''Ranger Rick'', originally ''Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine'', is a children's nature magazine that is published by the United States
National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (includin ...
.
[Kenneth B. Kidd, ''Wild things: children's culture and ecocriticism'' (Wayne State University Press, 2004)] The magazine offers feature articles and activities for children, ages 7 and up, in order to spark their interest in the outdoors and encourage them to become more actively involved in protecting the environment.
The magazine's primary intention is to instill a passion for nature and promote activity outdoors. NWF also publishes two companion magazines, ''Ranger Rick Jr.'', which is aimed at ages 4–7, and ''Ranger Rick Cub'', which is aimed at kids 0–4 years old.
History
In 1959, John Ashley "Ash" Brownridge (1917–2015), under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
John A. Morris, wrote the book "The Adventures of Rick Raccoon" starring an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
named Rick and his friends at the Deep Green Wood. After seeing a book a colleague sent from Japan that featured a
tanuki Tanuki may refer to:
*Japanese raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes viverrinus'' or ''Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus''), a mammal native to Japan
*Bake-danuki, a type of spirit (yōkai) in Japanese mythology that appears in the form of the mammal
*A de ...
, he was inspired to create a book to teach children the value of
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
. Two years later, in 1960, he written another book entitled "Ranger Rick and the Great Forest Fire". Then, in January 1967, the first issue of Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine was published. The magazine was so popular that, by 1972, NWF's membership had tripled.
The first illustrator of the magazine was painter
Lorin Thompson, who drew the characters in a realistic yet expressive manner. In 1982, he was replaced by Alton Langford, who redesigned the existing characters and introduced new characters Scarlett Fox and Boomer Badger. In 1999,
Robby Gilbert took over as the new illustrator, coinciding with the magazine's shift from short stories to comic strips. In 2009, British company TheCharacterShop became the new illustrators, rendering the comics as three-dimensional images. In 2016, TheCharacterShop, under the direction of
Parker Jacobs
Parker LeGrand Jacobs (born July 17, 1975) is an American artist, musician and former child actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', for which he has been nominated for four Day ...
, gave the comics a new two-dimensional cartoony style.
''Ranger Rick'' is the oldest and most widely distributed children's nature magazine.
Characters
Numerous characters have appeared in the magazine series. The current main three characters from the magazine's monthly comics are as follows:
*Ranger Rick is a
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
that serves as the
park ranger
A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks.
Description
"Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in thi ...
and leader of Deep Green Wood. He was first portrayed extinguishing a forest fire in the first issue.
He and his friends have many adventures together (as depicted in the magazine's regularly featured cartoon and fiction stories) and always look for new ways to help preserve the environment.
*Scarlett Fox is an
American red fox
The American red fox (''Vulpes vulpes fulva'') is a North American subspecies of the red fox. It is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, occurring in North America. This subspe ...
that wears a red
bandana
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...
(formerly with her initials on it). Coming from the lower
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
in her debut in 1983, she was portrayed with a Southern accent; however, this was later dropped. Due to the stereotype of foxes being smart, she is shown to be cunning and quick-witted, which led her own advice column called "Ask Scarlett" in the 1990s and from 2018 onwards. As Ranger Rick's deputy, she can take command of a situation in an instant.
*Boomer Badger is an
American badger
The American badger (''Taxidea taxus'') is a North American badger similar in appearance to the European badger, although not closely related. It is found in the western, central, and northeastern United States, northern Mexico, and south-centr ...
first appearing in 1984 who prefers to lay around and play games rather than take care of the environment, and he is shown in modern issues to love electronic devices.
Publication information
''Ranger Rick'' has a circulation of 525,000, and an estimated 200,000 more children are exposed to the magazine by via passed along copies.
The magazine is published ten times a year by the National Wildlife Federation.
[National Science Resources Center (U.S.), Resources for teaching elementary school science (National Academies Press, 1996)] The headquarters is in
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia and a principal city of the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Reston's population was 63,226.
Founded in 1964, Reston was influenced by the Garden City movem ...
.
The magazine uses an environmentally friendly processed paper, which is composed of consumer waste (about 30%) and is absent of chlorine.
