More than 100,000 miles, two motorcars, 48 states and 270 national parks later, 12-year-old Chandler Johnson still hasn’t met her goal — a goal to visit every National Park by the time she is 14.
“I enjoy going to the parks because I learn about the historical, cultural and environmental relevance they each have,” said Chandler.
There are currently 391 National Park areas designated by the National Park Service. For the last six and a half years, Chandler has traveled around the country with her parents, Carmen and Jay Johnson, and participated in the Junior Ranger program.
“Jay is the driver, I’m the cook and Chandler is the Junior Ranger,” Carmen said. “We make a team.”
The Junior Ranger program encourages children to earn badges and patches by completing a series of activities, which vary from park to park, from taking a hike to completing a word search related to historical plaques.
The program is designed to encourage interaction with the environment, but some parks have online activities for children who can’t travel to them.
“I have the most Junior Ranger badges,” Chandler said, “and, I’ve actually been to all the parks.”
Chandler has gone snorkeling with barracudas in the Dry Tortugas (islands southwest of Florida), and she has been hiking in Yellowstone National Park four times.
“Yellowstone is my favorite,” said Chandler without blinking an eye. “It’s so big!”
Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park, established by Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. The National Park Service was created by an Act signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
On Oct. 3, Chandler was recognized for her achievement in the Junior Ranger program at an event in Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs. She received an official ranger hat, which makes her the only junior ranger to have one.
“Lindi Harvey, the National Parks Service deputy director, told me that the hat is what the rangers stand for; it represents the ranger,” said Chandler proudly.
She also introduced author Richard Louv at the event, which had more than 2,000 people in attendance.
Richard Louv coined the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” in his book “Last Child in the Woods.” He was the recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal for his environmental work. The term is used to describe the lack of environmental education children receive in schools today.
Nature-deficit disorder was picked up and used by supporters of the No Child Left Inside Act.
The NCLI Act is meant to counter-balance the No Child Left Behind Act. While the NCLB Act focuses on academic achievement, the NCLI Act works to ensure schools keep students environmentally literate.
The NCLI Act received bipartisan support and was approved by a vote of 294 to 108 on Sept. 19.
With the passing of this bill, environmental education will be encouraged across core subjects.
“I want to be a National Parks interpreter when I grow up,” Chandler said. “Someone who informs visitors and talks about the parks.”
For now, she is content to just visit the parks, all 391 of them … and when she’s done? She says she wants to go right back and see them all again.
“That’s what I love to do, visit and enjoy parks.”
