Activity Booklet

Ages 4 and Up
Instructions for Becoming a Junior Ranger

Ages 4-9 (Grades K-3rd) must earn 8 badge points or more

Ages 13 and over must earn 24 badge points or more

Ages 10-12 (Grades 4th- 6th) must earn 16 badge points or more

To become a Junior Ranger, you must earn badge points. Look below to see 

how many badge points you will need. Keep track of your badge points in the 

space below by putting a line through the badge, like this . 

A question or activity can be worth: 

(1 badge point) 

 (2 badge points) 

 (3 badge points) 

1
A Search for Ranger Safety 

Junior Ranger Safety Tips

Welcome to Redwood National and State Parks. I’m Ranger Debbie. 

There is so much to see and do here! I know that you are excited to get 

started but to be a Junior Ranger, you must always be safe! 

Earn badge points by filling in the missing letters in the Highlighted

words below and then find those words in the Word Search. 

Before going to the beach, know when H _ GH and L _ _ tides are.

At the beach, never turn your back to the W _ V _ S, they can sneak up on you!

Always carry W _ T _ _ to drink and a rain C O _ _ to keep you dry.

Stay at least 500 feet away when viewing W _ LD _ _ FE. 

Always H _ K _ with an adult and stay on the TR _ _ L.

Help keep wildlife wild! Never F _ _ D wild AN _ M _ LS. 

If you find a plant with LEA _ _ S of 

3, stay S _ FE and let it be....it’s trying 

to tell you, “don’t touch me!”

Look out for this plant! It can cause 

an itchy rash if you touch it. Here is 

a little rhyme to keep you safe:

L R F T R A I L A U

W O G R I C K F N H

A J W D Y O R E I I

V E A Q S A F E M G

E W T S L T P D A H

S L E A V E S V L K

N P R H I K E H S K

W I L D L I F E M X

Word Search

2

Poison Oak
The Redwood Puzzle

Prairies

Open grassy areas with no trees. 

Elk, deer, mountain lion, hawks, 

and mice all call this place home.

Hello. I’m Ranger Susanna. I bet you came here to see the tallest trees in 

the world. Coast redwoods are amazing trees that everybody should see 

but we have more than just tall trees in these parks. 

A habitat is a special home for a plant or animal. An old-growth forest is just 

one kind of habitat within these parks. Like pieces of a puzzle, when you 

put them all together, you get Redwood National and State Parks. 

Earn 2 badge points by drawing a line from the habitat to the correct 

puzzle piece.

Old-growth Coast Redwood Forest 

Trees that can grow over 350 feet 

high and live over 2,000 years!

Ocean

The Pacific. The Big Blue! Beaches, 

whales, birds, sea lions, tide pools!

Oak Woodlands

Mountain prairies. Open grass 

lands with oak trees. Fire keeps 

the meadows open for wildlife.

3

Rivers and Streams

Fresh clean water running to the 

ocean. All living things need this 

habitat to survive.
Be a Wildlife Detective

Ranger Adam here. As you explore the habitats of Redwood 

National and State Parks, you will discover some amazing things! You 

might not always see the wildlife you wanted to see...but you can find 

clues that wildlife has left behind. 

Find 5 wildlife clues in the parks and earn 3 badge points. 

Remember: Junior Rangers always leave things where they find them 

(except for litter..we pick that up!)

Feather

Bird Nest Tracks

Spiderweb

Sea Lion Bark

Empty Shell _____________

Other Clues? Other Clues? Other Clues?

_____________ _____________

Insect Buzzing

Hole in tree Whale Spout

Scat (Poop)

Bird Sound

Slime Trail Crab Molt (shed)

4
Tide Pool Bingo

Hey, I’m Volunteer Ranger Kristi. Have you ever seen the rocky ocean 

floor when the tide goes out? We call this habitat a tide pool. Take a 

walk on the beach and discover the amazing tide pools of Redwood 

National and State Parks! Safety first! Before you go, earn your 

safety badge points on page 2.

Earn 3 badge points by helping me identify at least 4 things that 

live in the tide pool habitat. 

Remember: 1. Always explore the beach with an adult. 

2. Never turn your back to the ocean.

3. Watch out for big waves.

4. Know the times of high and low tides.

 Barnacle

Green Anemone

Hermit Crab

Limpet

Sea Star

Sea Slug

Mussel

Rock Crab

Kelp

5
Ranger Beach Report

Date: 

Location: Time: 

Fog Waves Weather Temperature 

Special Observations: 

Redwood National and State Parks 

Beach Report

6

Hi, I’m Ranger Tiffany. Earn 3 badge points by filling out the 

Redwood National and State Parks beach report. Take a walk on 

the beach and look, listen, and feel for the current conditions. Return to 

a visitor center and compare your observations to the daily weather 

 information. 
How a Tree Works

Hey there! I’m Ranger Michael. Just like your bike or your computer, trees have 

different parts that do different jobs. Earn badge points by learning the parts 

of a tree and what jobs they do. Then, solve the crossword puzzle below.

-

-

1 4

5

2

3

Outer Bark- A protective jacket

Inner Bark- Moves food

Sapwood- Moves water

Heartwood- Strongest part of the tree 

that helps the tree grow straight and tall

Cambium- The growing layer

Tree Illustration Courtesy of International Paper

Across

1. The growing part

2. A tree’s protective jacket

3. The strongest part

Down

4. The part that moves food

5. The part that moves water

7
Be a Tree Detective

Hello, I’m Ranger Brett. Coast redwood trees can live to be over 2,000 

years old! How do I know this? I once counted over 2,000 growth rings 

on a single tree. The light rings are the seasons when the tree grew 

fast and dark rings are the seasons when the tree grew slow. 

Take a hike in the old-growth and look for clues to help you with 

this activity.

About how old was the tree when the black marks happened?

 ___________________________ and _________________________

_____________________________________________________________

How old is this tree? 

About ______ years old.

What do you think caused the black 

marks on the tree?

 Ranger Tip 

1 light growth ring

 

 + 1 dark growth ring 

 = 

 1 tree year

8
The Nursery Log

Shhhh...our forest babies are growing! I’m Ranger Stassia. I am a 

botanist and I study plants. A nursery log is a tree that has fallen over 

and is now a new home for baby plants. A nursery log, like a nursery for 

human babies, has all the right stuff to help baby plants grow.

Find a nursery log in the old-growth redwood forest and draw all 

the things you find growing on it. Use the photos below to help 

identify what you find.

Redwood 

Sorrel

 Huckleberry

 Fern

 Moss

 Salal

Western 

Hemlock

or

“Octopus

Tree”

9

 Fungus
10

The Octopus Tree Mystery

Hi there, I’m Ranger Emily. Now that you learned about nursery logs (on 

page 9), you have the knowledge to solve a mystery. An octopus tree 

stands on its roots...and its roots look kind of like an octopus! Most trees 

keep their roots hidden underground but something made this octopus 

tree (a Western Hemlock) grow this way. 

Earn 2 badge points and get your name in the paper by solving the 

Octopus Tree Mystery. Explain why the Octopus Tree grows like it 

does.

The Octopus Tree mystery has been 

solved! Here is how it works: _______

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

________________________________

_________________________________

Junior Ranger Solves 

Octopus Tree Mystery!
Hello. I’m Ranger Dale. Long before the rest of the world knew about 

redwood trees, American Indians like the Yurok and Tolowa were 

living, working, and playing underneath these giant trees. We still live 

here today. During your visit, look for the art, history, and culture of

American Indian people.

Making things by hand takes time. It can take 

as much as two years for a person to collect, 

clean, and organize all the different plants to 

weave a single basket.

A lot of care and thought was put into making 

traditional arts, tools, and homes. In these next 

activities you will get a chance to do the same.

Design and color 

your own basket. 

Create a design that 

means something to 

you. Take your time 

and plan your work. 

The Art of Making Things

11

Basket Design
12

Canoe Culture

If you think a basket is 

hard work, wait until you 

try this canoe. Get 

creative and build it using 

the tools that you have.

The Yurok and Tolowa 

use only hand tools and 

fire to make their canoes. 

They take great pride in 

their canoe making and 

fishing skills.

Like many cultures in 

our world, the Yurok and 

Tolowa believe that a 

canoe is not just a boat 

but a living thing. See 

if you can discover the 

special names for the 

parts of living canoe.

Fold

No

Kid

art

se

neys

He

Fold

Fold 

Glue

Fold 

Fold
13

Fish For The Right Color

Chinook Salmon

Coho Salmon

Steelhead Trout
Timber Time

Greetings. I’m Ranger Jim. Did you know that about 95% of the original coast 

redwood forest was cut down? That means for every 100 coast redwood trees, 

95 were used to make things.

A great question to ask a ranger is, “What makes the wood in the coast redwood 

trees so special?” Earn 2 badge points by finding 5 things made out of redwood in Redwood National and State Parks. Write or draw what you find 

on the notes below. Then, be ready to talk with a ranger about why redwood is 

some of the best wood on earth!

14 Tree Illustration Courtesy of International Paper
Hello, Ranger Lathrop here. I have a great wildlife tip for you: look for wildlife on 

the edge of the forest. Earn 2 badge points by discovering the hidden 

wildlife in the coloring sheet. Find a northern spotted owl, a black-tailed 

deer, a red legged-frog, a banana slug, a Pacific giant salamander, a beetle, 

a vole, a garter snake, a Humboldt marten, and a bobcat. 15

Hidden Life on the Edge
Discover How You Can Help

16

Hi! I’m Ranger Jason. Did you know that human food and garbage can hurt 

wildlife? Keeping our parks clean and safe is important! Earn three badge points 

by decoding the secret message to find out what you can do to help wildlife in 

Redwood National and State Parks. Some of the pictures make the sound of 

the word. You may also have to subtract (-) or add (+) letters to the word.

