CORE NATURAL CULTURAL RECREATION SERVICE
22
LITTER LINGO
Name
Date
Park
There are two types of litter which can occur.
Nature’s Litter is good for our soil because
it provides nutrients for plants to grow and
be healthy.
People’s Litter is harmful to our environment
and it is up to us to make sure our waste is
placed in the recycling bin or trash can.
Nature’s Litter
Leaf litter, which often includes twigs and sticks, is
what Park Rangers call the debris that falls to
the ground from trees. The leaves are broken
down by animals, microorganisms and fungi
into tiny pieces and become part of the soil.
The soil feeds the trees to help them grow tall
and make new leaves!
People’s Litter
Bottles, cans, paper and other trash are not
nature’s litter. At the beach, in the woods, or next
to a road, litter on the ground can hurt wildlife and
the environment because people’s litter does not
naturally belong. It also takes away from the
environment’s natural beauty. Look all around before
you leave an area and take all your trash to the
trash can, recyling bin or dumpster.
Search for these words in the puzzle below. Circle the words
which are nature’s litter and draw a line through the words
which are people’s litter. Draw a box around each word which
is not either. One of each type has been done for you!
SERVICE ACTIVITY
LITTER LINGO
BOTTLE
DIAPER
ENVIRONMENT
FEATHER
FISHING LINE
FLOWER
GRASS
LITTER
LEAVES
PALM FROND
PINE CONE
PINE NEEDLE
PLASTIC
RECYCLE
SOIL
TRASH
TWIGS
WRAPPER
L
U
P
F
T
R
A
S
H
S
T
T
L
E
S
I
L
W
F
L
H
T
X
N
E
I
A
P
N
O
I
X
I
L
I
E
N
K
T
V
F
E
W
G
R
A
X
M
I
R
L
T
E
R
C
E
S
R
R
N
L
C
S
W
E
S
E
O
R
A
S
O
G
O
W
O
R
R
D
C
N
G
N
R
N
S
E
I
I
A
P
I
Y
E
L
I
I
E
R
S
U
L
P
L
A
C
I
V
H
G
R
A
S
S
I
P
A
P
L
N
S
F
E
A
T
H
E
R
E
S
E
E
I
E
B
O
T
T
L
E
L
R
T
R
F
I
P
A
L
M
F
R
O
N
D
I
J
X
P
I
N
E
N
E
E
D
L
E
C
Use these words to write a statement below about how you can keep our parks and
environment clean and litter free. Now share your message with your friends. If you
share online do not forget the hashtag #FLStateParksJrRanger! There are also many
opportunities for you to help! Ask a member of the park staff about events to help
keep our parks clean.
CORE NATURAL CULTURAL RECREATION SERVICE
23
WRITE A LETTER
Name
Date
Park
Fill in the blanks below and send the completed letter to someone you have not
seen recently. Make a copy to keep for yourself!
Dear
,
Today I visited
State Park
which is near
, Florida.
There are so many different kinds of plants and animals in Florida! Today I saw a
and a
My favorite Florida plant is
.
because
.
My favorite Florida animal is
because
.
I had a lot of fun at the park today, and I learned so much. I learned to
help Florida’s state parks. I can
.
You should visit a Florida State Park near you! Maybe we
can go together.
Sincerely, SERVICE ACTIVITY
WRITE A LETTER
Fold the letter along the dotted lines to mail your letter.
You can also take a picture or scan and email your letter
to us! [email protected]
Fold Here First
From (Return Address):
Place
Stamp
Here
To:
Fold Here Second
Use tape to seal your letter.
CORE NATURAL CULTURAL RECREATION SERVICE
24
WRITING HAIKUS
Name
Date
Park
A haiku (pronounced hi • koo) is a very short type of
Japanese poetry. This type of poem is special
because it is always written in three lines with a
certain number of syllables in each line. Sometimes a
haiku forms a full sentence however sometimes a
haiku can be simply a phrase. All haikus follow the same
pattern of syllables for each line. The first line has five
syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five.
The number of syllables in a word is important for building a haiku.
Syllables are the pieces of sounds that form words. For example:
“Worm”
has only one syllable because it is only one sound.
“Butterfly”
has three syllables because it is made up of three sounds:
“but • ter • fly”
You can usually count a word’s syllables by placing a finger on your chin, saying
the word aloud, and counting how many times your chin goes down.
