Junior Ranger Program

What to expect as a participant of the City of New Haven Jr Park Ranger Program!

• • Become familiar with parks by learning their location, key attributes, and history in order to provide public programming alongside the Rangers.
  • Participate in professional development includes field trips to relevant sites given the work being done at the time and for team building exercises, be given financial literacy lessons, be given opportunities to be team lead for events/workdays which include end-of-the-day feedback loops to see where one has achieved greatly and can improve as a leader, college/life preparation conversations, and resume writing.
  • Perform trail maintenance which could include clearing of fallen trees and brush, assessing trail conditions, and implementing restorative or passive maintenance, there may also be a chance to use GIS mapping.
  • Perform parks maintenance (trash/debris removal, weeding, site/building maintenance, and opportunities to work and engage with park friend groups).
  • Perform Animal Husbandry (reptiles and fish)!!!
  • Perform gear maintenance and testing of equipment like bike repair stands found throughout the City of New Haven, snowshoes maintenance, bike maintenance, fishing rod rigging, canoe/kayak/ SUP upkeep, and much more!
  • Learn how to interact with the public in a positive and professional manner.
  • Learn how to ID native and prevalent species of flora & fauna.
  • Learn how to use common handheld (battery or gas powered) tools.
  • Aid Rangers in the provision of interpretive tours of New Havens Monuments to residents and tourists alike.
  • Have an opportunity to design a program of their choosing… i.e., learning how to create a simplified curriculum & how to engage with varying audience types.

Join the rangers on a wonderful walk or hike to try and find some of New Havens aerial residents as they migrate throughout the seasons. Popular places are Lighthouse Point Park, West and East Rock Park’, as well as Edgewood Park in New Haven to get an up close and personal look at migratory and residential waterfowl including swans, geese, dabbling and diving ducks, as well as shore birds and wading birds.

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Sydney @ (475) 306-4804 or Ranger Leeane @ (475) 434-0831.

 Come out and meet our rangers ever Monday and Thursday.

This program is offered year around (weather permitting) seniors and residents of all ages, and could include any of the following: Identifying trees, birds, flowers, animals’ tracks, including, brook study, hiking, orienteering, and biodiversity. 

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

Thursday, March 14, 2024 Winter Nature Walk, Edgewood Ranger station.  11am - 1pm.  Bring bottled water and wear comfortable shoes. 

Thursday, March 21, 2024, Spring Nature Walk, Edgewood Park Ranger Station, 11 am - 1pm.  Bring bottled water and wear comfortable shoes.

This popular program introduces children and youth to the fascinating world of owls. By using sterilized owl pellets, students reconstruct the owl's prey by piecing together the bones and studying the skulls. Pellets consist of the hair and bones that owls regurgitate following a meal. They contain valuable clues to what the owl was eating, and the habitat in which the owl was hunting.

The program also teaches children about where owls live, how they see so well at night and how to tell if there are owls living nearby. Students will be fascinated by our museum grade specimen of the great horned owl, Bubo Virginianus.

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

When: Tuesday, March 19, 2023 @ East Rock Ranger Station, 11am - 1pm.  Cost is $2 for New Haven Residents and $3 for non-residents

West River Public Canoeing.  Please dress appropriate for weather and canoeing.  Bring bottled water and a snack. 

Join our rangers in keeping our rivers clean.  Boating equipment and Canoes will be provided.  Please dress appropriate for canoeing and the weather. Also bring bottled water (no glass) and a snack.

Join our Rangers with tours of the different monuments in our city.  Registration is required for all events.  Different time slots are available.

This is a favorite activity for some of our rangers, who will be happy to pass on their “secrets” while they demonstrate,  instruct and discuss proper fish handling techniques, angling techniques, conservation, safety, and the rules & regulations surrounding this great past time. Our salt and fresh-water fishing events are becoming more and more popular. Programs may include a local clinics, events geared towards seniors, and blue fishing trips.

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

This program is offered several times each year and depending upon the age group could include: A nature walk near the Nature Center looking for “reptile signs,” “Hands on” presentation with snakes and turtles in the Ranger Station, or multimedia presentations. Available at Barnard Nature Center, Trowbridge Environmental Center and West Rock Nature Center. 

Join Rangers Harry and Jesus for the Reptile Program! We offer this program in house and abroad! We will discover what makes these special creatures so interesting and different from other animals we encounter in the wild, as well as get to handle them in a monitored setting!

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

 Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 11am - 1pm @ the East Rock Ranger Station.  Free program

A great way to learn how to learn how to find your way in the outdoors. A newly designed course at the West Rock Nature Center will also allow participants to learn about map reading, use of compasses and GPS, trail nomenclature, as well as topographical maps.

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

This program includes the use of a seining net, which allow participants of all ages to learn about pond ecology and the food chain at Edgewood Park’s Duck Pond. This exploratory program is complemented with a tour of the ranger station, including displays of native and non-native inhabitants.  One should expect to learn how to identify aquatic flora and fauna species (micro & macro invertebrates) and the power of water; including the effect it has on life!

For dates or more information please contact:
Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241

 Join our rangers in keeping our rivers clean.  Boating equipment and Canoes will be provided.  Please dress appropriate for canoeing and the weather. Also bring bottled water (no glass) and a snack.

The Lighthouse Point Park Rangers now offer this unique program. This historical program includes a climb of the lighthouse. Participants must be able to climb the step stairs to the top. Tours are available during the spring, summer and fall months.  No winter tours.  Available to groups upon request.

For more information, contact Ranger Harry @ (203) 507-3241