Junior Ranger Program
Become a Junior Ranger!
There are several ways to become a Santa Clara County Parks Junior Ranger. Park staff offer activities online and in the parks throughout the year. Click on the tabs below to learn more about the different Junior Ranger opportunities.
VIRTUAL JUNIOR RANGERS
Registration for Summer 2024 Virtual Junior Rangers is now open!
Register here
All Santa Clara County youth ages seven to twelve are invited to join park staff after school via Zoom for Virtual Junior Rangers. A series of eight 40-minute Junior Ranger sessions takes place on weekdays.
Participants can join individually from their own homes or as a group through after-school programs and clubs. All that’s needed is access to a screen and reliable internet connection. All sessions take place in real time with special guest speakers dispatching from a different park location each session. The virtual programs are highly interactive with plenty of opportunities for Q & A with park rangers.
For group leaders interested in signing up multiple youth, please reach out directly to [email protected] for more information.
Participants who complete three or more sessions will earn the Junior Ranger badge and are invited to gather together in person for a fun Junior Ranger Family Day celebration. The event features a variety of hands-on activities, and a chance to meet many of the park staff they saw on Zoom. The event concludes with a special ceremony in which Junior Rangers will receive their badges and certificates.
Junior Rangers unable to attend the in-person Family Day event will receive their badges in the mail.
For more information, email [email protected].
Session Info |
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Session 1: August 20, 3-3:40 pm Discover how striped skunks can provide a valuable ecosystem service such as insect and rodent control while playing an important role in the food chain. |
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Session 2: August 20, 4-4:40 pm Step into the world of the gray fox and discover how monitoring their behavior will help create wildlife corridors so that they can continue to live and thrive in today’s changing environment. |
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Session 3: August 22, 3-3:40 pm Banana Slugs are Nature’s Giant Recyclers and the unsung champion of redwood forests. |
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Session 4: August 22, 4-4:40 pm Uncover how the Tarantula Hawk Wasp can be a fierce tarantula-battling warrior and can deliver a smackdown punch! |
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Session 5: August 27, 3-3:40 pm Come meet the badger: short, stocky and lives quietly alone until threatened or provoked thus giving them the poor reputation of being a grump! |
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Session 6: August 27, 4-4:40 pm Discover how ladybug markings tell predators to bug off! |
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Session 7: August 29, 3-3:40 pm Believe it or not, the horned lizard has a bag of clever tricks that allow it to escape predators with a splat! |
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Session 8: August 29, 4-4:40 pm Explore how sounds like barks, growls, yips and howls from coyotes can relay important messages to their pack. |
IN-PARKS JUNIOR RANGER ACTIVITES AND LOG BOOK
Youth ages 7-12 are invited to explore the parks with their families in a self-paced series of activities by exploring 3 or more park locations on their own time and sharing what they’ve learned in a Junior Ranger Log Book that can be printed at home.
To earn the Junior Ranger badge, participants must attend at least 1 staff-guided interpretive program in a park, and the other 2 activities can be self-guided hikes or a digital mission in a park through the Agents of Discovery app.
- For a complete list of upcoming interpretive programs, visit our events page.
- For more information on Agents of Discovery, click here.
- Following completion of 3 different park adventures, Junior Rangers can send a picture of their completed logbook to [email protected], and park staff will follow up to send out a badge and certificate.
JUNIOR OHV RANGER PROGRAM AT METCALF MOTORCYCLE PARK
Registration for the Fall 2024 Junior OHV Ranger Program will open in a few months. Check this page for updates.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants must complete a registration form and liability waiver before participating in the five-session program.
Is your child curious about nature? Do they have a motorcycle and want to learn how to ride safely while also keeping our parks healthy? Then the Junior OHV Ranger program is for them!
In our free Junior Ranger OHV program at Metcalf Motorcycle Park, certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) coaches will teach basic riding skills and discuss safety equipment, rider etiquette and trail conservation.
Participants must be ages 9-12 and own a motorcycle.
Upon completion of the five free sessions, each Junior OHV Ranger will receive a badge, jersey, and certificate.
Required gear for all sessions (except for first session):
1. DOT-Approved Helmet
2. Eye Protection
3. Gloves
4. Over the Ankle Boots
5. Long-Sleeved Shirt and Long Pants
6. ***All bikes need to be in working order and have fuel***
All Junior Ranger activities are free, but parking fees may apply. To ensure safety, a parent or guardian must participate with anyone under 18 years old.
What are people saying about this program?
“In the junior ranger program, I felt like I was with everyone else, and not alone. I was happy being with new friends and with nature. My life changed through the course of the program. It made me feel like I was more involved. When I wasn’t doing anything I felt lazy, tired and bored. And now I feel energetic and amazing. The program helped me so much.” – 2017 Junior Ranger
“I wanted you to know what a life changing experience Jr Rangers has been for my son and how he is carrying those experiences forward with him. Ranger Mike and the Jr Ranger program has made such a positive impact in my son’s and our family’s life, enriching it beyond expectations.” – 2017 Junior Ranger Parent