Historic Junior Ranger Program at Fort Frederick State Park

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Big Pool, MD  — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Park Service will host a Historic Junior Ranger Program at the Fort Frederick State Park for children interested in learning how to live as their ancestors did during the French and Indian War.

“This is an excellent program to expose Maryland children to the rich history our state has to offer,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “It’s every child’s right to celebrate their culture and heritage, and the Historic Junior Ranger Program gives them the opportunity to do just that while enjoying the outdoors.”

Fort Frederick was built by the colony of Maryland in 1756 to protect western inhabitants and serve as a base to attack French strongholds in the Ohio River valley. The fort was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. Located inside the fort are two reconstructed enlisted men’s barracks. Fort Frederick is the only stone fort built by a British colony during the French and Indian War period. Currently, the fort operates as a living history museum.

The Historic Junior Ranger Program will give children ages 8 to 12 the opportunity to experience history in a hands-on environment. The program consists of ten sessions, held twice a week for five weeks, from 9 to 12 noon. Dates for the program are: June 24 - 25, July 8 - 9, July 15 - 16, July 22 - 23, and July 29 - 30. An overnight stay will be held on Saturday, August 8th starting at 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 a.m. on August 9th.

Each session is devoted to an activity related to Colonial American life, and will culminate with an overnight stay in the barracks at Fort Frederick. Activities will include colonial gardening and food ways, candle making, laundry, colonial games, soldiering and life in a frontier fort.

“Spending time outdoors while learning how day-to-day life at Fort Frederick functioned 250 years ago, offers children an excellent opportunity to connect with nature and learn about their ancestors,” said Steve Robertson, Park Ranger at Fort Frederick State Park.

The service charge for participating in the Historic Junior Ranger Program is $25.00 for each child. Pre-registration is required with a maximum of 15 children participating. For more information please contact Fort Frederick State Park at 301-842-2155 Monday through Friday 9 – 4 p.m. Interested participants should visit www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/ftfrederickhistory.html to get directions to the location.

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May 14, 2009

Contact: Josh Davidsburg 410-260-8002 jdavidsburg@dnr.state.md.us

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov