National Parks Jr Ranger Essay Contest

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
First Lady, Director Announce Junior Ranger Contest


First Lady Laura Bush and Director Mary Bomar visited the park on Wednesday, February 7th, to participate in a special event hosted by the National Park Foundation. Joining a group of local fifth-graders from Florida City Elementary, both Bush and Bomar toured a restoration area in the park dubbed the “Hole-in-the-Donut”, an area of roughly 6,600 acres that has been invaded by Brazilian pepper, an exotic invasive species common around south Florida. While there, the students became honorary Junior Rangers and assisted park staff in planting fifteen native trees and shrubs in the area.
Following the event, the First Lady and the Director addressed students, visitors, park staff and invited guests.
“Today we hear that families and children are losing touch with nature and the outdoors,” said Bomar, “but you children are the future stewards of places like the Everglades, Big Cypress Biscayne and all the other special places in America. If you do not care about our parks, who will?”
The event was hosted by the National Park Foundation as a part of their First Bloom project, an initiative that aims to plant the seeds for a stronger conservation ethic, beginning with kids. Foundation President Vin Cipolla was on hand to announce the launch of the 2008 Junior Ranger Essay Contest, which encourages students to consider what they can do to “turn over a new leaf for the environment and help preserve our national parks.” The grand prize winner will travel with his or her family to Everglades National Park on Earth Day to star in an electronic field trip that examines native and invasive species in our national parks.
“In the Everglades, there are hundreds of invasive plants and animals,” said the First Lady. Acknowledging their hard work earlier in the day, Mrs. Bush praised the students for their help in assisting in the restoration of native plant communities in the park. “You’re very lucky to live so close to the Everglades,” she said, “We want to be sure that all American boys and girls get to get outside and breath the fresh air and explore the beauty of our country.”
Director Bomar encouraged the students to go back home and entice their families to come and enjoy the park.
“And I promise,” she quipped, “they won’t have to work as hard as you did today!”
Submission guidelines for the 2008 Junior Ranger Essay, can be found on the National Park Foundation website at: http://www.nationalparks.org/get-involved/essay-contest/
Contact Information
Name: Larry Perez