The Science of Snow

Meet Cutler, the Avalanche 

Rescue Dog

Discover the Thrill of the 

Chill on Snowshoes

How Animals Survive 

Winter Weather

Fire and Ice

Create Your Own Avalanche

Be a Snowflake Sleuth

Have Fun With Winter Games

Make Your Own Snowshoes

Who Left These Tracks?

Make Frozen Bubbles

Interview a Snow Ranger

January 2012
ii

What's Inside

When you play outside in cold weather, your body works hard to 

stay warm. Eat extra food like protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, and 

trail mix to get extra energy and warmth. 

Things You Need

To Explore in Cold Weather

	 1.	Smart outerwear—a hat, sunglasses, gloves, boots, and a 

bright-colored, insulated, windproof (not cotton) jacket.

2.	Drinking water in an insulated container (so it doesn’t 

freeze).

	 3.	Map and compass.

	 4.	Pocketknife.

	 5.	SPF 15+ sunscreen and lip balm. (Yes, you can get 

sunburned on a cold day!)

	 6.	Duct tape (to fix anything that tears or breaks).

	 7.	Whistle.

	 8.	Flashlight or headlamp (with extra batteries and bulb).

	 9.	First aid kit.

	10.	Space blanket (special, lightweight blanket with 

super-warming powers).

10

Welcome to the World of the Junior Snow Ranger......................1

Activity: Memorize the Oath of the Junior Snow Ranger ..........1

Teacher’s Page ....................................................................... 2

What’s Happening in Your Woods?............................................. 3

The Science of Snow .............................................................. 4

Activity: Create Your Own Avalanche ..................................... 4

Activity: Be a Snowflake Sleuth ............................................ 5

Meet Cutler, the Avalanche Rescue Dog..................................... 6

Activity: Have Fun With Winter Games................................... 7

Discover the Thrill of the Chill on Snowshoes ............................ 8

Activity: Make Your Own Snowshoes...................................... 9

How Animals Survive Winter Weather ...................................... 10

Activity: Who Left These Tracks?.......................................... 11

You, the Snow, and the Great Outdoors................................... 12

Activity: Make Frozen Bubbles ............................................. 13

Fire and Ice ......................................................................... 14

Activity: Measure the Snowpack in Your Backyard.................. 15

Activity: Interview a Snow Ranger or Forest Ranger.............. 16
1

Welcome to the World of the Junior

What’s a ?

A Snow Ranger works for the Forest Service—U.S. Department 

of Agriculture. Snow Rangers work in our national forests.

What’s a

Junior ?

Snow Rangers...

f Keep visitors safe.

f Protect the natural environment.

f Ski down mountains to make sure skiers are safe.

f Warn skiers, hikers, and others about avalanches.

f Search for people who are missing.

f Rescue people when they are found.

A Junior Snow Ranger...

f Reads and uses this Junior Snow 

Ranger adventure guide.

f Gets helpful tips about winter.

f Learns new ways to have more 

fun outside during winter.

f Learns interesting facts about 

history, nature, and science.

f Shares new information with 

friends or classmates.

f Has safe, fun adventures in the 

 winter forest. How Can I Become a

 Junior ?

fComplete the activities in this guide.

f Mail back the Junior Snow Ranger 

Official Form.

fReceive your official Junior Snow 

Ranger card, badge, and bandana.

fUse your Junior Snow Ranger tools to 

explore the winter woods!

of the Junior 

Snow Ranger

I give my pledge as a Junior Snow Ranger

to save and faithfully defend from waste

the natural resources of my country—

its soil and minerals; its forests, flowers,

and trees; its waters; and its wildlife.

Oath

Memorize the

Activity
2

Teachers’ Page

Who Is This Book 

Designed For?

Objectives

When using this adventure 

guide, students will have the 

opportunity to:

• Understand safety as an 

important component of 

winter recreation.

• Transfer knowledge of 

winter and safety to peers 

and adult caregivers.

• Recognize that the Snow 

Ranger is a career that the 

students can pursue, 

if they are interested.

• Understand that winter is 

a great time to enjoy and 

understand how nature 

changes and adapts.

• Understand and appreciate 

forest resources during the 

winter. 

Activities

f Plan a hiking trip to a nearby forest or park on National Winter 

Trails Day!

f Make this activity book part of your science class in 

connection with the National Winter Trails Day.

f Visit a national forest, museum, zoo, or State park. Or, have 

someone from one of these sites come to your classroom to 

talk about winter safety, recreation opportunities, or winter 

science. 

f Take your class outside to appreciate and learn about trees 

and how they change during winter. Visit a national forest 

or State forest.

f Use a map to locate the forest or park that is closest to 

your school. 

f Take your students for a hike with a local naturalist.

f Invite Woodsy Owl to your classroom to talk about 

conservation practices during winter.

f Ask children to write about their preferred winter activity 

and why that activity is important to them. 

f Ask children to keep a nature journal during winter.

f Invite a Snow Ranger or Forest Ranger to your classroom 

to talk about enjoying winter in a safe and fun way. 

Discussion Themes

• Forests are communities where trees, plants, animals, and 

insects live. Forests give shade, food, and shelter to 

the many animals and plants that live in them.

• Forests are important for people, 

too. They are fun to visit. They are 

important to our health because they 

give us food, medicine, clean air, water, and 

places for us to recreate and have FUN!

• We need to take care of our forests.

• Ask your students: Have you visited a national 

forest with your family during winter? Invite 

them to discuss what they liked best about 

the forest. What did they see (trees, plants, 

animals, footprints)? What did they do in the 

forest (hike, practice a winter sport or 

activity, fish)? 

The Junior Snow Ranger 

adventure guide is designed 

for 4th and 5th grade students 

and emphasizes the standards 

of learning and educational 

skills for these grades. You can 

conduct the activities indoors 

and outdoors.
3

✱ When exploring the winter woods, 

always go with an adult and 

never go alone.

✱ Stay on marked trails and in 

designated areas.

✱ Pay attention to signs and 

instructions.

✱ Pace yourself. Don’t go so fast 

that you’ll get tired. Keep track of 

time. For example, if you head out 

the door at 1:00 p.m. and plan to 

return at 4:00 p.m., you should 

turn around to head home at 

2:30 p.m.—half way through your 

3-hour adventure.

✱ Know some first aid (like how to 

treat a small cut). Learn about 

and watch out 

for hypoglycemia 

(low blood-sugar 

levels). If you live 

in a cold area, 

learn about 

and watch out 

for frostbite, 

hypothermia, 

and snow 

blindness.

When You Explore 

the Forest

d

,

On a cold winter day, animals have feathers or fur to keep warm. 

We do not. So, we wear extra clothing to stay warm and dry when 

we play outside. When you put on extra clothing, you need to 

“dress like an onion” and wear many layers. Layering your clothing 

gives you control over how hot or cold you feel. Wear only the 

layers you need to feel comfortable. If you start to feel cold, put 

on another layer. If you get too hot, simply remove a layer before 

you start to sweat.

Dress Like an Onion in 

Three Easy Steps

Step 1. Base Layer

The base layer touches your skin. Wear a tight-fitting layer like long underwear made 

of wicking cloth—hi-tech fabric that lets moisture (sweat!) evaporate from your body 

to keep you warm and dry. Don’t wear cotton—it can get wet and make you cold.

Step 2. Middle Layer

The middle layer insulates—it keeps body heat inside your clothing and 

prevents it from escaping. This layer also pulls sweat away from the base layer to 

help keep you dry. Wear a turtleneck sweater and pants (no jeans!) that are loose 

but that still touch the base layer.

Step 3. Outer Layer

The outer layer blocks wind and lets moisture escape. This layer may be made 

of material like fleece. Wear a coat with a hood (to keep your neck warm), 

waterproof snow pants, and boots with a waterproof foot and warm lining.

Winter is a great time to find out what’s happening in the woods. 

So, go exploring! Just put on your boots, skis, or snowshoes—and 

be sure to take your “senses” with you. 

As you walk through the woods, stop every now and then. 

Look around. What do you see? 

Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? 

Breathe in deeply through your nostrils. What do you smell?

Touch the rocks, tree branches, snow, or ice. What do you feel? 

Stand very still. What do you feel?

Make a list of your observations—what you saw, heard, smelled, and 

felt. What one new thing did you learn from your observations?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________
4

u

z

b

w

r

A snowpack is made up 

of millions and millions of snowflakes. The size 

and shape of the snowflakes can make the 

layers of a snowpack strong or weak.

When clouds get really cold, frozen 

water droplets form small ice crystals.

