“As a Junior Ranger, I promise to help protect Kenai Fjords National Park, my community, and the earth. I will learn different ways that people, plants, and animals live, and respect those differences. I will not litter, pick plants, or disturb wildlife in a National Park. I will explore other National Parks and have fun doing it!” These words were said today by future National Park Rangers Britta Seifert, Andrew Mickus, David Doud, Abby Genise, Dana Lowell, and Gabi Fratta. By repeating after Kenai Fjords National Park Ranger Suzie Pyle, these words ensured the future protection and preservation of Kenai Fjords National Park.
      Becoming a Junior Ranger is a complicated and time-consuming process. You must fill out and complete all of the tasks and questions, which are held within the official booklet. These tasks range from completing a crossword puzzle to interviewing a National Park Ranger, all of which lead up to the final task…being dubbed an official Junior Ranger by a ranger himself.
      It can’t take just anyone to do this. You’ve got to be born, not made. According to Gabi, one hardcore Junior Ranger, it takes, “heart, determination, hard work, and a love for nature.”
      These Junior Rangers are no first timers; they’ve got experience from paying their dues at Denali National Park. All six of these Junior Rangers completed their packet and got their badges, and even two lucky participants were dubbed Junior Rangers in front of a crowd. Each of these Junior Rangers plan to hit all 390 national parks in the United States.
      After their hard work paid off by the official awarding of their badges, all six Junior Rangers had a photo shoot with Suzie Pyle (the real ranger). Mrs. Pyle asked for their e-mail address to have a copy of the picture sent to her. Maybe we’ll see a picture of our six fine looking Junior Rangers on the front cover of a Kenai Fjords National Park booklet sometime soon.
      With all of these new rangers as well as rangers in training, these National Parks are in good hands. They will be taken care of, shown to so many individuals, and much more. Without these rangers, these parks would not exist; so many opportune moments for young individuals such as ourselves would be lost forever.

     At about 8:00 this morning some pretty hyper junior leaders awakened us. It had been a chilly night in Seward, so we weren’t too eager to have to face the icy morning air. Seward is known for cooler weather because it is very close to the water. After breakfast, everyone rushed to their vans to grab the warmest clothes they had. Adults and junior leaders had warned everyone about how cold it usually is on the boat tour of Resurrection Bay, which was where we were heading to that morning. One participant, Roger Graves, really prepared for cold weather. “I was wearing a t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and a fleece. Plus I had on my jeans underneath rain pants.” In the end the weather was a lot warmer than past years, even out in the middle of the water!
      The boat tour was a sightseeing adventure! The captain took us to Thumb Cove and Humpy Cove, which are both areas within Resurrection Bay. The tour itself was very informative and almost everyone could name a few things that they learned. Sam Daily was one of these people. “Lets see…after the boat tour I know the differences between regular birds and birds that dive. For example, diving birds have denser bones instead of hollow bones.” (Daily) Speaking of animals, we got to see many different kinds of animals on the tour. We got a close up view of puffins, sea lions, and even a couple of humpback whales! Besides the animals, the view was absolutely spectacular. The boat had an upper and lower deck, where many people found themselves taking pictures. After about five hours of riding on the boat, our tour came to an end. On our way out of the boat, the captain and other guides handed out free postcards and key chains that will always remind us of the boat tour.
      After the boat tour, everyone made their way back to the campground for a delicious meal of hot dogs and baked beans. There were plenty of hot dogs, so many got seconds or thirds! One participant, Laura Genise had a lot to eat that night. “Uhh…I think I had five hot dogs!” she remembered. After dinner was cleaned up, we were surprised to find out that we were going to downtown Seward to shop! We got about two hours to shop around the small, old part of Seward. “Seward is a great place to be because it’s not too touristy,” said Brandon Jordan. At about 9:30, we all met together in a small pavilion and did hug-time. After hug-time we all went back to the campground. The participants had to go to bed at that time, but the junior leaders, however, stayed up for a birthday party. It was Hannah Richardson’s 16th birthday. “It was probably one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. Thanks to everyone who made it happen.” said Hannah. Indeed, it was a great birthday party. There was cake, birthday hats, and root beer! Finally the party died down, and everyone went to bed.