Minnesota Junior Ranger program expands with new wildlife activity book
Otter Tail County families have a new free add-on for summer park trips: Minnesota's Junior Ranger book for ages 9 and up comes with a bat patch.
A new Junior Ranger booklet gives Otter Tail County families a low-cost reason to spend a summer day at a Minnesota state park or recreation area, with activities built around wildlife kids are often told to fear. The free booklet is meant for children ages 9 and up and adds a second track to a program that already has brought younger kids into the state parks system.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the new book, “Junior Ranger: Get curious!,” was released June 15 and was designed by Minnesota DNR state park naturalists. Its pages focus on bats, snakes and turkey vultures, animals that many people misunderstand but that play important roles in Minnesota’s outdoors. The DNR says the booklet is available at most Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, and printable versions can be downloaded online.
For families in and around Perham and the rest of Otter Tail County, the program is built for a day trip rather than a big-ticket outing. Children complete the activities in the booklet, then bring it to a ranger station or visitor center to earn a patch. Kids who finish the new book get a bat patch, adding a tangible reward to an afternoon that can include hiking, wildlife watching and time along trails or shorelines.
The expansion also gives parents a second entry point into the program as children get older. The original Junior Ranger booklet, for ages 6 and up, launched in 2023 and has been popular since then. The DNR says the program is designed for ages six to ten, but anyone can participate, which makes it easy for siblings in different age groups to do the same park visit without paying extra.
The program is funded through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, and the DNR says residents can fish in many state parks without a fishing license. With 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, more than 5,000 campsites, 35 state water trails, over 3,000 public boat launches, 360 fishing piers and more than 1,300 miles of state trails, the system gives Otter Tail County families plenty of options for turning the new booklet into a full outdoor day.
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