National Park Service

U.S. Department of the IntePrince William Forest Park18100 Park Headquarters RoaTriangle, VA 22172

Prince William Forest Park
What are national parks?

National parks are places that are so special to everyone in the nation that we all own them together. Prince William Forest Park is shared by everyone too. As you complete the activities in this booklet, you will learn about some of the people and stories that make this park unique!

What is a junior ranger?A junior ranger is someone jusA junior ranger is a 7 to 12 yecompletes their activity booklepromises to help care for and resources and stories of our naIt’s a very important job!
Bring your booklet back to the visitor ce

Junior Ranger oath to get your badge a

Become a Junior Ranger:You can become a junior ranger at this park and many other national parks across the country. You can also visit www.nps.gov/webrangers to become a junior ranger online!Junior Ranger Guides:In this booklet, you will meet many kids from Prince William Forest Park history. These kids will help you learn about the park and guide you through fun activities. Follow the instructions of each junior ranger guide, then fulfi ll the oath of the Junior Ranger Corps - then you can teach others!

Welcome to the Prince William Forest Pa

Junior Ranger Corps!

Step Two

Complete all of the activities in this booklet. 

Let’s Get 

Step Three

Step One

Come to the park visitor center and talk with a park racan pick up your booklet. Or you can get it online at w

 Look for the hiking boots foextra credit! Complete all of an 

extra junior ranger prize! xtra junior ranger prize!
Arrowhead = history

...and make your list here.

Draw the missin

Hi kids! I’m Ranger 

1

Ralph! I’m one of your 

Junior Ranger guides. To be a true Junior Ranger, it is very important to learn what national parks protect. 

Have you noticed the “arrowhead” patch that all National Park Service rangers wear on their left arm? It contains symbols that represent the special things rangers help protect.Oh no!Someone has stolen the symbols from this arrowhead! Find an arrowhead in the park and draw in the symbols that are missing. Then make a list of what special resource each symbol represents. I’ve listed the fi rst one for you.
2

Tra-la-la! I’m Sally. I was one of the thousands of kids who went to summer camp here as early as the 1930s. I love to sing, just like the birds. I sing because it’s fun, but I wonder why the birds sing? Join me at the songbird display in the Prince William Forest Park visitor center to learn more about the birds here.What next...Use the word bank in the box to the right to answer the questions. Remember, use each bird only once. Good luck!

American Redstart

Yellow-throated Vireo

Whip-poor-will

Louisiana Waterthrush

Ovenbird

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Acadian 

Scarle

Hoode

Woo

Northern P

Worm-ea

1. Did you know that the names of songbirds can help Three birds on the display in the visitor center have nastate, country, or region they live in. Which birds are t2. The names of songbirds can also tell us if they like tland. Can you pick out which songbird lives in a forest3. Some birds are named because of the way they buibird whose nest looks similar to a round oven. Can yo4. There are two birds that have names telling us whafi nd these birds?5. There are four birds on the display that have names or appearance. Can you fi nd these birds?6. Birds are often named for their songs or calls. Listeout which bird “says’ its own name over and over agai
3 Doeg Scavenger Hunt Listed below are items that have been in this area since American 

hunting here over 8000 years ago. Take a walk from the visitor cePiedmont Forest Trail or Laurel Loop Trail to see if you can fi nd theto always leave everything where you found it so the next person 

Hi there! I’m a weroansqua. 

That means I’m the female chief of the Doeg Indian tribe. If my brother were chief, we would call him the weroance. Our tribe used to camp, hunt and gather food at the park. We also used to quarry rock to use in our hunting tools.

Let’s take a walk!There are many wonderful things you can fi nd in the park. Many things that you will fi nd on your walk today are the same things I enjoyed fi nding when my mother and I lived here in the 1600s.