What are they called?

These ice crystals are 

snowflakes.

Then what happens? After snowflakes land on the ground and start 

to pile up, they form a snowpack.

What is a

snowpack?

What may happen when weak and strong layers are in the 

same snowpack?

The layers constantly change because of the changing temperature 

in the air and within the snowpack. When the weak layers prevent 

the strong layers from sticking together, the strong layers slide over 

the weak layers.

When this movement of the snowpack happens on a steep mountain, 

 it can cause an avalanche. From inside a snowpit, Snow Rangers 

 study snowpacks so they can warn people about possible 

 avalanches.

Phase 1

• Put two books on the floor, one on 

top of the other, to represent the 

ground and a slab of snow.

• Slowly lift one end of the 

bottom book off the floor.

• See how long it takes the 

slab of snow to start sliding.

Phase 2

• Sprinkle some salt between the two 

books to represent a layer of loose 

snow below the hard slab of snow 

on top. Slowly lift one end of the 

bottom book off the floor.

• Does the avalanche happen sooner 

this time? avalanche

Every time it snows, or when 

the snow drifts, another layer is 

added to the snowpack. With each 

additional layer, the snowpack 

becomes a little bit thicker. 

What are the layers like?

Each layer is different. Some layers 

are weak. Others are strong.

What makes a layer strong?

The strong layers are dense and made up of 

small, round snow grains. They are packed closely 

together and are stuck to each other very tightly.

What makes a layer weak?

The weak layers are much more loosely packed.

Create Your Own Avalanche

Discussion: In which phase of 

your experiment did the avalanche 

happen soonest? Why? What does 

this experiment tell us about how 

some types of snowpacks are more 

likely to cause an avalanche than 

others? Based on this experiment, 

do you think avalanches are 

a bigger danger on steeper 

mountains? Why?

Phase 3

• Add a third book above the 

top book to represent people 

hiking or skiing on top of the snow.

• Sprinkle salt between the bottom 

 book (ground) and middle book 

(snow) but not between the middle 

book and top book (people).

• Does the avalanche happen even 

faster now?

Activity
5

u

z

w

Snowflakes are born in clouds 

and every one grows differently. 

As a snowflake falls from the 

cloud to the ground, it passes 

through many different layers 

of air. 

Each layer of air, whether 

it is

changes the way a snowflake develops.

Each snowflake follows a 

unique path to Earth. No two 

snowflakes are exactly alike.

HOT

Wet Dry

Shapes of Crystals

Columns

(hollow or 

solid)

At 14–21 degrees 

Fahrenheit (oF) unstable

Needles

(simple, cluster 

or crossed)

At 25–21 oF unstable

Stellar 

Plates

At 14–10 oF stable

Stellar 

Dendrites

At 14–10 oF stable

Irregular At 3–10 oF stable

Graupel When snow crystals fall 

through very moist air unstable

Hail

When precipitation 

becomes coated with a 

layer of ice

unstable

Ice pellets When rain falls through very 

cold air unstable

Rime

When extremely cold water 

droplets freeze almost 

instantly on a cold surface

unstable

Shape Name How They Are Formed Effect on 

Snowpack

Actual 

Image

Gather together your detective tools—black construction paper 

and a magnifying lens.

Catch snowflakes, ice pellets, or hail on the paper. Use your 

magnifying lens to look at their shapes. Compare them with the shapes 

of crystals in the chart. How many different shapes can you find?

Keep a record of different shapes for different times of the day. 

What differences do you see?

Ask your friends to do the same activity. Share your findings. How do 

your friends’ findings differ from yours?

What clues can you get from these observations? How could the snowflakes 

you recorded affect a snowpack?

It can take a snowflake 2 hours to 

fall from the cloud to the ground 

because it drifts through the air 

at only a few miles per hour. 

k

Activity

For more information about avalanches, 

visit http://www.fsavalanche.org.
6

Hi! My name is Cutler. I’m a Yellow Labrador Retriever, but I’m more 

than somebody’s pet. I’m the Forest Service Avalanche Rescue Dog. I 

work with Lead Snow Ranger Chris Joosen, who adopted me in 2001 

when I was just 9 weeks old. I was actually a gift to the Forest Service 

from Darcy Kane, a dog breeder in New Hampshire. Darcy said the gift 

had a string attached. (Back then, I loved to play with strings!) The 

string (or stipulation) was that the 

Forest Service would train me to be 

an avalanche rescue dog.