[Quad, "Ranger Rick is printed.," Ranger Rick 43, no. 5 (May 2009): 2.] Vegetable oils largely make up the magazine's actual ink.
By using these environmentally friendly resources the following is saved on a monthly basis:
*Trees: 1,179
*Total energy: 3,300 million BTUs
*
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...
es: 617,398 lbs. carbon
*Waste water: 1,517,064 gallons
*Solid waste: 216,093 lbs.
Features
Each issue includes nonfiction articles about various environmental and animal topics, fictional story-like articles, and color photography throughout.
Also included in the magazine are activities such as nature-themed games, activities that get children to actively learn more about their environment, riddles, and jokes.
Most of the pages of the magazine feature multi-page photo stories of animals in their natural habitats. There are also illustrated stories, games, riddles, nature news, poetry, contests, and other features and columns. Ranger Rick, a
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
park ranger
A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks.
Description
"Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in thi ...
, is the title character in the longstanding magazine feature ''Ranger Rick Adventures'' (originally ''Ranger Rick and his Friends'', then ''Adventures of Ranger Rick''): an illustrated short story depicting Ranger Rick and his compatriots from Deep Green Wood exploring the world, often encountering threats to wildlife and environmental problems. Rick or any one of his friends, including Scarlett Fox, his deputy, and Boomer Badger always finds a solution to whatever problem they encounter, thus encouraging children to do their part to protect the natural environment.
''Ranger Rick'' magazines have featured a variety of adventure stories tackling various subjects, such as the hazards of fishing lines at sea or invasive species in the Everglades.
''Ranger Rick'' is sometimes incorporated in elementary science classrooms to enhance the interest of environmental
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
in young children.
Recent modifications
Because technology has greatly influenced and impacted the lives of children today, ''Ranger Rick'' magazine has made modifications in order to appeal to the children who are becoming increasingly distant in engaging in outdoor exploration.
In order to inspire a new generation of conservationists, attracting young readers is essential to magazines that promote environmental awareness and preservation efforts. ''Ranger Rick'' magazine has realized this importance of maintaining natural interest in young people. The magazine has since made changes within their content
in order to appeal to a changed generation of children, not only for profit, but for the future of conservational efforts. The magazine has made such changes, for example, in the amount of
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller (ge ...
, by replacing the majority of narrative pieces with more visually engaging elements.
Also, the ''Ranger Rick'' character himself has transformed from a somewhat realistic representation to a stylized cartoon figure.
Some sections of the magazine have been modified as well, such as placing the text and titles in more modern and ideal locations to visually draw in readers.
Ranger Rick Jr.
''Ranger Rick Jr.'' is a magazine for children ages 4 to 7.
[FAQs About Ranger Rick Jr. Magazine](_blank)
/ref> It has its origins in ''Your Big Backyard'', a magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
aimed at preschoolers
A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...
and kids ages 3 to 7. It was established in 1979 as a sister publication to Ranger Rick and ''Wild Animal Baby
''Wild Animal Baby'' was a magazine for children published by the National Wildlife Federation. The magazine was targeted to children ages 2–4, and consisted of readings, pictures, and games designed to teach children about animals. The National ...
'', both published by the National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (includin ...
. The bulk of the magazine consisted of children's activities.
The name of the magazine was changed to ''Big Backyard'' in September, 2011. In December 2012 NWF merged ''Wild Baby Animal'' and ''Big Backyard'' to create a new magazine for children ages 4 to 7, called ''Ranger Rick, Jr.''.
Adaptations
Ranger Rick's debut on television started with an animated television commercial during the early 1970s. A stop-motion
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
-live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
special was aired during the 1980s on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
. There were plans to adapt the magazine stories into a feature length CGI animated film during 2011, but they never came to fruition. In 2021, Red Rock Films announced a partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and Bix Pix Entertainment to develop a new streaming series based on Ranger Rick's Adventures.[Bix Pix Entertainment]
References
{{Reflist, 30em
External links
National Wildlife Federation ''Ranger Rick''
Children's magazines published in the United States
Fictional raccoons
Fictional foxes
Fictional badgers
Fictional park rangers
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1967
Mascots introduced in 1967
Magazine mascots
Male characters in comics
Male characters in advertising
Magazines published in Virginia