Families are invited to participate in a new free program beginning September 2, 2006 at Kingsley Plantation and Ribault Club. A Timucuan Trail State and National Parks Junior Ranger badge can be earned when children visit the two park sites and complete an activity booklet.
To launch the program, State and National Park Rangers will be available to work with children to become Junior Rangers on September 2, 2006 between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Kingsley Plantation and Ribault Club. To earn a badge, children must complete activities at both sites. This program is free and available to children and families on a daily basis beginning September 2.
Junior Ranger programs are available free of charge at National Parks across the country. Superintendent Barbara Goodman remarked that, “The goal of the Timucuan Trail State and National Parks Junior Ranger program is to introduce young audiences to the park system and to foster enjoyment and future stewardship of parks through activities that are age-appropriate, fun, and memorable to children between the ages of 4 and 12 years.”
This goal is accomplished as children work through the activity booklets, interact with staff and volunteers, explore the sites, and participate in hands-on activities. Rewarded for their efforts, all children receive certificates, badges and their completed booklets.
The National Park Service, the Florida Park Service, and the City of Jacksonville joined together in 1999 to form a partnership now known as the Timucuan Trail State and National Parks. The agreement allows the parks to work together on projects such as this new Junior Ranger program. Lands jointly managed by the partnership encompass a magnificent and dynamic coastline salt marsh/estuarine system covering about 84,000 relatively unimpaired acres within Jacksonville’s city limits.
Historic Kingsley Plantation is located within the Timucuan Preserve on Fort George Island near the mouth of the St. Johns River. Ribault Club is managed by the Talbot Island State Parks. Located off Heckscher Drive/A1A, 1/2 mile north of the St. Johns River ferry landing, Kingsley Plantation and Ribault Club are open to the public free of charge.
Kingsley Plantation (904.251.3537) is open seven days a week from 9:00 to 5:00. Ribault Club (904.251.2320/2802) is open Wednesday-Sunday, 9:00 to 5:00. For more information, call or visit our websites at http://www.nps.gov/timu and http://www.floridastateparks.org/RibaultClub/default.cfm on the Internet.