I absolutely love my name: Cutler. It’s 

the same name as a river on Mount 

Washington, which is where I work—

at the Mount Washington Avalanche 

Center. Mount Washington is the 

 tallest mountain in the 

Northeastern United States.

My job is to find people who 

are buried in the snow. When 

hikers or skiers get trapped in the 

snow, human searchers have trouble 

finding them because they cannot 

see them. That’s when they 

call on me. I can sniff out 

the buried hikers with 

my excellent sense 

of smell. You can 

see me digging 

through the snow 

in the photos on 

this page.

The Avala nche Res cue Dog

Word Watch

avalanche: A large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material moving swiftly down a mountainside.

In front of the ranger station, 

Snow Ranger Chris Joosen helps 

Cutler gear up for a rescue mission.

Cutler and Chris head out 

together in search of a 

missing person.

Cutler’s excellent sense of smell 

helps locate the place where a 

person is buried in an avalanche.

Cutler and Chris work together 

to rescue the person who is 

buried in the avalanche.

Cutler and Chris get closer 

to the rescue.

Even though he is covered 

in snow, Cutler is happy for 

a good day’s work.

Read more about Cutler’s home at Mount Washington:

Mount Washington: http://www.mountwashington.com.

Mount Washington Observatory: http://www.mountwashington.org.

White Mountain National Forest: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/

white_mountain/about/wmnf_flyer.pdf.
7

Activity

Word Search

Cutler, the Forest Service 

Avalanche Rescue Dog, has 

used his extraordinary 

sense of smell to locate 

a hiker who is buried in 

an avalanche. Help the 

Snow Rangers reach 

Cutler so they can 

rescue the hiker.

Look for words that are in this adventure guide. 

Words can appear forward, backward, or diagonally.

avalanche

rabbit

bear

raccoon

evergreen

ranger

forest

skis

dx Start

frozen

snowflake

gloves

snowshoe

hat

winter

icicle
8

v

d

People Have Been Having Fun in Winter for Years! 

We learned about winter fun from Nordic and Asian cultures dating back 5,000 

years ago. At that time, people traveled long distances across frozen landscapes. To 

stay warm and travel quickly, they invented ice skates, skis, sleds, and snowshoes.

American pioneers used snowshoes to explore the western part 

of the United States.

During winter in the 1800s, when 

snow in the Great Plains piled 

very high, trappers, hunters, and 

explorers often had only one way 

to travel—with snowshoes.

Why and How Did People Invent Snowshoes? 

People most likely invented snowshoes after they watched how easily the 

snowshoe hare and lynx travel across the snow. These animals have very large 

feet compared with their body size. Bigger feet allow an animal to spread its 

weight over a larger surface area (which means less weight per square inch). 

This physical feature helps keep the animal on top of the snow.

American Indians Wore Snowshoes To 

Travel Through Snowy Forests.

They made their snowshoes from long pieces of wood and strips of 

leather. With snowshoes, the American Indians could trek over soft 

snowdrifts and through landscapes that would have been impossible to 

walk through with moccasins. 

j The Athabascan Indians in the Northwest and the Algonquin

Indians in the Northeast made snowshoes that worked very well 

and were also very beautiful. 

j Before the Spaniards introduced horses to America, 

the Plains Indians wore 

snowshoes when they 

hunted buffalo. 

Today, We Use Snowshoes for Fun Winter 

Activities, Sports, 

and Physical Fitness. 

We take Snow Ranger-guided snowshoe walks to discover 

how plants, animals, and people adapt to winter. We also 

have snowshoe races—some races are over a long distance, 

some are for speed over a short distance, and some even involve jumping over hurdles! Snow Rangers, snow researchers, 

and people who need to travel in snowy areas that they can’t 

reach with motorized vehicles use snowshoes. 

Many schools in the United States—even schools located in 

areas that seldom have snow (see You Don’t Need Snow for 

Snowshoes on page 9)—offer snowshoeing as part of their 

physical education programs to help fight obesity.
9

v

.

/Just about everyone can play in the 

snow. Adaptive sports programs 

give people with disabilities the 

opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. 

• People with physical disabilities 

use sit skis, monoskis, and outrigger skis.

• People with limited vision or 

blindness participate in assisted 

blind skiing programs. They don’t 

let their disabilities get in the way 

of getting outside and enjoying 

winter sports. 

