YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY ANNOUNCES A NEW SET OF FREE ADAPTED ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE USED BY CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 4-12 TO BECOME A JUNIOR RANGER.

Recently, Yosemite Conservancy worked with two speech-language pathologists to make the activities accessible for all children including those with complex learning, communication, motor and/or sensory challenges. Now, with family or caregivers as partners, children between the ages of 4 and 12 can complete their choice of five or more adapted activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge. Children do not need to speak, hold a pencil to write or draw, or use hearing or sight to complete the adapted activities.

Yosemite is the nation's third oldest national park. It has a multitude of natural and cultural features, meriting its designation as one of 24 World Heritage Sites in the US. Yosemite is truly a national treasure filled with majestic scenery, a variety of wildlife, unique geologic formations, giant sequoia trees, and a history of Native people who have lived there for thousands of years. As a national park, it is meant to be available for access to the public without restrictions based on income, class or ability.

The Junior Ranger Program, one of the most beloved traditions of the National Park Service, was created to help children discover and learn about the environment they are visiting. It exists in most national parks and supports children in experiencing the well-documented benefits of spending time outdoors by participating in fun and educational experiences related to the parks.

In 2020, Yosemite Conservancy decided to revise their Junior Ranger Handbook with a goal of providing more inclusive representation and expanding access to the park's youngest visitors. They wanted to make sure that children with a range of communication abilities could complete the activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge. The Conservancy contacted Penelope Hatch and Nancy Quick, two speech-language pathologists at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to review and evaluate the accessibility of the activities.

EXPANDED VIEW: The Yosemite Conservancy decided to revise their Junior Ranger Handbook so that children with a range of communication abilities could complete the activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge.