Photos: USDA Photo Service, except where noted otherwise.

THIS ADVENTURE GUIDE BELONGS TO:

(fill in your name)
My Field Book

WHEN YOU’RE IN THE FOREST...

• Before hiking, tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

• Stay on marked trails.

• Obey signs and forest ranger instructions.

• Watch out for dead trees and tree limbs.

• Take out what you bring in.

• Let adults handle matches.

• Make sure the campfire is dead before you leave the area.

BEING SAFE IN THE FOREST—A CHECKLIST

Top 10 Things To Bring to the Forest (along with an adult!)

1. Clothing (something warm, extra socks, 

rain gear).

2. Map/compass—always know where you are

and where you are going.

3. First aid kit.

4. Food and water (bring extra).

5. Flashlight (with extra bulb and batteries).

6. Insect repellent.

7. An emergency shelter.

8. Sunscreen/sunglasses.

9. Pocketknife (carried by the adult).

10. Waterproof matches (carried by the adult).

Note: This information is adapted from the United States

Department of Agriculture Forest Service Web site:

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/safety/safety.shtml.

ON THE WAY TO THE FOREST

Make the miles fly by! Here are fun things to do on your way to the national forest. Use a notebook or separate

piece of paper. 

• Keep a Forest Log: Record the “Date,” “Weather Conditions,” your “Location,” and (briefly) “What

Happened” on your way to the national forest. Note if weather conditions change during the trip.

You’ll be glad you did!

• Get Map Smart: Study a map of where you’re going. Knowing how to read a map helps keep you safe in the

forest.

• Write “Forest Ranger” Words: See how many words you can make from the letters in FOREST

RANGER. What’s the longest word you can make?

My name is 

I live in County, in the State of 

I go to School

My address is

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.
Turn the page and start 

your exciting journey 

as you explore the 

wonders of the forest 

and earn your 

credentials as a 

Junior Forest

Ranger!

This Adventure Guide is YOUR official welcome to the world of the forest. When

you turn the page and begin to read, you will have an opportunity to get involved

with the forest in many fun and exciting ways. Let us take you on a tour of all the

fun facts, stories, and important information that surround our Nation’s forests

as you discover what this fascinating world is all about.

When you complete all of the activities inside this book, you will be qualified to be an

Official Junior Forest Ranger. The activities are fun, easy to do, and have great benefits for

you, your friends, and family. 

Here are the three easy steps:

1. Travel through the world of the forest by doing the activities on 

the following pages. You can do them alone, with a friend, or 

with your family.

2. Once you’ve filled out all of the pages, complete the registration 

form you will find on page 18 of this booklet. Then, ask an adult to 

sign it and send it to us at: 

Junior Forest Ranger

USDA Forest Service

National Symbols Cache 

402 11th Street SE

Grand Rapids, MN 55744–3955

3. Here’s the best part! When we receive your form, we will mail you your Official Junior Forest Ranger

Pin and Card!

Become a Junior Forest Ranger

1

(

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.
“I give my pledge as a Junior Forest Ranger 

to save and faithfully defend from waste 

the natural resources of my country—

its soil and minerals, its forests, its

flowers and trees, its waters, and its wildlife.”

The Oath of 

The Junior Forest Ranger

2

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.
3

Smokey Bear and Wildfire Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Activity: Make a Smokey Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Activity: My Smokey Bear Poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Fire Has a Job in the Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Activity: A Tale of Two Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Observing What’s Around You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Activity: Get Oriented . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

You Are a Part of the Ecosystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Activity: Reporting on a Corner of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

More Forest Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Enjoy Your National Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Congratulations! You’re a Junior Forest Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Junior Forest Ranger Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Share with a Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Contents
Listen Up

When Smokey says, 

“Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” 

he means it!

Design a Smokey Bear poster!Look at the posters on the next page.

Smokey’s wildfire prevention message still needs to be

heard! That’s where you come in. Follow the directions

on page 5 and design your Smokey Bear poster on

pages 6 and 7. Write your poster message in the box. 

In 1944, a fire prevention

messenger, Smokey Bear, was

created by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service. The first

Smokey was painted by Albert Staehle.

Another artist who helped shape

Smokey’s image was Rudolph Wendelin.

