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Most people don’t know the definition of the word, dendrochronology, but a group of area children learned it this month.
Dendrochronology was one of several topics explored during George Washington Carver National Monument’s Junior Ranger Program, which is taking place this summer. Other subject matters include fire protection, cultural resources, maintenance and repairs, stewardship, conservation, tree identification, lightning safety, the Carver museum, the Carver cemetery and how to give a guided tour.
Basically, said Diane Eilenstein, park ranger, the kids are learning everything park rangers do.
“They are learning about the job, careers in the National Park Service and what happens during the course of a day in a ranger’s job,” Eilenstein said. “Our idea behind the program is to give them a behind-the-scenes look….”
The free, three-week program runs in two sessions. The second session begins July 17. The program is only for kids of ages 10-12.
The kids spend four hours on each of the Saturdays with a park ranger.
Children in the ranger program get off the trails and go more in-depth than a regular visitor experience. That gives the kids enough knowledge to lead a guided tour in the final 30 minutes of the last Saturday class.
“I see that, obviously, the programs are valuable to them because they come back year after year,” Eilenstein said. “We kind of let the kids guide us on what they’d like to do next year.”
A few volunteers also come along to help the kids learn. This month, Eilenstein said there has been a professional storyteller who engaged the kids in first-person storytelling, as well as a birder who taught them how to correctly use binoculars and observe birds.
“They learn that all these things are part of our jobs,” she said. “We all do storytelling and birding…”
The program has been going on for a long time, since the late 1980s or early 1990s.
“It reminds me of how cool it is — to be a kid — to come here,” Eilenstein said. “It’s just a unique way to give a concentrated time to a small group of kids.”
Upon completion of the class, the children receive a commemorative T-shirt and junior ranger pennant. To enroll a child in the class, call the GWC National Monument staff at 417-325-4151.
Most people don’t know the definition of the word, dendrochronology, but a group of area children learned it this month.
Dendrochronology was one of several topics explored during George Washington Carver National Monument’s Junior Ranger Program, which is taking place this summer. Other subject matters include fire protection, cultural resources, maintenance and repairs, stewardship, conservation, tree identification, lightning safety, the Carver museum, the Carver cemetery and how to give a guided tour.
Basically, said Diane Eilenstein, park ranger, the kids are learning everything park rangers do.
“They are learning about the job, careers in the National Park Service and what happens during the course of a day in a ranger’s job,” Eilenstein said. “Our idea behind the program is to give them a behind-the-scenes look….”
The free, three-week program runs in two sessions. The second session begins July 17. The program is only for kids of ages 10-12.
The kids spend four hours on each of the Saturdays with a park ranger.
Children in the ranger program get off the trails and go more in-depth than a regular visitor experience. That gives the kids enough knowledge to lead a guided tour in the final 30 minutes of the last Saturday class.
“I see that, obviously, the programs are valuable to them because they come back year after year,” Eilenstein said. “We kind of let the kids guide us on what they’d like to do next year.”
A few volunteers also come along to help the kids learn. This month, Eilenstein said there has been a professional storyteller who engaged the kids in first-person storytelling, as well as a birder who taught them how to correctly use binoculars and observe birds.
“They learn that all these things are part of our jobs,” she said. “We all do storytelling and birding…”
The program has been going on for a long time, since the late 1980s or early 1990s.
“It reminds me of how cool it is — to be a kid — to come here,” Eilenstein said. “It’s just a unique way to give a concentrated time to a small group of kids.”
Upon completion of the class, the children receive a commemorative T-shirt and junior ranger pennant. To enroll a child in the class, call the GWC National Monument staff at 417-325-4151.