• The National Sports Center for the 

Disabled is one of many institutions around the world that helps 

people with disabilities participate 

in outdoor sports.

• The National Sports Center for the 

Disabled recommends snowshoeing as an excellent workout for 

the able and disabled alike. Choose the material for attaching the platform to your foot. 

Choose one of the following:

• Long shoelaces (or several shoelaces tied together).

• Large, thick rubber bands.

Strap the platform to your boot just before you are ready to 

go outside. Be careful when you walk. Lift your foot up high, 

just as if you were wearing flippers. You don’t want to trip 

over your big, snowshoed feet! Now you know what it is like 

for Snow Rangers to walk around in the snow.

You Don’t Need Snow for Snowshoes

You can make snowshoeing a fun activity wherever you live. 

Some kids like to snowshoe on soft surfaces, such as thick grass 

or pine needles. Kids at the beach enjoy snowshoeing through 

soft sand or over dunes. The main difference between these 

surfaces and the snow surface is their roughness. To protect the 

bottoms of their snowshoes from too much wear, these kids often 

put duct tape on the bottom of their snowshoes.

Shoe boxes 

(the bigger, 

the better)

Cardboard

Gallon-size 

plastic 

milk jugs

or or

Activity

Before you begin to design and make your snowshoes, 

think about these two important factors:

1. The platform of the snowshoe must be much larger than 

your foot.

2. The platform must be firmly attached to your foot so it 

will not fall off.

Choose the material for the platform. It could be any of 

the following recycled materials:
10

Word Watch v ,

Winter is a challenging time for wild animals. 

They have three main strategies for surviving cold winter weather: 

survive: To stay alive.

Stay (adapt)

Animals have special ways to adapt to the winter. They store lots of food, gain extra 

fat to provide energy and warmth when the air is cold, or grow thicker fur or fluffy 

feathers that act like a winter coat.

Mice and voles spend winter deep under the snow where the temperature is 

warmer than the air temperature—they use the snow like a thick coat. They have to 

be careful, though, because coyotes can use their excellent hearing to find animals 

running beneath the snow. 

Snooze (hibernate)

Some animals avoid the cold temperatures and lack of food during 

winter by sleeping through it (by hibernating)—with slower breathing, slower heart rate, and a lower body temperature (37 °F for a 

ground squirrel—just above freezing!).

A woodchuck’s winter burrow is typically below the frost level. 

Before hibernating during freezing temperatures, a woodchuck 

grows extremely fat. During the deep sleep of hibernation, a 

woodchuck’s body temperature may drop to 38 °F.

Monarch Flyway Map

z

Go away 

(migrate)

One-half of the birds in North 

America are “neotropical” birds, 

which means they fly south in the fall 

to warmer places in Central and South 

America and the Caribbean. There, they have 

plenty of food for the winter. They 

fly back north for the spring.

When these SONGBIRD species migrate south 

for the winter, they fly during the night. 

When monarch butterflies migrate, 

they travel during the day. Now that’s a good 

traffic control system!

Monarchs are the only known butterflies to make a two-way migration. 

The map shows how they follow specific routes, or “flyways,” each 

fall, just like birds. Butterflies from east of the Rocky Mountains fly to 

the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, where forests of fir trees keep 

them warm and moist. Butterflies from west of the Rocky Mountains 

fly to the Pacific Coast in California, which has a climate like the 

climate in Mexico.

Central Texas is one of the best places 

to see the migration of the Monarchs. 

It is where the separate eastern 

flyways converge into one. 

Some of the Monarchs on the east 

coast could take a shorter route over 

the Gulf of Mexico, but Monarchs 

avoid flying over water. 
11

Activity

, '

the wild critter that makes them.

Match the animal tracks with 

the letter of the animal they belong to.

Fill in the circle next to the prints with 

Which track would least likely 

be found in the snow?

o

Which footprints can you find in 

the forest near your home?

A

B

C

D

G F E

Answers: 1.A; 2.E; 3.B; 4.G; 5.D; 6.F; 7.H; 8.C

H

Striped Skunk

Rabbit

Gray Wolf

Black Bear

Raccoon

Red Fox

Deer

Lynx

8. This familiar forest animal loads up 

with berries to build up fat levels for 

the cold winter months.

