Communities everywhere recognise that environmental education aimed specifically at children is an essential part of helping us all to live better in the world around us.
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Also understood is the need for unstructured physical play and time spent exploring the natural environment.
Even the United Nations says that "environmental education is critical for promoting sustainable development and improving the capacity of the people to address environmental and development issues". Weighty words indeed.
I think it is exciting to know that helping kids feel comfortable in the natural world is something that we can all take part in.
Our families and schools do a fabulous job at linking the natural world to every day learning. Who doesn't love an afternoon spent building a cubby, catching a fish or reading stories about tigers creeping through the jungle?
For kids who want to go one step further in their explorations there is the Junior Ranger program.
This fun and fabulous environmental education program has, for the last 28 years, been getting kids out and about, giving them and their families essential skills and the confidence to take on the world.
Becoming a Junior Ranger means following a great tradition, becoming an everyday environmental enthusiast and pint sized pioneer. Being a Junior Ranger means having fun, getting grubby and making new friends while visiting new places and learning lots about yourself and your world.
Junior Rangers is for local kids between 9 and 12 years of age and is offered free of charge to Territory families. Children enrolling in the program in Katherine must be able to commit to a series of ten events over second term of the school year. Places in the program are limited and are offered on a 'first come first served' basis so make sure that you get your enrolment forms in as soon as you can.
Enrolments for the 2019 Katherine region Junior Ranger program are now open.
If your child would like to be part of the Junior Ranger crew you will find enrolment forms and further information at www.nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/become-a-junior-ranger.
Alternatively if you'd like forms emailed to you please contact clare.pearce@nt.gov.au or you can pick them up from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation office at 32 Giles Street.
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