 -y +ep 

_ _ _ _ wildlife _ _ _ _ by

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ them _ _ _ 

 -t+ding -t+d

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ food _ _

-b Pudding N

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ and food lockers.
 Secret animal you saw: 

 Date: Time: 

Ranger Question #1:

Ranger Question #2:

Ranger Question #3:

Ranger’s Guess:

 Redwood Habitat: 

Location:

Stump the Ranger

Psssttttt...down here, I’m Ranger Nate. Need some badge points? Find an 

animal—any animal—anywhere in the parks. Fill out the “Stump the Ranger” 

form and head to a visitor center. Read the form to the ranger (but don’t tell 

the ranger what you saw!). The ranger can ask you 3 questions and gets 

1 guess. You get 3 badge points whether they guess it right or wrong!

Redwood National and State Parks

Stump The Ranger Form

17
Banana Slug Slide

Mucus Plug

Breathing Hole

Eyes

Tentacles

Foot 18

Hey Junior Ranger...I’m D.J. Slime

Listen up close to my banana slug rhyme 

Get badge points...through song and moves 

 In front of a ranger...show your groove

Put one foot on the other...cause you only got one

Yeah, you look crazy...but you know it’s fun

With your feet as one...get ready to go

Shake it left or right...move heel to toe 

Throw your tentacles (arms) in the air and wave your good-byes

Make your hands in tight fists and call’em your eyes 

Now look at your behind and don’t be smug

It’s not what you think...it’s just your mucus plug

People are wondering if your brain is fried

But you just say, “Nope...I’m doing the banana slug slide!”
Redwood History Explorer

Want to explore some of our local history? Great! I am 

Ranger Susan. I am a historian. A historian learns about 

the past and shares it with others. 

Earn 3 badge points by exploring the places on 

the map and solving the riddles of 

Redwood National and State Parks history. 

I was built to keep America safe from harm. 

Inside...soldiers, concrete, arms...

Outside...chicken, goats, house on a farm.

What am I? ______________________

Today I’m a pond with rushes and reeds.

Years ago, this is not what you’d see.

I was once a place full of floating trees!

What am I? _______________________

I am cliffs of gold,

Made of stream beds old, Old, OLD!

Ohh...the treasures I still hold!

What am I? _______________________

 Ranger Tip

Look for signs and 

plaques that 

explain the history 

of the area.

19
Map

Legend

Colors

Symbols

Water

My 

Location

=

=

=

=

=

=

M

=

=

Map Maker

Hi there! I’m Ranger Carey and I love to make maps. A cartographer is a person 

who makes maps. I share my maps and my favorite places so that everyone can 

explore Redwood National and State Parks. 

For 3 badge points, make a map of a special place that you visited today.

Take your time. Include colors and symbols on you map. When you get home, 

share your map with a friend.

20
Bringing it Home

Think of all the things you have done and seen today. We are so 

lucky to have Redwood National and State Parks. It is a special 

place that everybody can visit and enjoy. 

As a Junior Ranger you promise to take care of our parks, but 

there is more work to be done. Our habitat is bigger than 

Redwood National and State Parks. Our habitat is our home, our 

school, and our Earth.

Your school and home are the best places to show off your 

Junior Ranger skills: learning, sharing, recycling, and keeping 

your habitat clean and healthy is what Junior Rangers do! 

21
Keep on Learning

Want to be a Junior Ranger in other parks? 

www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22783

www.nps.gov/webrangers

www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm

Have a school project? We can help! Check us out online.

www.parks.ca.gov

www.nps.gov

Do you have questions for a ranger? 

Phone: (707) 465-7335 

E-mail: redw_information@nps.gov

How about bringing the redwoods to your classroom? 

Sign up for a free video-conference with a redwood ranger!

www.ports.parks.ca.gov

Want to bring your whole class to the redwoods? 

www.nps.gov/redw/forteachers/index.htm

Need another Junior Ranger booklet? 

www.nps.gov/redw/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

Need some cool photos of the redwooods?

www.nps.gov/redw/photosmultimedia/index.htm

Need some great books and gifts from the redwoods?

www.redwoodparksassociation.org

22
Working as a team, California State 

Parks and the National Park Service 

created the Redwood Junior Ranger 

program. Printing was made possible 

by the generosity of the Redwood 

Parks Association.

This certifies that _____________________________

has earned enough badge points and is now an official 

Redwood Junior Ranger!

Sworn in by Ranger ___________________________