Junior Waterfall Keepers: Free Badge Challenges Kids Will Love!

Have you heard about the Junior Waterfall Keepers Program based in North Carolina? If your family enjoys participating in the Kids in Parks program and earning Junior Ranger badges at the National Parks, then the program from Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina will have you excited to get out exploring! KAG Contributor, Liene, has all the details about this new program including how to sign-up!

What is the Junior Waterfall Keepers program?

The Junior Keepers program is part of the Waterfall Keepers nonprofit, because kids love waterfalls, too!  The free program is all about exploring and learning about waterfalls and streams: water play, learning about the critters that call the creek home, exploring spray zones, and identifying the mushrooms, wildflowers, and other plants that grow near them. The program focuses a lot on safety and good habits around a waterfall, and encourages junior waterfall keepers to leave a place better than they found it – and to earn badges while doing it!  

How do I sign up for the Junior Waterfall Keepers program?

When you sign up to become a Junior Waterfall Keeper you’ll receive a special Junior Keeper patch and sticker. Signing up is easy; just fill out the Junior Waterfall Keeper Signup Form.

I’ve signed my children up – now what?: Badge Challenges

As a Junior Keeper, your kids can currently work on three Badge Challenges: the conservationist, the wise waterfaller, and creek critters. The challenges concentrate on observing the critters and plants you find on your hike, and on improving the waterfall experience by making good choices to help our environment. New badges will be announced each year so work hard to earn them ALL!

As a bonus, the Waterfall Keepers have developed a curriculum that adults can use with their kids or homeschool group. They can be used as a stand-alone adventure with kids, or combined with Junior Keeper badge challenges for a fun, and educational waterfall experience.

But wait – we’re in South Carolina, isn’t Junior Waterfall Keepers in NC?

While the Junior Keepers program is based in NC, there are dozens of North Carolina falls within an hour’s drive of Greenville! We’ve featured Chimney Rock State Park here on KAG and have another half-dozen articles with inspiration for your next waterfall adventure, in North and South Carolina, here:

There’s no denying summer is here, along with the hot weather that has every kid longing to cool off at the closest swimming hole. As you explore the beautiful waterfalls of our region this summer, earn badges with the Junior Keepers program while also learning a little something to help keep you safe, our trails enjoyable, and the tremendous beauty of these natural places intact! Have fun collecting those critter badges!

This post was first published on the blog Femme au Foyer.

Learn more about Waterfall Keepers of NC and how you can get involved with their tremendous work protecting our waterfalls!