Start with these items:

• an animal track• a seed • a natural sound• a leaf • a bright color • a smell • an animal 

Now try to fi nd something...• younger than you• older than you• bigger than you• smaller than you• smooth• soft• hard

Ask a park ranger at the visitor center for a secret caround the visitor center or take a nearby trail to fi matches your secret color chip! I did 
Beavers do many of the same things peopl

way. They can’t go to the store to get theiand nails to build their houses. Beavers fi nsurvive in the forest. 

My name is Tracker Dan! 

4

Complete the sentences below using the ch

In the 1700s, animaltrackers like me roamed across the colony of Virginia in search of beaver furs. We learned from the American Indians who lived here before us how to use beaver fur to make hats and other clothes. Unfortunately, we trapped so many beavers that by the time the United States became a country there were almost no beavers left east of the Mississippi River.Busy BeaversBeavers are a very important part of the Quantico Creek watershed. National parks protect all kinds of wildlife like beavers. You can help protect them by learning about these busy creatures.

1. A beaver’s is like a p

Lodge

2. A beaver eats like pe

Trees

3. A beaver’s acts like 

Fur

Now complete the sentences by unscrambling the jumbled words

Busy VAEBERS are members of the rodent family. They build MADS that help fi lter TAWER.Beaver ponds provide good habitat for many animals including Their DEBWEB back feet are very helpful for MIMINGSW.They can stay RUDEN water for up to fi fteen minutes.Baby beavers are called STIK.They build their DOLGES out of brances and DUM.

Word ChoicesFootEaringsFoodHarmonicaHouseToothpasteRaincoatHoneycomb
I am a bone tha

use to chew the food the

that can be fl at for chewing 

that are sharp and point

#______

I am the sparkly parts of 

a dark rock that often “fools” 

people into believing I am 

gold.

#________

I am left behind when 

an animal walks through the 

mud. Scientists use me to record 

what animals live in the forest. 

#________

I am the hard bone that 

holds and protects the part of a deer’s 

body that controls breathing, thinking, running, walking, and seeing. 

#________

of 

of yea

A part 

I am a light-colore

with fairly fl at edges. My 

outside is marked with bands o

minerals.

#_________

5

My name is Francie. I once lived on a farm here and shared the land with animals, trees ,and fl owers. Wouldn’t you like to learn more about the kinds of things that you can fi nd here in Prince William Forest Park?To learn more about my home...Journey to the visitor center and match the objects on the “Touch and Learn Table” to the descriptions on these pages. Write the object’s number in the space provided.
I kee

warm, e

the cold win

touch me

# 

I am the home of 

an animal that lives in Prince 

William Forest Park. With their legs 

and head pulled inside me, I protect 

this animal from predators. 

#________

There are two of me on 

the table. I give birds their color. A 

bird needs me to be able to fl y. 

#________

I am a ball of 

hair and bones that an 

owl spits up after eating a 

meal. 

#________

I am a stone 

that is different. A long 

time ago, my edges were sharp 

and jagged like the other rocks in 

the forest. People used to shape me 

into fl at stones to build homes and 

barns.

#_________

I was once a 

tall tree until a beaver 

moved in. Now I provide 

food and shelter for the beaver. 

#________

t

each y

spring. 

themse

the f

 I am a piece 

of backbone from the 

largest mammal that lives and 

swims in the ocean. 

#________

I am a r

formed whe

invades tree 

The invading 

and I am the 

 I am a large wavy object that 

grows on dead and decaying trees. I am brown 

and if you pick me up, I am very light. 

#________ 
Dear Henry, 

Yesterday, I couldn’t do any more farm wme to help out at the store.I love to help my dad out at the store. It’s that is 

fi lled top to bottom with so many 

Folks come there from all over the county and, of course, to catch up on what their They also bring their letters there to have don’t know how to read. For most folks, ito come to the store since there aren’t too means they’ve got some money to spend. Mharvest.Trouble was, yesterday there were all kindI’d never seen before. I drew a picture for items that don’t belong in my ole’ time cou Your friend, John

6

Howdy kids, I’m John!I’m a farmer’s son. Can you fi nd a picture of me when I was 6 years old in the farming exhibit at the visitor center?A simple life...In the old days, folks around here led a simple life. We farmed or hunted all of the food we ate. My mom used to make all our clothes from fl our sacks or rags. I always helped out by taking care of the house, the farm animals, or at my family’s country store. When I wasn’t helping out, I liked to write letters like this to my friends. Back then, letters (not TVs) were how folks got the lastest news!