But it wasn’t until 1950 that Smokey

became a living legend. Firefighting crews

found a frightened and badly burned bear

cub clinging to a tree after a humancaused fire burned more than

17,000 acres in the Lincoln

National Forest in New Mexico. The cub

was taken to a nearby ranger station,

where he was nursed back to health. It

was there that he was given the name

Smokey, and he became a living symbol

for forest wildfire prevention.

More than 60 years later, Smokey’s job

still isn’t done. Even today, 9 out of 10

wildfires are caused by people! Smokey

needs your help, as a Junior Forest

Ranger, to get the word out about 

preventing human-caused wildfires.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Smokey Bear and Wildfire Prevention

Amazing Facts

• Lightning causes some wildfires,

but nine out of ten are caused 

by humans. 

• Accidental wildfires start when 

people carelessly burn trash or debris

(such as leaves, pine needles, or branches) 

or toss out cigarette butts.

© RubberBall 4

FIND OUT MORE

Visit http://www.smokeybear.com

for information about wildfire prevention.

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.

YOUR TURN Word Watch 

wildfire: An unwanted 

or unplanned fire 

burning in shrub, 

grass, or a forest 
Make a Smokey Poster

Smokey Bear has been the star of wildfire-prevention posters for more than 60 years. All the

posters have one message: “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!” But each poster sends the message 

in a different way. Read each poster to learn about the ways these old Smokey posters caught 

people’s attention. Write your own wildfire-prevention message on your poster and in the box below. 

1944: This poster gives people 

important facts about forest fires.

1949: This poster rhymes to help 

people remember a fire-prevention tip.

1960: This poster helps people know they

can do something to stop forest fires. 

My poster message:

Draw your poster on 

pages 6 and 7. Write your

message below and on

your poster.

ACTIVITY

5
6

My Smokey

ACTIVITY

My Smokey
7

Bear Poster Bear Poster
Fire Has a Job in the Forest

JUNIOR FOREST RANGERS: 

BE WISE ABOUT CAMPFIRES

• Always use existing campsites and established

fire rings when camping or building a fire. Pile

any extra wood away from the fire. 

• Keep plenty of water handy and have a shovel

for throwing dirt on the fire to put it out.

• Be sure your match is out. Hold it until it is cold. 

• Never leave a campfire unattended. 

• Drown the fire with water or stir dirt into the

embers. Make sure all embers, coals, and sticks

are wet or covered with dirt. Move rocks—there

may be burning embers underneath. 

Source: http://www.smokeybear.com/trip.asp and U.S. Department of Agriculture

Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, 

http://www.firewise.org/pubs/outdoor.

Word Watch

crown: A tree top

8

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.

FIND OUT HOW FIRES AFFECT FORESTS

F

ind out how forest rangers (and you) can keep

forests in good shape. Read the text and check out

the pictures on the next page. That’s a healthy forest on

the left and an unhealthy, burning

forest on the right. Fill in the

blanks to see what you’ve learned

about forests and wildfires.

YOUR TURN

The Big Blow-Up of 1910 was the worst wildfire season in the United States. The

smoke from western fires could be seen and

smelled all the way to Boston. Because the fires

were so bad, lawmakers and forest rangers,

concerned about people’s safety, thought it

would be best to put out all new fires.

Forest managers have learned that when all

new fires are put out, fires can’t do their

job. Forests need fire from time to time to

clean out old branches and needles and to

keep big trees healthy. Without fires, forests

soon become too crowded. In overcrowded

forests, trees can’t get enough light and

water. They fall prey to insects and disease.

Animals that once lived there move away

because there is not enough food for them.

When lightning or careless people start fires

in an overcrowded forest, the fires burn so

hot that they can’t be put out.

Today, scientists and rangers know that fire

is a natural part of the ecosystem and that

forests need fire if they are to stay healthy.

Forest rangers have slowly reintroduced

controlled fires to the forest. Forest rangers

use a combination of removing smaller trees

and shrubs and controlled fires to carefully

burn away the dead material. Usually with

the first rain, new grass, plants, and

seedlings can

be seen

sprouting and

producing a

bountiful food 

supply for 

many animals.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Amazing Facts

• Rangers know that small natural fires burning slowly keep

forests safe and healthy. (See page 9 to find out how.)

