MNRR Ranger In Your Classroom

Teachers,

• Did you know there is a National Park right in your backyard?
• Did you know that this National Park, the Missouri National Recreational River, preserves nearly 100 miles of relatively natural, free flowing river?
• Did you know that the past, present and future of Yankton is intertwined with this incredible natural resource?

The Educational Ranger staff here at Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) would like to have one of our Park Rangers visit your classroom to talk about what the river means to this community, the state of South Dakota and our nation. This past summer you witnessed record breaking floods that changed the way our community and the nation saw North America's longest river. Perhaps your students have questions about what they have seen and heard. The power of the Missouri is the power of natural forces to reshape our world every day. The river not only reshaped the landscape in 2011, it also rehaped the lives of the citizens who live along its banks.

Our rangers have backgrounds in education, and they have experience with preparing programs that meet South Dakota state curriculum standards. We feel that it is crucial for your students to learn the importance of protecting and preserving the Missouri River.

Our first program will introduce your students to the Missouri National Recreational River while answering the following questions:
Where is the Missouri National Recreational River?

• Why was a stretch of the Missouri along the South Dakota-Nebraska border designated Wild and Scenic River?
• What is the Missouri National Recreational River's role in this region?
• What does this mean for your students and their families?
• Most importantly: How did the Flood of 2011 change the river
• How does this flood compare historically to other floods?
• Finally, how will the future of the river influence the lives of a generation from this region?

The answers to these questions are complex and our rangers will help your students better understand how the river works and its place in the natural world. Our goal is build awareness among your students of the Missouri National Recreational River and why it is an important part of their future. We hope you will take this opportunity to invite us into your classroom. We feel that you will not be disappointed.

If you are interested in having a ranger come to your classroom, please contact: Chris Wilkinson Chief of Interpretation Missouri National Recreational River 605-665-0209 ext. 29