Nicaragua's Nature Stewards: The Junior Rangers

Thanks to your past support, the Junior Rangers have been engaged in a range of outdoor learning and service activities. For the 188 children enrolled, program activities have opened their eyes to the beauty in their natural world and their role in helping to manage the forests, farms and waters for the benefit of their families and biodiversity.

For the children who come from rural communities in the Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor, the twice monthly workshops are something to look forward to.  Topics this spring have ranged from pollution, birds, forest mammals, sea turtles, and coral reefs. 

Since my last update to you, the children helped out in river and beach cleanups and participated in Global Big Day helping our team to observe a total of 360 birds (a record for our team). They also celebrated World Environment Day, released baby sea turtles, and planted trees.

The Junior Rangers are now on a brief mid-year break, since they are also on vacation from school.

We are planning to start up the Junior Ranger program in September, but we need your help to make that happen. Would you please consider renewing your gift to this project? Without your support, we may need to reduce the number of children in the program. Like you, we hope that this does not happen, and so we are doing everything we can to drum up support this month.

Thank you for giving these great opportunities to children and for investing in the future of their planet.

With gratitude,

Sarah Otterstrom

Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Thanks to your support for this campaign, our Junior Ranger program has been going strong and children who started the protect during the pandemic were finally able to complete the curriculum and celebrate. 

Here are a few updates since we last wrote:

At last! IWe were able to graduate a group of 107 children from our Junior Ranger program in celebrations held in five communities. These resilient kids had started their Junior Ranger learning journey in 2020. During the first year of the pandemic, the children showed their patience as they participated in remote lessons. Then, in 2021, we were able to resume in-person lessons and the children showed their enthusiasm for engaging with their natural world. Thanks to the Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support, which augmented yours in advancing this program throughout the pandemic. 

Thanks to you, the Junior Ranger program continued in 2022, and included new ocean curriculum with the help of the Benedict Family Foundation. Early next year we will hold a graduation celebration for the 2022 cohort, thanks to your support and that of the Woolley Family Foundation. We are proud of the Junior Rangers for sticking with the program and are oh-so-grateful to you for helping the children succeed. Thank you! 

We hope that you have a wonderful New Year! We look forward to celebrating more about the accomplishments of the Junior Rangers with you. Thank you again.

Warm regards,

Sarah