• A densely growing forest is unhealthy: The denser the 

forest, the more fuel there is for a wildfire. Fuel can be

bushes, branches, vines, dead trees, tree limbs, dry

leaves, and twigs. 
A Tale of Two Forests

Fill in the missing

words, using the fill-in

words listed below.

Unclogged Forest

Recent fires have already

burned off small trees,

dead leaves, and pine

needles. That leaves less

_____ for a fire.

Small Flames

Less fuel keeps flame

temperatures low. Less

fuel means the fire burns

_________.

Safer for 

Living Things

When the fire burns

slowly, only a few trees

die. Roots survive, and

new ________ grow easily in the open forest. In

a few years, these woods

recover completely.

Less Forest 

Damage 

If ___________ were 

to strike this ponderosa

pine, only one tree 

might burn, rather than 

a whole forest. 

Clogged Forest

Overgrowth makes 

“ladders” of fuel that

move the fire up to the

_____________. 

Bigger Flames 

More_____________

means higher temperatures

and taller flames.

Crown Fires

The tree tops touch their

neighbors. That means

fire can race _________

from tree to tree.

Polluted Air 

and Earth

_____________and 

particles cloud the sky.

The soil is roasted and

can’t support new seeds.

More Forest 

Damage 

Trees and ____________

die when an unhealthy

forest burns. 

Fill-in Words (a word can be used more than once): 

fuel, crowns, animals, smoke, slowly, quickly, seedlings, lightning

ACTIVITY

Ponderosa pine trees grow on 

an eastern slope of the Cascade

Mountains in the Pacific

Northwest.

A forest wildfire consumes a tree

in Yellowstone National Park.

HEALTHY 

FOREST

UNHEALTHY

FOREST BURNING

This forest has

burned naturally

once every 10 years. 

This is an example of 

a forest that hadn’t

burned for 75 years. 

9

: fuel; slowly; seedlings; lightning; crowns; fuel; quickly; smoke; animals. Answers
Observing What’s Around You

“LOOKING OUT” IS KEY

It may not seem like it, but the Earth is constantly

changing. You see it happen in small ways with the changing

of the weather and seasons. You see it happen in big ways

with volcanoes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Understanding

these changes and knowing what to look for helps us live 

better and safer lives.

One of the most powerful tools forest rangers use is 

observation. Observation means to look at what is around

you. What do you see? What are the clouds doing? Are they

big and puffy or long and flat? If they are big and puffy you

might want to have your rain gear nearby!

Forest rangers use fire lookouts, airplanes,

and satellites to see what the forest is

doing. If there is a lost hiker or fire,

rangers need to know exactly where

to send rescue workers. As a Junior

Forest Ranger you need to know

and be able to tell others exactly

where you are in the forest.

Forest rangers use maps and

compasses to accomplish this.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Amazing Facts

• Even a simple change in one

part of the Earth can affect 

the other side of the globe.

Hurricanes that rock the 

Eastern United States typically

start as small storms in the

Atlantic Ocean off the coast 

of Africa.

• Your neighborhood is an 

environment! So is the 

national forest you’re visiting

right now.

10

USE YOUR JUNIOR FOREST RANGER TOOLS

1. Do the activity on the next page and then make a rough map of

your neighborhood. With an adult and a compass, walk north,

south, east, and west. On a sheet of paper, write down roads,

buildings, trees, and hills that you need to include in your map. 

2. Using the map on page 11, write directions from the 

Fire Lookout to the Mountain Peak Trail. Include 

mileage, direction, and the landmarks you might 

observe along the way.

© Rubberball

A compass is an important

tool for Junior Forest Rangers.

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.

YOUR TURN

observation:

Word Watch Looking at what is 

around you

orient:

in relation to points on a map, 

To figure out your location 

using the compass
Get Oriented

ACTIVITY

11

USING A MAP AND COMPASS 

Maps always have a symbol for north. Compasses have a needle that points north. As you stand on 

a trail with your map and compass, line up north on the map with north on the compass. 

North is one of the four cardinal directions. Once you are facing north you can find the other three 

cardinal points. South is behind you, east is to your right, and west is to your left. 

