Cabrillo National Monument Events: Junior Ranger Day and 1st Annual Park Pass Photo Contest

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Junior Ranger Day, Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The motto for Junior Ranger Day is: Explore, Learn, Protect: Be a Junior Ranger.

The Junior Ranger program is designed to engage children and families in the stories embodied in their national parks. Children complete activity books that lead them through the park in a kidfriendly way. They are drawn to parts of the park story that they can relate to. When completed, they present their booklets to a ranger to earn a patch or badge and a certificate.

At Cabrillo National Monument, the Junior Ranger Day activities will include a special, self-guided scavenger hunt, which children may do with their families while they explore Cabrillo National Monument, and Junior Rangers of any age who complete this program will receive a Junior Ranger Day 2008 button and certificate. There are Junior Ranger programs in 322 national park areas. Children who have completed Junior Ranger programs as other national park areas are encouraged to wear their Junior Ranger badges from those parks to Junior Ranger Day at Cabrillo. There will be awards ceremonies at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM with sweet treats to celebrate Junior Rangers and award prizes. The National Park Service also has an online WebRanger program (www.nps.gov/webranger/).

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1st Annual Park Pass Photo Contest - April 19, 2008 through July 31, 2008

Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego’s National Park, is home to some of the city’s most photographed icons, and every year over 800,000 visitors capture the park’s landscape, the Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo statue, the 19th century Old Point Loma Lighthouse, spectacular views of San Diego Bay, tidepools, the Pacific Ocean, wildlife and other images for their personal memory books. One of those images could appear on thousands of 2009 Cabrillo National Monument Annual Park Passes as part of the first ever Cabrillo National Monument Photo Contest, which will take place from April 19, 2008 through July 31, 2008.

Superintendent Tom Workman noted the contest kicks off on April 19, 2008, the first day of National Park Week celebrated in San Diego and across the nation in America’s 392 national park areas. “Every day we see visitors snapping photos of their visit to the park. Whether it’s the excitement of spotting a nudibranch in the tidepools or seeing a Gnatcatcher on the bayside trail, or capturing the iconic lighthouse in just the right light, visitors love photographing this special place,” added Workman. From amateur shutterbugs to history buffs, wildlife lovers to outdoor enthusiasts, all visitors are encouraged to get out and enjoy their national park this summer and submit their favorite photos for a chance to win.

Contest sponsor, Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, will award three prizes including Foundation memberships, which allow visitors to enjoy the park year round, and gift certificates redeemable in the Foundation’s bookstore located in the visitor center. The winning photo will appear on the 2009 Cabrillo National Monument Annual Park Pass issued to thousands of visitors throughout the year.

* Photo subject must be of or within Cabrillo National Monument.
* Entries must be submitted by mail only and postmarked no later than July 31, 2008.
* Limit of three photo entries per household.
* There is no fee to enter the contest. However, park entrance fees to enter Cabrillo National Monument do apply.
* Photos will not be returned and will become the property of the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation and Cabrillo National Monument.
* Employees of Cabrillo National Monument, employees and Trustees of the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, and their family members, are not eligible to participate.

Complete contest rules and photo submission guidelines are available on the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation website at www.cnmf.org. For more information contact 619-557-5450.

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All events are included with the regular park entrance fee of $5.00 per vehicle and $3.00 for motorcyclists, bicyclists and walk-in visitors (valid for 7 days from date of purchase). Holders of an America the Beautiful Interagency Pass, America the Beautiful Senior Pass, Golden Age Passport, America the Beautiful Access Pass, Golden Access Passport, or Cabrillo National Monument Annual Pass will be admitted free of charge upon presentation of their pass. The America the Beautiful Interagency Pass, America the Beautiful Senior Pass and Cabrillo National Monument Annual Pass may be purchased at Cabrillo National Monument. The free America the Beautiful Access Pass, for individuals with permanent disabilities may also be obtained at Cabrillo National Monument, although restrictions apply.

Cabrillo National Monument, located on Point Loma at the south end of Catalina Boulevard, is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Public transportation (#28 bus from the Old Town Transit Center connecting with the #84 bus to Cabrillo National Monument) is available hourly to the visitor center. For additional information call 619-557-5450 or TTY 619-222-8211, or visit our web site at http://www.nps.gov/cabr/. To learn more about National Park Week, please visit www.nps.gov/npweek/. To learn more about National Junior Ranger Day, please visit www.nps.gov/npweek/junior.htm/. To learn more about the National Park Service WebRanger Program, please visit www.nps.gov/webranger/.