Junior Ranger program reforges a link between children, wilderness

On April 26 the National Park System will celebrate National Junior Ranger Day as part of an ongoing effort to connect children to nature. This day provides an excellent opportunity for families to bring their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and other national parks.

In his 2005 book "Last Child in the Woods," Richard Louv struck a chord heard throughout this country that our children may be suffering from what he calls "Nature Deficit Disorder." Although we generally recognize that children are increasingly being raised in urban settings without meaningful contact with the natural world, this book provides a full analysis on many of the effects that result from children being disconnected from nature and provides strong support for the need to reconnect children to our natural world.

Largely as a result of this book, there is a movement to reconnect children to nature, ranging from "Leave No Child Inside," to the first lady talking about the junior ranger program "connecting children to America," to Gov. Schwarzenegger touting his "California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights" and the Department of Interior's "Children in Nature Program."

Sally Jewel, president and CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc., last year spoke at the opening of its Fresno store and proclaimed that REI's competition is not Herb Bauer, Big 5 or any other sporting goods store, but instead their collective competition is a screen -- whether it is a computer, television or MP3 player.

In Yosemite, children of all ages will have opportunities to participate in a myriad of activities, including walks in the Yosemite Valley, volunteer restoration projects that will improve the park, and opportunities to learn about bears and their special role in the park.

For children younger than 7, there will be Wee Wild and storytelling programs. The programs will begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Happy Isles Nature Center in the Yosemite Valley.

The junior ranger program in Yosemite is a partnership between the National Park Service and the nonprofit Yosemite Association, which works to create enduring connections between people and Yosemite National Park.

Many efforts are under way to build a stronger junior ranger program and to help connect children to nature in a meaningful way. The Happy Isles Nature Center, the beautiful center off the Merced River below Nevada and Vernal falls, will be used as the junior ranger center.

This year, as a result of the federal Centennial Initiative, there will be additional rangers in Yosemite, including rangers dedicated to offering more junior ranger programs.

Additionally, the Yosemite Association, working with the Yosemite Fund, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the National Park Foundation, is producing two junior ranger handbooks that will be available later this year in Spanish versions to help expose Yosemite to a broader, more diverse audience. The program also is being expanded to include programs in Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona and Mariposa Grove, and will explore topics on wilderness, geology, and art.

California and the West are blessed with a diverse and incredible landscape, including our crown jewels, the national parks. National Junior Ranger Day provides an excellent opportunity to help connect children to Yosemite or one of the other national parks.

Guy is chief executive officer of the Yosemite Association.