Greetings from Carlsbad Caverns National Park

We visited Carlsbad Caverns years ago when my kids were about to enter fourth and sixth grade. The fourth grader opted to do the Junior Ranger program and immediately went to work on completing her workbook. The too-cool-for-anything sixth grader turned down the offer. As we waited for the bats to come out for their nightly flight, the boy leaned over to watch his sister at work. He must have liked what he saw because he said, “Mom, can you get me one of those, too?” It was quite a hike back to the center, but how could I resist a request for educational materials? So I obliged. The two spent the next day filling out as many requirements as they could, walking around identifying plants and learning about the caverns. They both stood proudly as they received their Jr. Ranger badges and took the oath. Years later, we visited Capulin Volcano National Park. They were in college by then. When they saw another child getting his ranger badge, they stopped what they were doing and walked over to watch. They remembered when they got theirs, and wanted to relive the experience. The national parks adventures have stayed with them. My daughter and her friends opted to hike several national parks during one spring break instead of spending it among the chaos at a beach. I hope one day I’ll see my grandchildren get their junior ranger badges.

Sincerely,
Nuri