The next generation of outdoor enthusiasts flocked to Alley Spring on May 3 to learn about the Ozark wilderness, meet raptors and owls, and be sworn in as Junior Rangers.
Junior Ranger Day is a yearly tradition at national parks across the nation, said Josh Chilton, Jacks Fork district interpreter and Junior Ranger Day organizer.
“We’ve had a bit of a lapse with COVID, so this is the first time we’ve done it in a few years,” he noted.
“Where you are is one of the most sacred areas in terms of biodiversity,” he told attendees. Many were third- to sixth-grade students from across the region, but the event was open to all ages.
The National Parks Service and Ozark National Scenic Riverways hosted booths for everything from wilderness law enforcement to archaeology. Other organizations covered topics like ecology, hiking and water safety.
At the Jacks Fork/Current River Missouri Stream Team, Carl Romesburg explained how water quality affects aquatic invertebrates. The group gives presentations in schools and adopts sections of river to care for, explained volunteer Carol Childress.
“My husband and I go down the river every two weeks, and we will pick up every time we go out,” she said.
Team president Mary Fickert also explained why vehicles need to be kept out of stream beds: the tires crush invertebrates and larvae buried in the mud, which also impacts fish populations.
“Those things feed the fish and the fish feed us,” Fickert said.
Chilton said part of Junior Ranger Day’s purpose is to open kids’ eyes to things they may not learn in science class, like the Ozark’s unique karst geology or the endangered hellbender salamander.
“Students, it broadens their horizons beyond the set curriculum,” said Chilton, and “exposes them to topics in their backyard they may not be aware of.”
He also knows several former junior rangers who went on to become NPS park rangers.
“We hope to elicit a passion in today’s youth for the outdoors, and in particular their backyard outdoors,” Chilton said.
After their curiosity was piqued, students learned how to stay safe while enjoying nature. Members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Ozark National Scenic Riverways led students through basic water rescues, river hazards and the vital importance of life jackets at the River Safety booth.
Retired Round Spring District Interpretive Ranger Dave Tobey explained one to three people die every year on the Current and Jacks Fork rivers. However, he said, “We’ve never pulled a body out of the river that had a life jacket on.”
Unfortunately, USCG Auxiliary volunteer Todd Wilkinson said boaters and floaters rarely wear them.
You’d be lucky if it was 10-15%,” he noted. He hoped the students present would take the safety lessons to heart and pass them along to their families. That way, everyone would stay safe while enjoying the rivers.
The highlight of Junior Ranger Day was a live raptor and owl show from the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis. Naturalist Taryn Leach and volunteer Barb Slepecke introduced students to Solo the peregrine falcon, Noodle the Harris’s hawk, Cecil the great horned owl and Riley the barn owl.
These animal ambassadors have many backgrounds, Leach explained. Some are brought injured to the sanctuary and rehabilitated but deemed unreleasable. Others are born under human care to be ambassadors for their species. Learning about birds of prey immediately inspires people to care about them, she explained.
“Our educational programs teach why birds are important and why they (kids) should care,” Leach said. “And how they can help out.”
All four were met with delight from kids — especially Noodle, who gave a flight demonstration.
“There’s always this overwhelming enthusiasm that charges us and brings our energy up too,” Leach noted.
The demonstration resonated with a class of fifth graders from Mountain View Elementary.
“Birds are a majestic species, and they have to be protected,” said student Odin Scott, who is now considering a career as a park ranger.
His friend Jackson Nugent was fascinated by the different abilities of birds of prey.
“The great horned owl is an apex predator, and eats screech owls,” he recalled.
The class also gained a new appreciation for the Ozarks.
“It’s very important to protect our environment, and we don’t have many things like this around the world,” said Zach McNewt.
At high noon, every student in attendance was sworn in as a junior ranger, taking an oath to explore, learn and protect. Mountain View student Drystan Hamilton summed up what this commitment meant to him.
“Being a junior ranger means if nature’s going to be part of your life all your life, just do your best to help it,” he said.
Alley Spring is located west of Eminence on Route 160. More information about the park, campground and upcoming events can be found at nps.gov.
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