New Junior Ranger Activity Booklet Connects Kids to New York State’s Canals

WATERFORD- As the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal kicks off, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the New York State Canal Corporation are pleased to announce the release of a new Junior Ranger activity booklet for children and families. Kids can complete activities to learn about the New York State Canal System and earn a badge, certificate, and title of Erie Canalway Junior Ranger. Booklets are available at 14 canal sites and online at www.eriecanalway.org/learn/junior-ranger.

“We are thrilled to expand the National Park Service’s popular Junior Ranger program to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. By offering even more hands-on learning experiences for kids, we hope to spark curiosity, exploration, and learning about the canal and its impacts on New York and the nation,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

Geared for ages five to 13, the booklet contains fun activities covering a range of topics, including canal construction, immigration, water, and wildlife. Children can complete the activities at home, or while visiting one of the participating canal sites.

New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Looking forward to the Erie Canal’s next 200 years includes thinking about its users – today’s youth! The Junior Ranger Activity Booklet is a fantastic way to hook them into the excitement of the Erie Canal early and spark a lifelong engagement with this vibrant recreationway.”

Junior Ranger activity booklets are available online and at the following sites (listed west to east):

• Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, Buffalo
• Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport
• Corn Hill Navigation, Rochester
• Historic Palmyra, Palmyra
• Seneca Falls Museum & Tourism Center, Seneca Falls
• Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls
• H. Lee White Maritime Museum, Oswego
• Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus
• Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
• Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango
• Fort Stanwix National Monument, Rome
• Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter
• Peebles Island State Park Visitors Center, Cohoes
• Saratoga National Historical Park, Stillwater

The Junior Ranger activity booklet adds to educational curriculum, field trips, and other teacher resources available through the Erie Canal Learning Hub, a joint initiative of Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and New York State Canal Corporation.

ABOUT NEW YORK STATE CANAL CORPORATION

The New York State Canal Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, oversees the operation and promotion of the New York State Canal System. The Canal Corporation’s mission is to operate and maintain a premier waterway and trail system that honors the historic legacy of the Erie Canal and offers unique recreational and tourism opportunities, while also promoting sustainable economic development throughout the canal corridor. For more information on the New York State Canal System and the Canal Corporation, please visit www.canals.ny.gov.

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

Two hundred years after opening in 1825, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor works to preserve the Nation’s extraordinary canal heritage, promote the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and foster vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York. www.eriecanalway.org