MEASURING DISTANCES 

ON A MAP

In a national forest, a map will help

you figure out distances from one

place to another. Use the map at

right to figure out distances for an 

imaginary hike. First locate the

Ranger Station. This is where 

you’ll be starting from. Then find

the Trailhead. Use the map scale 

(1 square equals 1 mile) and the

cardinal directions to answer 

the questions.

Lake

Fire

Lookout

Trailhead

Ranger Station

Campsite

Pond

•

Trail A

Trail B

Signpost

Key: 1 square = 1 mile

Mountain Peak

CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER

1. From the Ranger Station to the Trailhead is about:

(a) 1 mile (b) 2 miles (c) 5 miles (d) 10 miles

2. From the Trailhead to the Fire Lookout is about: 

(a) 1 mile (b) 2 miles (c) 4 miles (d) 5 miles 

3. What direction is the Lake from the Fire Lookout?

(a) west (b) east (c) north (d) south 

4. From the Fire Lookout to the Campsite is about: 

(a) 1 mile (b) 2 miles (c) 5 miles (d) 10 miles 

5. To get from the Mountain Peak Trail back to

the Trailhead you would travel mostly: 

(a) west (b) east (c) north (d) south

Answers: 1. b; 2. d; 3. a; 4. c; 5. d.

N

S

W E

This map was created to show you the type of information you will find

on an actual map of a national forest.

COMPASS ROSE

SAMPLE MAP

0 1 234

1

2

3

4

0
TRACKING MIGRATING BIRDS 

At http://www.birdsource.org you can find out all

about migrating birds. You can learn about birds in

your area, track birds, and report your observations online. Whether you report on birds you see

at home or in the national forest, all your observations are used and are important. You can also

see what other people have discovered about

birds in other parts of the country. Practice

reporting your observations on the next page.

JUNIOR FOREST RANGERS: YOU CAN

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

People haven’t always taken care of the Earth. 

But Junior Forest Rangers know it’s important

to care for the Earth so that it can continue to

provide resources for us—air, drinking water,

food, and shelter. You can care for the Earth

every day by recycling, turning off the lights,

and being careful to shut off water faucets. 

Ecosystems start with 

nonliving elements such as: 

• Amount of rain

• Type of soil

• Temperature

• Humidity

• Amount of sun

• Amount of water 

• Geologic formations

• Latitude and longitude

• Elevation

Then, living elements are

added, such as:

• Plants

• Animals

• Insects

• Microbes

• Fungi

• People

WHAT LIVES HERE AND WHY? 

Mountains, oceans, deserts, jungles, 

tundra, prairies—these are different types 

of ecosystems. Each one is different from the other.

Understanding the differences and the interrelationships

is one of the important jobs of a forest ranger.

DIDYOUKNOW?

When the nonliving and living things come together, you

have an ecosystem. Why do they go together? How do

they go together? Do they need each other to survive?

What lives where and why? (Ecosystems are complex;

however, using the best science available today, we try 

to understand and manage our use of them as well as

possible.)

You Are a Part of the Ecosystem

12

Amazing Facts

Not all relationships in an ecosystem are the same. For example, some relationships

are symbiotic and some parasitic. 

• Symbiotic: Two or more species live in close association. An example of a 

symbiotic relationship would be the Nile crocodile and the Egyptian bird, the

plover. The crocodile gets its gums cleaned by opening its mouth so the plover

can feed on leeches attached to the crocodile’s gums.

• Parasitic: In a parasitic relationship, a living thing lives on or in the body of

another living thing. A parasitic relationship can cause harm. An example would

be a tick attaching itself to a deer.

Background photos: Scholastic Inc.

YOUR TURN

Word Watch 

ecosystem: A community of living

and nonliving things 
ACTIVITY

Reporting on a Corner of the World

13

My Corner of the World Report

Name: ___________________________________________ 

Location: _________________________________________ 

Date:___________________________

Time: ______ o’clock to______o’clock

LIVING THINGS

Plants/Trees

Mammals

Birds

Insects

Reptiles

People

WHAT IS A SAFE WILDLIFE HABITAT?

A safe wildlife habitat provides food, water, cover, and a place to raise young animals in a healthy environment. 