4. Do these prints 

look like feet? This animal’s 

name means “one who 

scratches with his hands.”

7. This feline has huge 

paws and a black tip 

on the tail.

3. The owner of these footprints is the largest wild 

member of the dog family.

6. This creature’s petite feet 

don’t seem to match with its 

big, bushy tail.

2. For this creature, the world 

record in the long jump is 

3 meters (more than 9 feet!).

5. This fast-running animal has 

hoofs with an even number 

of toes.

1. The mammal behind 

these footprints 

can spray its musk 

accurately up to 10 

feet.
12

;

There is no such thing as bad weather, if you have the correct winter 

clothing (see page 3). So put on your winter woollies, grab your family 

and friends, and get yourself outside!

Make Cool Things Out of Snow

Build a snow fort. Cover it with fallen branches to keep it warm inside.

Build a snowman or snowlady. Dress him or her like a famous character.

Make a snow sculpture. Maybe a snow turtle or snow penguin. Use your 

imagination! 

Draw shapes or write words in the snow with your feet.

Make a snow angel. Get your whole family involved and make a snow 

angel family.

Go Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing is liking HIKING through the winter 

woods...on skis!

Dress in LAYERS like an onion, and bring along a hat, sunglasses, 

sunscreen, and water.

Rent SKIS, BOOTS, and POLES at the ski area you choose.

Call ahead for a LESSON; an instructor can teach you to cross-country ski in 

just a couple of hours.

In winter, as at all times, it is a good idea to follow the “Leave No Trace” rule: 

whatever you take into the wilderness comes out with you. Keep in mind 

what Woodsy asks us to do: Give a hoot, don’t pollute!

Have a Scavenger Hunt

• Make a list of what to find or maybe just head out and 

see what you can find.

• Enter a list of the things you find into a journal.

• Make some art or decorations from the things you find.

• Draw or paint a winter scene and paste your findings on the drawing.
13

Activity

While you are exploring the winter 

landscape, remember that you are part of 

the ecosystem. This ecosystem includes 

other people, plants, and animals that all 

need to share the ecosystem to survive. 

Woodsy Owl says, “Lend a hand, care

for the land!”

Remember: In the winter, it’s important 

not to bother wildlife. Some plants and 

animals have a hard time dealing with 

the cold, so they are injured more easily 

in the winter.

1. Plan this activity for a day when the temperature is very cold—below freezing 

(32 °F or 0 °C)—and the wind is not blowing. 

2. Gather together the following ingredients (or compounds) for the bubble solution:

• Laundry detergent powder • Sugar • Hot water

3. Gather together the following scientific instruments for mixing and delivering the solution:

• Measuring cup • Bowl • Spoon or whisk • Bubble wand

4. Make a strong bubble solution (the stronger the solution, 

the longer the bubbles will last). Measure the following 

compounds, put them in the bowl, and stir with the 

spoon or whisk:

• 1/2 cup soap powder 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 cups hot water

5. Take the bubble solution and the bubble wand outside.

6. Blow a bubble and catch it on the wand.

7. Let the bubble rest on the wand in the cold air.

8. Observe how the bubble will soon freeze into a fragile crystal 

ball. Watch the ice crystals grow before your eyes!
14

A Campfire in the Snow

A campfire in the snow is fire and ice. It looks beautiful and feels warm and wonderful on 

a cold day. But you and the adults who build the fire with you need to know these five 

things about a winter campfire.

A wildfire in winter is fire and ice. The fire in this photo started 

in the fall, and even the moisture from winter snows could not 

put it out. That’s why it is so important to make sure campfires 

are “drowned” and “dead out” before leaving a campsite. Some 

good came from this fire, though. It created habitat for waterfowl 

and other animals that live in this area.

Photo credit: Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge.

1. Build your fire out in the open, away from trees. Heat from 

the fire will scorch tree trunks that are too close and melt 

snow on tree branches over your head. The melted snow will 

drip on you and put out the fire!

2. Use only dead and downed trees and branches for firewood. 

Do not cut live branches from trees. Even in winter, they 

contain a lot of moisture and will not burn. 

3. To have a good base for your fire, either dig down to the soil 

(be sure it’s not a peat soil) or put very large pieces of wood 

at the base. A good base is important—as the fire burns, the 

snow below it will melt. 

4. To protect your collected dry firewood from moisture, cover 

it with a tarp.

5. Pile a lot of snow on the fire to put it out. Wait for the 

“hissing” to stop, stir the ashes with more snow, and be sure 

it is “dead out” before leaving.
15

Phase 1

• Put a measuring cup outside 

and wait for the snow to fill 

the cup to the rim. 

• Bring the cup inside and let 

the snow melt.

• Observe how many ounces 

or milliliters of water remain 

after the snow has melted. 

• Record that amount.

Phase 2

• Go back outdoors and fill the 

measuring cup to the rim (as 

in phase 1) by packing snow 

in it as tightly as possible.

• Bring the cup inside and let 

the snow melt again. 

• Observe how many ounces 

or milliliters of water remain 

after the snow has melted. 

• Record that amount.

In the Heat of the Summer, 

What Does a Snow Ranger Do?

For Snow Ranger Jeffrey Lane (top left), fire and ice tell his story. 

Jeffrey works hard all winter on the White Mountain National 

Forest in New Hampshire. He mainly works at Tuckerman Ravine. 

But in the summer season, he is a wildland fire fighter. Lane works 

on crews that fight wildfires in New Hampshire and out West. 

So, fire and ice co-exist in this Snow Ranger’s life.

Discussion: In which phase 

of your experiment did the 

cup contain the most water? 

Why? How much difference 

was there? If you depend on 

snowpack for your drinking 

water, which type of snow 

would you want?

More fun: Conduct this 

experiment several times 

during the winter and 

record the water measurements. Does the amount 

stay the same over the 

winter?

Activity
16

Activity

Find out more about winter in the forest and 

what it’s like to work in the forest. Contact a local 

 Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Ranger Station and arrange an interview with 

 the Snow Ranger or Forest Ranger. Here are 

 some questions to ask during the interview 

 (you may need more paper):

Date of the interview: ___________________________________

Begin: Hello, Ranger (Name) _______________________________

My name is _____________________________________________

Where did you live when you were my age? _______________

How old were you when you decided to become 

a Snow (or Forest) Ranger? ________________________

What is your favorite part of the job? _______

_________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

What tasks do you do in the winter that you don’t 

do in the summer? _______________________________

_______________________________________________

_________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

What is your scariest memory as a Snow (or Forest) Ranger?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

What is your most exciting memory?_______________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

What advice would you give someone who wants to become 

a Snow Ranger? ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

End: Thank you, Ranger (Name) ___________ , for the interview.

As a Junior Snow Ranger, 

I will make a difference by
Share the Junior Snow 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 Snow Ranger.

It’s Easy to Do.

Just tear off the Share With a 

Friend Card.

Give it to a friend.

Ask your friend to fill it out, 

put a first-class stamp on 

it, and mail it to the 

USDA Forest Service.

We will send your friend 

the same Junior Snow 

Ranger adventure guide 

your are holding in your 

hands. Then your friend can 

do the activities and become 

a Junior Snow Ranger, too!

Now that you’ve completed the activities in this book, you are 

just one step away from becoming an official Junior Snow 

Ranger. Please fill out the Junior Snow Ranger Official 

Form on the detachable card and mail it to us at:

Junior Snow Ranger

USDA Forest Service

National Symbols Cache

402 SE 11th Street

Grand Rapids, MN 55744–3955

After the Forest Service receives your form, the 

agency will mail you a Junior Snow Ranger card, 

badge, and bandana. We hope you enjoyed the activities 

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

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

http://www.fs.usda.gov/conservationeducation

January 2012

PA-2102
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 guide.

Signed______________________________________________________ (name of the adult)

Yes, I also want to be a Junior Snow 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 Snow Ranger adventure 

guide so I can complete the activities and become an official Junior Snow Ranger.

Your Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________________

City:________________________________________ State: _______ZIP Code:____________

E-mail: ________________________________________________________________________

Age: __________________________________________________________________________

School Name: __________________________________________________________________
Postage

Requested.

Post Office will

not deliver

without proper

postage.

Postage

Requested.

Post Office will

not deliver

without proper

postage.

Junior Snow Ranger

USDA Forest Service

National Symbols Cache

402 SE 11th Street

Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3955

Name _________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________

City ____________________ State _____ZIP Code___________

Name _________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________

City ____________________ State _____ZIP Code___________

Junior Snow Ranger

USDA Forest Service

National Symbols Cache

402 SE 11th Street

Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3955