Living in New York City, I don't get as many opportunities to be out in nature as some kids, like Violet. Still, there are some places in the city where you can imagine you're in the wild. One of those places is the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It's part of the National Park system- it's one of the units of Gateway National Recreation Area. My moms and I love to go there on weekends to walk their trail around the pond along the shore of Jamaica Bay.



I have been to Jamaica Bay more times than I can count. It's definitely the National Park site I visit most- but until very recently, they did not have a Junior Ranger program. Every visit, I made sure to tell the rangers that I wanted a Jamaica Bay Junior Ranger program- and they listened!! This time, they were debuting their new Junior Ranger program.



Our walk around the pond took a little longer than usual, since I had so many activities to do. At this time of year, the Canadian geese are nesting. Some of them built their nests so close to the trail! I should ask the ranger why they do that- when people walk by, they hiss at them!



At the end of the day, I earned a badge. I also earned a patch, since I did every one of the activities. I'm so proud to be a Junior Ranger at Jamaica Bay!  If you'd like to learn more about the Gateway National Recreation Area, check out their website at http://www.nps.gov/gate/ !

What's your favorite place to explore where you live?