Last updated: March 25, 2021
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Mystery of the Broken Branch Stop 13: The Trail's End and the Pledge
Follow the Trail
Follow the trail with Ranger Sarah and a group kids as they search the Tidal Basin for clues about the cherry trees. You can follow along this mystery adventure from home or when visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC.
The image is a map for a kids activity called "Junior Ranger Story: The Mystery of the Broken Branch". Each activity directs participants to a place on the map. The map centered around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The trail has blue dots numbered clockwise around the Tidal Basin marked with numbers 1 through 12 and named for the title of the individual activity at that location.
The map legend says "Story Trail Guide". Stops marked on the map include:
Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
The map legend says "Story Trail Guide". Stops marked on the map include:
Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 13: The Trail's End and the Pledge
Congratulations! You've gone full circle around the Tidal Basin. Read the conclusion of the story as the crew become official Junior Rangers! Remember to head back to the beginning to earn your own virtual Bloomin' Junior Ranger badge!
NPS Photo
“You’ve set down your broken branch,” Haru’s grandfather observed. “Did you kids solve the mystery?”
Haru thought about it. “Well, I’m not sure we’ll ever know what happened to that exact branch. We have a lot of ideas of what could have happened now!”
“And we learned a lot of ways to help protect the trees and make sure they stay strong and healthy!” Taylor chimed in.
“Right!” Imani agreed. “We can encourage people to clean up their trash.”
“We can help the pollinators and the trees by protecting the flowers,” Jamal added.
"And we can share with people what we've learned about how important the roots are."
"I guess these are all ways we can help people be gentle with the cherry trees!"
NPS Photo
You know, I think you all deserve to be Junior Park Rangers!”
The kids cheered, and Ranger Sarah took out four badges from her pack. She said, “alright, you’ll have to take the Junior Ranger Pledge. Are you ready?”
“Yes!” they said.
NPS Photo
Activity: Take the Pledge
Take the Bloomin' Junior Ranger pledge along with Haru, Imani, Jamal, and Taylor!
I promise to preserve the cherry blossoms.
I promise to treat the cherry trees respectfully.
I promise to teach others how to do the same.
Great work!” Ranger Sarah said, giving you your badge along with Imani, Taylor, Jamal, and Haru. “You are now officially Junior Park Rangers! I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival, and come back to explore the rest of your National Mall and Memorial Parks.”