The CIA has nothing on the National Parks Service for well-kept secrets. Katy has done several of the NPS Junior Rangers programs and I found out quite by accident they have a special patch for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. To earn it the kids have to spend 10 hours in the parks doing any combination of educational programs, ranger-led programs, the Junior Ranger program, service or take action projects. You can spread out the hours or do them all in one (busy!) day. You can only get one, ever, so the hours don’t have to be all at one level of scouting. Then just tell a ranger what you did. Katy has had well over 10 hours so I sent off for her patch. Someone told me not all parks have them in stock so I thought I’d e-mail and see if it I could get it mailed to her. The patch and certificate came today. They both have the official Girl Scout logo on them, which means they got the blessing of National to use it and that’s no easy task!
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| Katy with her patch and certificate |
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| Certificate |
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| The patch on her sash to kind of show the size. |
Earned Junior Ranger Badge
Total: 1 hour
MLK Jr. National Historic site.
Ranger-led tour of birth home 30 minutes
Earned Junior Ranger badge
Total: 2.5 hours
Great Smoky Mountains
30 minute film on history of mountains
30 minute nature walk
30 minutes in museum at Sugarlands Visitor Center
Drove to top of mountain stopping at overlook where FDR gave his speech, several points of interest and visitors center at top of mountain. 1 hour
Drove Cades Cove Loop stopping at historic buildings and visiting visitors center (saw five bears!) 2 hours.
Earned Junior Ranger badge
Total: 4.5 (at least)
National Mall
Walked length of mall visiting Lincoln and Washington monuments (went up the elevator), WWII and Vietnam memorials, bricks honoring signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Earned Junior Ranger Badge.
(Most of the day!)
That's awesome! Contratulations to Katy!I love the certificate, it has a beautiful background.