Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument (Jr Ranger) – New Mexico

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
New Mexico

http://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

Completed: May 6, 2017

Senior Friendly

Booklets: https://www.nps.gov/sapu/learn/kidsyouth/index.htm

While traveling through New Mexico I wanted to complete this Junior Ranger program. Before leaving home I had printed the three sections for this program. Salinas Pueblo Missions NM has three sites, miles apart from each other. Each site has ruins of the mission churches built by the Spanish, but each site also gives the early history of the Puebloan people who lived here before the Spanish arrived.

The booklet online is different from the booklet provided on site, either booklet will allow you to earn their Junior Ranger badge. I completed the online booklet, a couple of pages for each of the three locations. The only difference I found between the booklets was the one given on site includes a fourth location, park headquarters in Mountainair. You can earn the badge by only visiting one site, however you can earn ribbons from each site as you complete the site-specific pages. Neither program booklet has any age groupings or upper age limit, so this program is considered Senior Friendly.

I was fortunate to be able to visit all of the sites, the three missions and the headquarters. All of the staff were welcoming of this senior working on their Junior Ranger program. Basically each site’s pages included a story about the site, then some questions to answer and a word search. The online booklet could be completed without visiting the sites, whereas the booklet you can pick up at any of the sites does require completing some of the activities on site.

After visiting all three sites; Quarai, Gran Quivira and Abo and having the booklet signed off at each site I received the Junior Ranger badge.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument – New Mexico

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
New Mexico

http://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

Completed: May 6, 2017

Senior Ranger

Booklet: https://www.nps.gov/sapu/planyourvisit/upload/Senior-Ranger-Program-1.doc

During our Spring trip through central New Mexico I wanted to visit all three of the pueblos of Salinas Pueblo Missions NM to earn their Junior Ranger badge. I had printed a copy of their booklet before leaving home to make sure I had it when I started my visit, in case one of the visitor centers was closed. Our first stop was at Gran Quivira where I completed the Junior Ranger portion for that site. After visiting there we stopped at the park headquarters in Mountainair for their passport stamps. While talking to the staff and explaining that I was working on the Junior Ranger booklet I was handed their Senior Ranger Program booklet!

The three missions are miles apart and each site is distinct, well worth visiting each site. Salinas means salt and the missions are part of the Salt Missions Trail Scenic Byway. The sites promote the history of the prehistoric Ancestral Puebloan and Jumano groups, to the 17th century Spanish Franciscan missionaries, and the returning settlers of the 1800s.

The booklet is easy to complete, whether visiting one of the three sites, or all of them. As we had planned to visit all three on this trip, and I was also working on the Junior Ranger booklet, it was easy to complete both programs.

The activities are; Compare Historical Photos of Abo, Quarai and Gran Quivira, Plant & Tree Identification, Wildlife Found at Salinas Pueblo Missions, Pictographs & Petroglyphs, Four Churches at Salinas Pueblo Missions, National Park Service Word Search, and Salinas Pueblo Missions Word Search.

Completing this program is very easy, the booklet states that you only need to complete one exercise at one of the three sites to earn their attractive park pin. While at Quivira we sat outside the visitor center and completed five of the activities. The wildlife page had photos take by game cameras of an owl, jackrabbit, rattlesnake, elk and coyotes. A series of questions were asked about which animal you would like to see while visiting and how you should deal with wildlife, if seen.

For Pictographs and Petroglyphs you draw an event in your life which can be represented by symbols. I had fun creating a series of symbols depicting my retirement from teaching and traveling.

Once we finished a ranger reviewed our booklets, and we had some good discussion about the activities. I always appreciated when park staff can spend extra time looking over my completed booklets. For their Senior Rangers they award their attractive park pin. I always try to leave a donation when completing either Junior or Senior Ranger programs, but I especially make sure I remember when they provide an extra special award.