Like most farmers’ children, school was often set afarm. But kids often wrote and read better than tJohn’s letter about his very special day with his dadthe misplaced modern-day items in the store on th

Take a hike! Drive to the Turkey Run Education Old Blacktop Road to Taylor Farm Road to see thFamily Farm. I di
List the modern-day items here.
7

Look out! I’m Pyrite Paul! A miner’s life...The Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine operated from 1889 to 1920. Pyrite (pronounced Pie-right) is sometimes called “Fool’s Gold.” The pyrite was “roasted” for sulfur, an important ingredient in making paper, rubber, medicines and explosives. Many local residents worked in the mine, including kids!How do I get out of here?It’s very dark underground in the mines. Can you help me fi nd my way out? Watch out for hazards of mining, it can be a dangerous job!

Take a hike! Drive to parking lot “D” and hike down the Pyrite Mine Road to the Cabin Branch Mine Trail. You’ll see the foundations of the old pyrite mine.

I d
8

Hi, I’m Joe! I just enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC).About the CCCFrom 1935-1942 the CCC built the Chopawamsic (chop-ahwahm-sick) Recreational Demonstration Area, which in 1948 became Prince William Forest Park.The CCC built fi ve cabin camps, dams, lakes and bridges in the park - many of which are still in use today.Join the CCC!Now it’s time for you to sign up. Fill out this special application.

Application for Enrollment

in the

Civilian Conservation Corps

For Official UseDate: Local Agency: NPSCity or Town: Dumfries, VAWhat is your name?Do you live on a farm? How tall are you? How much do you weigh? How old are you? Are you married? Are you a US citizen? Are you male or female? Are you employed? How much do you earn/week?$ How many years of schooling do you have? How many brothers and sisters do you have? What do your father & mother do? How many rooms are in your house? Do you have running water? Do you have an ice box? Do you have a telephone? 

Applicati

Civilian C

For Official Date: JulLocal AgencyCity or TownWhat is your Do you live o

How tall are How much do yHow old are yAre you marriAre you a US Are you male Are you emploHow much $ do $ 8.00How many yearyou have? 

6

How many brotyou have? 

4

What do your farmer, housew

How many roomhouse? 

6

Do you have r

Do you have aDo you have a 
9

Welcome to summer camp! The cabins at Prince William Forest Park were built as summer camps for kids from around Washington, D.C. They were built for health and happiness! Now you can design your own camp.Name it... then build it!Write the name of your camp on the camp banner.Then, on the next page you will fi nd a page full of cabins, campfi res, and other items to use to decorate your camp. Cut out the pieces and glue or tape them to this page to make your camp come to life! Under each cabin write what activites your summer campers will enjoy!

Welcome to Camp_________
Campfi re Cabins

Cut out the cabins, campfi res, benches, and the ballfi eld to design your very own cabin camp!
- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - Cut out campfi re pieces on reverse side to design your own campsite in activity num

The Offi ce of Strategic Services in Prince William Forest Park. All photosused courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
This is Agent Jack coding 

in! I’m from the Offi ce of 

Stategic Services. I was trained to be a spy here during World War II. I learned how to use Morse Code, hide my identity, and fi nd my way in the woods. A good spy must be coolheaded, fast-thinking, and have good observation skills. 

Do you have what it takes to be a spy?Help Agent Jack fi nd places on his map. Unscramble the place names, then record the number of each location next to its name in the map legend. (The fi rst one has been done for you.) 

10

3, Orenda RDNEOA Cabin Camp

Piedmont TOESRF TrailRTIISVO CenterKPRA EntranceSouth YELVLA TrailGAPNRIK Lot DPine Grove CCNIIP AreaEYUTKR Run RidgeCabin Branch YPIERT MineNorth Valley LAITR

A good spy is always prepared for anything. I never go anywhere without water, a map and a fi rst-aid kit.

Piedmont
11

Howdy y’all, I’m Jesse! Did you know there are many ways to learn about history - you can read about it, look at art, watch a movie, or listen to stories told by the people who lived it. But did you know that history can also be studied by listening to music? Songs can teach us about people and their feelings about things like family, work, war, and religion. Sometimes, if you listen closely to the words of songs, you will hear they have something important to tell.Listening to history! Can you hear it? For hundreds of years, people called 

what is now Prince William Forest Park “home.” Native Americans, Civil War soldiers, farmers, the OSSers, CCCers, miners, church-goers, and school children all left their mark on this land. We can learn a lot about their way of life and their troubles and experiences by listening to the songs they sang. 

Here is a list of people who lived on this land before it became Prince William Forest Park. Can you tell which song belongs to which person? 

We were down, We were lost, BuWe were broke, Got on the MarcBent our backs, BAnd became a gThat led a Nation My Land, I’ve heIn ways, you still Your mountains Civilian ConservaMy Land, and thWho sang it? ___

CCC Boy

Pyrite Miner

OSS Recruit

Baptist Minister

Great Depression Farmer

Railroad Hobo

Read along to each set of 

song lyrics. Using the list of 

people below and what you 

know about park history, help 

Jesse fi gure out who may have 

sung each song. 
We me

We are With bAnd neWe waAnd wWe are And wWe’re sFrom tEight hEight hEight hEight hEight hEight hWho sa

They used to tell me I was building a dream, And so I followed the mob, When there was earth to plow,Or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dream, With peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line,Just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run,Made it race against time.Once I built a railroad; now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower, up to the sun,Brick, and rivet, and lime; Once I built a tower, now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?Who sang it? ___________________

Amazing GracThat saved a wI once was losWas blind, but T’was Grace thmy heart to feAnd Grace, mHow precious the hour I fi rst Who sang it? 

Come and listen you fellows, so young and so fi ne,And seek not your fortune in the dark, dreary mines. It will form as a habit and seep in your soul, ‘Till the stream of your blood is as black as the coal. It’s dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew, Where danger is double and pleasures are few, Where the rain never falls and the sun never shinesIt’s dark as a dungeon way down in the mine.Who sang it? _________________________

There’s a man who leads a life of dangerTo everyone he meets he stays a strangerWith every move he makesAnother chance he takesOdds are he won’t live to see tomorrowSecret agent man, secret agent manThey’ve given you a numberAnd taken away your name.Who sang it? ______________________
Welcome to the park, it’s open 

Come join the quest, to fi nd the To preserve our park for all to eand boy.Begin the task at the Piedmont Near where picnickers come to Walk on the path until you see,A green mark painted on a treeThis BLAZE is used to show the For hikers to trek in the woods When you turn to the left, see tPeople carved their names, so pA tree cannot heal, instead it foTo protect itself from rot and dBut this shortens the lives of theOn the tree to the left, beware Wrapped around the trunk. NoIt’s poison ivy by name, so you’vIf you begin to itch & sting, Because you touched the thingAs you continue along, a stone You to sit for a bit as you ponde

12

Hi, I’m Ranger Sally! I’m here to take you on an exciting letterboxing adventure through a Prince William Forest Park trail!What is letterboxing?It is a fun, family activity that combines hiking, treasure hunting, navigation,and even arts and crafts.Getting Started...Ask a ranger how to get to the Piedmont Forest Trail. Follow the clues in this booklet to discover a secret letterbox somewhere on the trail. The letterbox contains a logbook, ink pad, and rubber stamp. When you fi nd the letterbox...Use the ink pad to stamp your thumbprint in the logbook and write today’s date next to it. Using the rubber stamp from the box, stamp this Junior Ranger booklet in the space provided.

Can you fi nd the letterbox 

I hid on the Piedmont Forest Trail? 

