Meet Benton, Worried About the Future, Wants to be a National Wild Life Ranger

Benton is an outdoor boy! He’s helped with RX burns, hikes, picks up litter & “leaves no trace.” His knowledge base is beyond his 6 years. (The pic is one of him helping on a public land prescribed burn. _____________________________________________________________________________

By Jo Schaper

I don’t know if you all are familiar with the Ranger Rick magazine of the National Wildlife Federation. I’s a kid’s environment and outdoors magazine, featuring Ranger Rick, a raccoon that teaches kids about the outdoors.

Ranger Rick. ______________________________

A friend of ours (who is definitely not well off) has a 6 year old who is engaged in trying to win a competition sponsored by the NWF and the magazine. This kid is incredible. He recently (with his mom’s help) has been calling my husband after school, worried about galaxies destined to collide 4 billion years in the future, asking about Mars rovers and black holes, and explaining how awesome it was that he saw the 2024 eclipse back when he was 4.
His mom is planning to get us together for a visit after his school lets out for the summer.
The competition also involves a substantial cash prize, to be saved as a college scholarship for this kid. People can vote once a day on Facebook for free or by making money donations to the NWF.
I do not usually pass along such things, but if this sort of thing calls to you, Benton could use your votes.
What does Benton love most about nature: He loves the sounds….birds chirping, frogs calling, coyotes, wood peckers, crickets, cicadas (especially when the periodical broods coincide), stream ripples, fire….

What is Benton’s favorite animal – and why? Barred owl. Because of their call and they look like teddy bears that fly. They also have silent flight, which he thinks is really cool!

What is Benton’s favorite outdoor activity? Benton has a three way tie for favorite activities. First, he loves to call in various owls at night. Second, he loves to walk streams to collect and identify rocks. Third, he likes sleeping outside under the stars.

Vote for Benton to become the 2026 Jr. Ranger while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation—supporting the National Wildlife Federation in their mission to protect wildlife and preserve wild places for future generations. Go to https://jr-ranger.org/2026/benton-a2db

Author: paulinemasson

Pauline Masson, editor/publisher.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *