INNISFAIL – Kids now have an opportunity to learn about nature and outdoor skills thanks to the Junior Forest Wardens program (JFW) in Innisfail.
The program began in September 2016 and is open to youth ages six to 18. It is continuing in 2018, with the season running from September to the end of June.
They meet two Mondays each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Aberdeen Hall, east of Innisfail. The group also takes weekend excursions once a month. The cost for the season for each junior forest warden is $110, not including uniforms, which is about $45 extra.
"The program itself is based around three pillars -- forestry, ecology and outdoor skills,” said Fawna Sidoryk, coordinator for the Innisfail Falcons, the town’s junior forest wardens chapter.
The program first originated in the 1930s in British Columbia when a forestry service worker, Charlie Wilkinson, decided to train children and families to be fire safe due to a lack of funding for fire watchtower staff.
"He introduced the junior forest warden program to get kids to watch for fires and teach families how to be fire safe,” said Sidoryk.
Since then, the program has grown across the country and now exists in several provinces.
Sidoryk’s own experience growing up with the program motivated her to start a junior forest wardens group in Innisfail.
"It was a huge part of my life growing up. I was involved in the Rocky (Mountain House) chapter of the junior forest wardens program as kid. I participated in it until I was 16,” she added.
The family-oriented program also encourages involvement before age six noted Sidoryk, adding that babies, toddlers and preschoolers can also join in, supervised by family, and are known as wanderers.
"It’s not a drop-off program. You bring your kids and (parents, grandparents and siblings) participate together as a family,” explained Sidoryk.
"The first year has gone really well,” she said, noting the club has grown and now has 19 kids in the local junior forest wardens program.
The Innisfail Falcons host several activities in the region throughout the year.
"We have two family camps where the entire club comes together. We do a spring camp and we have a winter camp,” said Sidoryk, noting that family members, including grandparents, parents and siblings all participate.
"We had 28 people at our winter camp (in Kananaskis Country) in March.”
While there, the junior forest wardens and family members stayed in a cabin and applied some of their outdoor skills learned in the program.
"Each year we focus on one of the pillars, and this year it was the outdoor skills (badge),” said Sidoryk. "They’ve learned orienteering, night safety, basic first aid, snowshoeing, archery, and we built survival shelters at our winter camp.”
In addition, kids have put together a survival kit and learn what to do if they get lost, she said.
"They (learn to be) very woods-smart kids. The goal is for them to be able to go out into the bush and be safe and be confident,” explained Sidoryk. "It’s been great to watch the kids grow and learn.”
The Innisfail junior forest wardens also go hiking locally and participate in other day trips around the region.
For more information families can attend the Community Registration Night in Innisfail in September or email Sidoryk at [email protected]
Fawna Sidoryk, coordinator
"They (learn to be) very woods-smart kids. The goal is for them to be able to go out into the bush and be safe and be confident."