Try it! How many syllables are in each of the following words?
Service
Help
Learning
Communicate
Volunteer
Ranger
Park
Community
Team
Now you know how to identify and count syllables in a word, you
are ready to write your own haikus!
SERVICE ACTIVITY
WRITING HAIKUS
Read the examples, then try to write some of your haikus
own based on your experience in the park. Remember to
follow the pattern of 5, 7 and 5 syllables for each line.
EXAMPLES
Line 1: 5 Syllables
1. What should I do here?
Line 2: 7 Syllables
“Get a little park on ya,”
there lives the gopher tortoise
Line 3: 5 Syllables
the Ranger told me.
who likes to eat plants.
2.
Down in a burrow
1. What you love most about Florida State Parks
2. How park staff helps protect Florida’s state parks
3. How you can help protect Florida’s state parks
Your haikus have the right amount of letters to fit in a tweet!
Pick one favorite haiku to share using Twitter. Use the hashtag at the
bottom of this page to tag your tweet. Don’t forget to ask a
parent or guardian for help first.
CORE NATURAL CULTURAL RECREATION SERVICE
25
INSIDE STORY: VOLUNTEERS
Name
Date
Park
Volunteering in a Florida State Park is a great way to get involved and
help the Florida Park Service carry out its mission:
Mission:
Provide resource-based recreation
while preserving, interpreting and restoring
natural and cultural resources.
Florida Park Service volunteers serve the parks in many different
ways. You may see them in different places throughout the park,
such as leading a tour or performing maintenance on a boardwalk.
Did you know there are four types of volunteer services? As a Junior
Ranger, you may be able to apply yourself to one or more of these
types! Learn about them below.
Individual Volunteers contribute to Florida’s state parks in a variety of ways. They
may greet visitors, conduct tours, assist with special events, help Park Rangers
remove exotic plants or maintain the natural beauty of a beach, waterway or trail.
Campground Hosts are volunteers who aid park staff in the maintenance and care of
state park camping areas. They answer campers’ questions, help with cleaning
restrooms and are available for late-night emergencies.
Group Volunteers can be a family, community or student group including civic clubs
and organizations which sometimes support annual events. Groups can adopt trails,
portions of a park or even an entire park.
Youth Volunteers are volunteers under the age of 18 (this means you). Youth
volunteers are encouraged to apply and join a volunteer team to engage in a variety
of fun activities which protect and serve Florida State Parks.
SERVICE ACTIVITY
INSIDE STORY
Find out more about what it takes to be a volunteer in the
Florida Park Service. Pair up with a volunteer at the park you
are visiting today and ask them the following interview
questions as if you were writing for your own newspaper. Then
share your interview with a relative!
THE JR. RANGER TIMES
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
TODAY’S DATE IS
EXTRA! EXTRA! VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
FLORIDA STATE PARKS
Today I’m interviewing
.
(who)
They have been a volunteer for
.
(months or years)
As a volunteer, it is his/her job to
(work duties)
They chose to volunteer for the Florida Park Service because
(how the parks inspire them)
. What they love most about
volunteering is
(favorite things about volunteering)
.
For those interested in volunteering for the Florida Park Service,
encourages others to
(advice they would like to give)
Do you or a parent or guardian have a camera or smart device with a
camera? With your parents’ permission, take a picture with the
volunteer you interviewed and share it on Instagram.
Use the hashtag in your post!
(name)
.
CORE NATURAL CULTURAL RECREATION SERVICE
PARK PROGRAM
26
Name
Date
Park
Every year, Florida’s state parks provide
over 2,000 Ranger Programs which teach
different things about Florida’s natural
and cultural resources. Now is your
chance to learn from a Park Ranger,
Park Volunteer or Park Partner!
Attend a park program and use what
you have learned from the program to
answer the questions below.
What was the name and subject of the program?
Where in the park was the program?
What are two new things you
learned from the program?
1.
2.
SERVICE ACTIVITY
PARK PROGRAM
Sharing what you have learned about the Florida State
Parks informs others. The more people know about
Florida’s state parks, the more they will want to help.
Draw or take a picture about two things you learned with others today. Write a short
statement explaining your images. Ask a parent to help you share your drawings or
pictures on Facebook. Find the hashtag at the bottom of the page and add it to your post!
PICTURE
STORY