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                           Cumberland Island
                         National Park Service
                    U.S. Department of the Interior
                  Cumberland Island National Seashore




                         Junior Ranger Program
                      activity guide for ages 5-7


                      _“Explore, Learn, Protect!”_




            Welcome to Cumberland Island National Seashore!


                                {Junior}

I’m Junior, the exploring Gopher Tortoise, here to go with you on your
adventure today! I’m calling all kids ages 5-7 ready for exploration and
adventure! We’re going to learn about Cumberland Island and its animals,
plants, and people! Sound like fun? Well of course it is! As a Junior
Ranger, you also have the special mission to help protect this park and
set good examples for other visitors.


To become a Junior Ranger:


—Complete at least 5 activities in this booklet with the help of family
  or friends

—Attend one interpretive program and get a ranger to sign below to
  substitute for one activity

—Bring your booklet to the Sea Camp visitor center at the Sea Camp dock,
  or the mainland visitor center. A Ranger will check your answers and
  award you a Junior Ranger badge!


Cumberland Island National Seashore is just one of many national parks
across the U.S.! Where is your home and how far did you travel to get
here? ______________________________




                       Be Aware and be Prepared!


When exploring, Junior Rangers should be ready to face the day! Get
started by drawing yourself under the Junior Ranger hat. Make sure you
are wearing the right clothes for the weather today! There is also a
list of things you might want to take with you as you explore today. See
if you can find them in the word find below.

    [Illustration: JUNIOR RANGER]


What is the Weather today?

______________________________


Packing List

  1. [_]water
  2. [_]sunshades
  3. [_]bugspray
  4. [_]map
  5. [_]raincoat
  6. [_]hat
  7. [_]snack
  8. [_]firstaid
  9. [_]sunscreen

                     M  S  U  N  S  C  R  E  E  N
                     B  U  G  S  P  R  A  Y  V  E
                     F  O  H  O  N  W  I  I  F  W
                     L  M  A  B  E  A  N  L  I  J
                     W  A  T  E  R  R  C  H  W  U
                     U  P  V  T  C  T  O  K  A  M
                     N  S  U  N  S  H  A  D  E  S
                     T  O  F  I  R  S  T  A  I  D




                             Habitat Match


Habitats are places where animals live. They provide what animals need
to survive: food, water, and shelter. Today you will find many habitats,
each with their own unique animals. Circle the ones that call the forest
their home, and put an X through the ones that don’t belong here!

    [Illustration: Forest habitat]

    [Illustration: Dolphin
    [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]

    [Illustration: Pileated Woodpecker
    [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]

    [Illustration: Armadillo
    [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]

    [Illustration: Seastar
    [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]

    [Illustration: Green Treefrog
    [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]

{Junior says:}

Be sure to circle me if the forest is my home!

    [Illustration: [_]Belongs    [_]Does not belong]




                                Eye Spy


People have lived on Cumberland for centuries and were able to get what
they needed to survive from the island’s resources. Let’s play Eye Spy
and see if you can discover some things that were used in the past!

     {Illustration}     I spy a cistern that collected WATER for the
           A.           Carnegies.
                        __
     {Illustration}     I spy wildlife that was hunted for FOOD.
           B.           __
     {Illustration}     I spy Spanish Moss that was used by the Timucuans
           C.           to make CLOTHING.
                        __
     {Illustration}     I spy a wall with oyster shells. The shells were
           D.           fired with sand and water to make tabby providing
                        SHELTER.
                        __

These are just a few examples. Other resources provided medicine,
building materials, and a way to make money. Keep your eyes open for
things you could use if you had to live here!




                           Marvelous Marshes


Millions of plants and animals thrive in the marsh. Most creatures are
just visitors looking for shelter or food in the grass or by the water’s
edge. Take a stroll on the boardwalk looking for signs of life in the
marsh. Circle the ones that you find!

    [Illustration: [_]Dolphin]

    [Illustration: [_]Great Blue Heron]

    [Illustration: [_]Periwinkle Snail]

    [Illustration: [_]Sea Pickle]

    [Illustration: [_]Ribbed Mussel]

    [Illustration: [_]Blue Crab]

Manatees can also be seen in the marsh. Did you know that manatees can
hold their breath for up to 20 minutes! How long can you hold yours? __

{Junior says:}

Can you match these riddles with some of the animals above? There is
space at the bottom for you to write your own riddle for an animal or
plant you see!

  • I am a marine mammal
  • I have flippers instead of legs
  • I like eating fish

  I AM THE ______________________________

  • I am a salt loving plant
  • I am short and skinny
  • I was once used for my salt to make glass

  I AM THE ______________________________

  • I am a wading bird
  • My long legs allow me to walk through shallow water
  • My long bill helps me to spear fish

  I AM THE ______________________________

  • ______________________________
  • ______________________________
  • ______________________________

  I AM THE ______________________________




                             Forest Frolic


Let’s explore the maritime forest! Leaves come in many shapes and sizes.
Pick up a few from the forest floor and make a rubbing of them in the
space below. Remember Junior Rangers, protect Cumberland Island
plants—don’t pick any leaves or flowers off the trees!

{Junior says:}

Instructions:

  1. Put your leaves under this page vein side up
  2. On top of the paper, lightly rub with the side of your pencil
  3. Watch like magic as the leaves appear!







  Did you know the oldest oak trees on the island are over 400 years
              old!
  How old are you? ______________________________




                           Take a Penny Hike!


Raccoons, bobcats, deer, and birds all live here, but many creatures of
the forest are small and may go unnoticed because of their size. See
what you can find in an area the size of a penny or smaller and record
your findings below!







—Dung beetles roll poop on the forest floor! It’s a dirty job, but
  somebody’s got to do it!

—Fungi like mushrooms break down dead things, making food for things
  still alive!

—A cocoon is a sign of a life soon to emerge. Butterflies spread pollen
  to help the flowers grow!




                          Shifting Sand Dunes


The sand dunes are important to barrier islands. They are the natural
protection for the island from the wind, waves, and water of the ocean.
They are important for nesting endangered shorebirds. Connect the dots
below to discover another animal that needs dunes to nest!

    [Illustration: Draw the dots]

Hint: I am a female reptile that comes ashore May through August. I lay
almost 120 eggs in each nest, but only 1 in 1000 of the hatchlings will
survive to adulthood.

Who am I? ______________________________




                             Dune Highways


The sandy path leading through the dunes is a great place to spot animal
tracks. These footprints can tell a story of which animals have been
through an area, where they came from, and where they were going! Match
the animal tracks below to the animal that made it!

    [Illustration: A.]

    [Illustration: B.]

    [Illustration: C.]

    [Illustration: D.]

    [Illustration: __ Raccoon]

    [Illustration: __ Cricket]

    [Illustration: __ Turkey]

    [Illustration: __ Deer]

{Junior says:}

Attention Junior Rangers: we use the paths and stay off the dunes so we
can protect the island and its animals!




                        Beach Exploration Bingo!


For many people, the beach is the most popular spot on the island! Take
a walk on the beach and see what you can find. See how many different
items you can cross off below, and then draw your favorite find in the
box provided!

  Something Alive   Something Rough   Listen to a Bird     Driftwood
        [_]               [_]               [_]               [_]
   Find an Animal    Something Wet     Pick up Trash     Something Soft
       Burrow             [_]               [_]               [_]
        [_]
   Something Hard   Watch Wind Move            MY FAVORITE FIND
        [_]             the Sand                     [_]
                          [_]
   Something Dead      Something
        [_]             Squishy
                          [_]




                             Shell Match-up


Often you will find broken pieces of sea shells as you comb the beach.
Use your observational skills, Junior Ranger, and draw a line from each
piece to the shell it came from.

              {Shell fragment}                {Shell}
                     __                   A. Sand Dollar
              {Shell fragment}                {Shell}
                     __                  B. Knobbed Whelk
              {Shell fragment}                {Shell}
                     __                    C. Moon Snail
              {Shell fragment}                {Shell}
                     __                    D. Ark Shell

{Junior says:}

Seashells are made by animals. Remember to check your shells and leave
live animals at their beach home, Junior Rangers!




                             Poetry Perfect


{Junior says:}

A poem is a way to use words to express a place or a feeling. Poems can
be easy and fun to write! Look at the examples below and then follow the
directions to write your own poem about Cumberland Island!

  _trees in the forest_
  _I smell flowers_
  _whish whish whish_
  _the wind blows through the trees_
  _white shells on the beach_
  _salty stinky_
  _crackle under my feet_
  _the sun is warm_

  1. What do you SEE:
  2. What do you SMELL:
  3. What can you HEAR:
  4. How does it FEEL:

  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________
  ______________________________




                    Learn Today to Protect Tomorrow!


    [Illustration: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE]

This is the symbol of the National Park Service. It shows what the Park
Service strives to protect and preserve: animals, plants, landscapes,
water, and America’s stories, sites, and objects.

{Junior says:}

As a Junior Ranger, you help the park fulfill its mission. Use the empty
symbol to draw something you saw or experienced today that you think is
worth protecting so others can enjoy it too!

    [Illustration: National Park Service logo outline]

    [Illustration: Certificate of Stewardship]




                      _Certificate of Stewardship_

                       _This is to Certify that_

I, ______________________________, promise to be a representative of
stewardship wherever I go. This is my pledge of how I will continue my
duties as a Junior Ranger after I leave this park:




                     ______________________________
                     ______________________________
                     ______________________________
                     ______________________________

By successfully completing all my activities, I am hereby designated a
                             JUNIOR RANGER
           In good standing with the National Park Service at
                  Cumberland Island National Seashore

                     ______________________________
                            Park Naturalist
                     ______________________________
                                  Date




                          Transcriber’s Notes


—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
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—Changed some input instructions to better fit radiobutton or checkbox
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