El Morro National Monument – New Mexico

El Morro National Monument
Ramah, New Mexico

http://www.nps.gov/elmo

Junior Ranger – Senior Friendly

Completed: July 26, 2013

As you approach El Morro the large sandstone bluff can be seen from many miles away, today and for travelers over the ages. Once at the base of the bluff travelers then and today find a pond of water teaming with life. The sketch above is my rough attempt to capture the bluff as seen from the campground.

This is considered Senior Friendly as no ages are listed with the instructions. It was a fairly easy booklet to complete during a morning visit. Activities include; For the Birds, Pool Pictures, A Stone Scrapbook, Rock Talk, A Map of your Own, Listen Up!, It Took A Village, and In Your Own Words.

I always enjoy identifying birds when I visit National Park sites. This page also has you match the birds pictured with their food source. A walk up to the pool allows you to complete as series of questions about plants and animals that live in and around the pond. It includes a sketch of the area which you are to add the features seen at the pond.

The sandstone bluff is covered with images and words left by Ancestral Puebloan people, Spaniards, and Americans. On the scrapbook pages you sketch examples of the images left behind by the different groups.

After spending time outside the visitor center to complete the activities I returned to have the booklet reviewed. Once that was done I received the very nice certificate of completion and the standard Junior Ranger badge. Between having camped the night before in their small, but spacious campground and spending the morning exploring the monument, to complete this Junior Ranger program, I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in this area.

Booklet, certificate and badge