Snow Rangers: Elrod students get a workout on Big Mountain

The Flathead National Forest has launched its Junior Snow Ranger program for the winter, starting with Elrod Elementary Students from Kalispell who went on an educational venture at the Whitefish Mountain Resort Friday.

The program is aimed at winter outdoors education, with activities such as teaching them how to “dress like an onion” in layers to keep warm, making frozen bubbles using soap and examining snowflakes under a magnifying glass.

The Elrod students worked on a 16-page Junior Snow Ranger workbook during the week, which concluded with a snowshoe outing on Big Mountain on Friday.

“It’s great when we can engage children in the great outdoors, help them connect with our natural resources and combine fun outdoor activities and meaningful safety messages,” said Flathead Forest Supervisor Chip Weber. “We hope the participants have a great time becoming Junior Snow Rangers.”

After completing their workbooks and Friday’s outdoor activities, the Elrod students “graduate” with the Forest Service awarding them Junior Snow Ranger patches, bandandas and identification cards.

The program will be extended to students at other local schools this winter.

The Forest Service Conservation Education and Recreation programs support the “Let’s Move” and “Let’s Move Outside” programs initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama to reduce childhood obesity and related diseases. The Forest Service programs also support President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda.

“These activities are fun,” said Safiya Samman, conservation education office director. “But they are designed to keep children safe, spark their interest in natural resources. Instead of staying inside with their electronic games, they can unplug and unleash their imagination.”