How is the place you are observing a safe wildlife habitat? 

How is your backyard or schoolyard a safe wildlife habitat? 

No matter where you might be, whether at home or in a national forest, you can find out

more about the natural world. Find a spot outside where you can sit safely and quietly.

Spend at least 10 minutes finding out what is going on around you. Use the form below to

write down what you observe. Copy this form into a notebook so you can revisit and

report on your spot on different days and at different times. You’ll be surprised 

to see how much is going on!

What does it look like? What is it doing?
14

WSMOK E Y P X

ML PDOP E I R

ON I F ZRHNE

AEXDF I RE L

KWQOWL S Z T

Lost Words Puzzle

The words SMOKEY, FIRE, PINE, OAK, and OWLS are lost

in this puzzle. Find these words below. (They go across and

down.) Then use them to complete this sentence: _____

knows that _________ can destroy living things like ______

and ______ trees and disturbs birds such as ________.

The Forest

and the

Trees

Can you find

Smokey’s hat, 

four palm trees, 

an owl, and an

armadillo in the

image below? 

More Forest Fun 
A-Maze-ing Smokey!

Help Smokey get to the Ranger Station by tracing his path through the maze.

National Forest Scramble

Unscramble the names of some of our spectacular national forests! The names should look like

this: Rio Grande, Caribbean, Daniel Boone, White Mountains, Osceola, Lewis and Clark.

: National Forest Scramble—1. F; 2. E; 3. A; 4. B; 5. C; 6. D. Answers

start

finish

15

1. ESWIL DNA AKLRC 

2. LDAINE ONEBO 

3. IOR GEDRAN 

4. IHWET SNOUTAMNI 

5. RBBEANCAI 

6. ALOSCOE 

Then correctly match each national forest with its location: 

A. Colorado; B. New Hampshire; C. Puerto Rico; D. Florida; E. Kentucky; F. Montana.
As a Junior Forest Ranger I will make a difference by

16

Enjoy Your National Forests!
17

Congratulations! Now that you’ve completed the activities in this

book, you are on your way to becoming an

Official Junior Forest Ranger! Please fill out the

Junior Forest Ranger Official Form on the next

page and send it to us at:

Junior Forest Ranger

USDA Forest Service

National Symbols Cache 

402 11th Street SE

Grand Rapids, MN 55744–3955

Your Pin and Junior Forest Ranger Card will be

returned to you, making you an Official Junior Forest

Ranger. We hope you’ve enjoyed doing all of the activities

within this guide and that you’ll share the fun and excitement

you had with friends, family, and people in your community.

Share the Junior Forest Ranger

Experience with a Friend!

Forests and green spaces are important for everyone to share.

Now that you’ve learned so much about the forest, bring a

friend along and introduce him or her to the excitement of being a

Junior Forest Ranger. 

It’s Easy to Do:

Just tear off the invitation card on

the next page.

Give it to a friend.

Ask your friend to fill it

out, put a first-class

mail stamp on it, and

mail it to the USDA

Forest Service.

We will send your

friend the same

Junior Forest Ranger

Adventure guide you

are holding in your

hands. Then your friend

can do the activities and

become a Junior Forest

Ranger, too!
Jr. Forest Ranger Official Form

Your Name: 

Address: 

City: State Zip Code: 

E-mail: Age: 

School Name: 

Parent/Family Member/Friend (Adult), please sign here.

I certify that completed the activities in this booklet.

Signed 

(name of the adult)

Share with a Friend Card

Yes, I also want to be a Junior Forest Ranger.

My friend gave me this card and told me all the

exciting ways I can learn about the forest and the environment. Please mail me a Junior Forest Ranger

Booklet, so I can complete the activities and become an Official Junior Forest Ranger.

Your Name: 

Address: 

City: State Zip Code: 

E-mail: Age: 

School Name 

18
Name 

Address 

City State 

Name 

Address 

City State 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the

basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status,

parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part

of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and

TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA

is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This Junior Forest Ranger Guide was developed in conjunction with Scholastic Inc.

USDA Program Aid 1828

October 2005

ISBN 0-439-85275-7 

http://www.symbols.gov/jfr