Junior Waterfall Keepers program

If your family enjoys participating in the Kids in Parks program and earning Junior Ranger badges at the National Parks, then the new program from Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina will have you excited to get out exploring!

What is the Junior Waterfall Keepers program?

The Junior Keepers program was kicked off this year as part of the Waterfall Keepers nonprofit, because kids love waterfalls, too!  The free program is all about exploring and learning about waterfalls and streams: water play, learning about the critters that call the creek home, exploring waterfalls, and identifying the mushrooms, wildflowers, and other plants that grow near them. The program focuses a lot on safety and good habits around a waterfall, and encourages junior waterfall keepers to leave a place better than they found it. Learn about how litter affects wildlife and water quality, and earn badges while doing it!

How do I sign up?

When you sign up to become a Junior Waterfall Keeper you’ll receive a special Junior Keeper patch and sticker. Signing up is easy; just fill out the Junior Waterfall Keeper Signup Form (find the link here: Junior Keepers | Waterfall Keepers of NC). There’s an added benefit for adults to sign up to become a member of Waterfall Keepers; family members of Waterfall Keepers who sign up for the Junior Keepers program will also receive a free pass to Chimney Rock State Park.

I’ve signed my children up – now what?

As a Junior Keeper, your kids can work on two Badge Challenges: the conservationist, and creek critters. The challenges concentrate on observing the critters and plants you find on your hike, and on improving the waterfall experience by making good choices to help our environment. New badges will be announced each year so work hard to earn them ALL!

The Waterfall Passport will be added to the program in 2022, but all the work done this year will count. The Passport includes five state parks that feature some of North Carolina’s most beautiful waterfalls, and Junior Keepers will receive passport books to keep track of all the waterfalls they visit. Currently waterfall passport info can be found online on the Waterfall Keepers website; you can download the pages to start working on these challenges now.

As a bonus, the Waterfall Keepers have developed a curriculum that adults can use with their kids or homeschool group. They can be used as a standalone adventure with kids or combined with Junior Keeper badge challenges for a fun, and educational waterfall experience.

But wait – we’re in South Carolina, isn’t this in NC?

While the Junior Keepers program is based in NC, there are dozens of North Carolina falls within an hour’s drive of Greenville! I’ve featured Chimney Rock State Park (one of the parks featured in the Park Passport) here on Femme au Foyer, and have another dozen articles with inspiration for your next waterfall adventure, in North and South Carolina, here:

• Rainbow Falls
• Behind Moonshine Falls
• Falls Creek Falls
• Station Cove Falls
• Spoonauger Falls
• Beech Bottom Falls
• Riley Moore Falls
• Little Bradley Falls in Saluda, NC
• Pearson's Falls near Saluda, NC
• Dupont State Forest and its Waterfalls
• A driving tour that takes you on a multi-waterfall exploration: Mountain Waters Scenic Byway, Highlands to Franklin
• Touring Lake Jocassee by boat: Exploring Lake Jocassee

Remember to stay safe while exploring - people have died at many of our Upstate SC waterfalls! I wrote about some of the local incidents in my article Humans Vs. Nature, and following Leave No Trace ethics is always a good decision.

There’s no denying summer is here, along with the hot weather that has every kid longing to cool off at the closest swimming hole. As you explore the beautiful waterfalls of our region this summer, earn badges with the Junior Keepers program while also learning a little something to help keep you safe, our trails enjoyable, and the tremendous beauty of these natural places intact!