If you follow these clues, you’ll 

learn a little bit about 

the forest too!

Diffi cuWalkinType: F1 Pace 
Walk a few steps, then make a decision

To take the fork to the right when you see a division.Next you’ll see two blazed guards astride the path. Take care of the forest or you’ll incur their wrath.Follow along, on the right there’s a stumpThat serves as a home for insects, happy and plump.On the left grows a tree, or maybe even three;Either way, it’s a giant, don’t you agree?You’ll come to a bridge that you’ll use to check your paces;If you count 7, then you’ll be aces.Straight ahead for a bit,then the path takes a curveTo a longer bridge this time that makes a big swerve.Rocks along the side of the path on the rightWill lead you to turn left to see an interesting sight--A tree with a hollow fi t for hobbits or gnomes,Or any small creatures to make a nice home.Walk across the small bridge, then begin your count;9 paces, turn right and from the path dismount.Count 12 paces more to where the gravel begins;And 14 paces on rocks, turn left and face the twins:Two tall trees side by side bid you walkEight paces more toward the treasure you stalk.The tree on the left has a space on its sideWhere rocks cover the letterbox hidden inside.Take care with the box and please take a lookFor creepy, crawly creatures before you stamp the book.

Use this space to p

stamp you have f

Use your thumb and the date tThat you were there and then To use the stamp in the box to Then put the box back so otheWhen they fi nd the box after ytoo.Now that you’ve found what yContinue on the trail, but not Enjoy nature’s bounty, the treeYou’ve got your reward and de

Did you like this activity?If so, learn more about it at www

Did you remember to stamp the log book with today’s dabeen letterboxing! But remeanyone where you found thsecret! And be sure to put ethe letterbox) right back wh
13

Lookout kids! I’m Agent Janey. I trained here with the Offi ce of Strategic Services to become a spy. One of the fi rst spy lessons I learned here was how to be invisible. Wherever we went, we left no evidence that we were ever there.Leave No TraceThis lesson is just as important to remember when hiking or camping in a national park like Prince William Forest Park. “Leave No Trace” means that you enjoy a place without leaving any evidence that you’ve been there. Complete the activites on this page to learn how to Leave No Trace.

Across1. When hiking, always stay on the __ __ __ __ __.2. Plan ahead and always carry drinking __ __ __ __ __.3. Be sure to put out the hot ashes of your  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ completely.4. Always keep your dog on a __ __ __ __ __.5. Watch out for __ __ __ __ and other wildlife on the roads.Down1. Don’t litter – your __ __ __ __ __ can be harmful to wildlife.2. If you fi nd a baby animal, it’s best to __ __ __ __ __ it where you 3. Always wear a __ __ __ __ __ __ to protect your head when ridin4. Obey the posted speed __ __ __ __ __ when driving through the 
Don’t forget to get your certifi ca

book signed too! 

NPS Park Ranger contributors:Kathi BertschLaura CohenJenn KaysRalph MarrantinoKelly WestermeyerSpecial Thanks...to volunteer Matthew Lawrence who generously donated his time and talent to illustrate this booklet and to volunteer Laura Stevenson for the fi nishing touch on design and layout.March 2008

Congratulations, you have completed the 

Prince William Forest Park Junior Ranger Co

Have the park ranger say the Junior Rangepresent your badge!

Now that you have completed all the activities, takthe visitor center and ask a park ranger to look it o

As an offi cial member of the Junior Ranger Corps, 

don’t forget to spread the word...
- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - Cut along dotted line to remove certifi cate - - - - - - - - - - - 

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InterPrince William Forest Park18100 Park Headquarters RoadTriangle, VA 22172

Prince William Forest Park

I _______________________________________________ promise to protect and pranimals, and history of the park. I will share what I have learned with others, when I see it, and forever explore Prince William Forest Park and other nation

This certifi es that

is an offi cial Junior Ranger through 

the completion of all required 

activities at Prince William Forest Park.

Park Ranger Signature