GREAT FALLS — The best way to learn about the world around you is to get outside and experience it, and the Junior Ranger Program put on by Giant Springs State Park is a great way for kids to learn about the ecosystem that surrounds them.
“Junior Ranger programs, like other programs we offer, are all about outdoor education,” said Kasey Linskey, a Recreation Ranger with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
The programs are offered over the summer to teach kids more about nature. This summer, the program planted a Junior Ranger Garden and taught kids about birds. On Sunday, the program went bug collecting.
“Today's topic is Stream Life,” Linskey said, “So this will allow participants to properly collect and sample macro invertebrates and study about amphibians and other reptiles that might live near the waterway.”
The program included classroom-style learning as well as hands-on practices. The kids learned how to identify wildlife in the streams by collecting them and recording their findings in a field journal.
“The more we know about wildlife and ecosystems, the better equipped we are to protect them,” Linskey said.
At the stream, the Junior Rangers were optimistic about what they could find, and they were pleasantly surprised with what they ended up catching, which included snails, snail spawn, larva, and leeches.
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Before they left for the day, the Junior Rangers solidified their positions with the Junior Ranger Promise.
“To be a Junior Ranger is to be a steward and advocate of the resource,” Linskey said, “Their participation is rewarded with a junior Ranger badge.”
Sunday’s event was the last in-person Junior Ranger event for the summer, but self-guided opportunities are still available. Junior Ranger booklets can be found at the Giant Springs Ranger Station.
You can keep up with Giant Springs State Park events here.
