, I rediscovered the joy of learning about the natural world (or something else in your words).
My second badge was earned several years later on the Schoodic Peninsula at Acadia National Park. Once again, I completed activities, answered questions, made observations, and explored the natural world with a Junior Ranger Activity book. (Did you do this one with your sister?) By the time I earned my badge, I realized that I learned more about nature in the fun, educational, and interactive junior ranger programs than I ever had as a young park ranger.
That experience planted a seed. What if I help to create a Junior Ranger Program right here in the Belgrade Lakes region?
While our area is blessed with extraordinary lakes, forests, wetlands and wildlife, we don’t have a state or national park offering a Junior Ranger experience. 7 Lakes Alliance embraced the chance to change that.
Over the winter, I worked with a team of four professional conservationists at 7 Lakes, who enthusiastically joined me in tapping into the children within us. We had fun planning and officially creating the 7 Lakes Alliance Junior Ranger Program. Along the way, we discovered something important: Adults and kids alike will have fun discovering new ways to observe, think about, and enjoy nature.
Designed primarily for ages 4 to 12, the program encourages young explorers to observe, journal, sketch, identify plants and animals, solve puzzles, answer questions, and think critically about the natural world around them. For older children, the activities become a bit more challenging, encouraging deeper exploration and understanding. Most importantly, the program inspires curiosity, stewardship, and the lifelong connection to nature.
Participants who complete their activities will earn an official 7 Lakes Alliance Junior Ranger badge as a symbol of their commitment to learning about and caring for the lakes and lands of the Belgrade Lakes watershed. Whether you’re a local family, a summer visitor, a parent or grandparent looking for an adventure with children, this program offers a fun new way to experience the nature world in our remarkable region.
As the circus ringmaster would say, “Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages,” come to 7 Lakes Alliance in Belgrade Lakes, Maine to get your activity book and start your outdoor adventure.
As for me, former Park Ranger Woody has continued his educational journey of the world around us by enrolling in the Maine Master Naturalist Program — a sort of Junior Ranger program on steroids for adults who never outgrew their curiosity about the natural world.
Download Full Newspaper: High Res | Low Res (Details…)
<— Previous Article • Summaries • Next Article —>
©2026 by Summertime in the Belgrades. All rights reserved.