"Views of Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida" by National Park Service , public domain
Fort MatanzasJunior Ranger |
Junior Ranger brochure for Fort Matanzas National Monument (NM) in Florida. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
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Agustin
Explores
Matanzas
Welcome to Fort Matanzas National Monument.
My name is Agustín and I will be your guide.
To become a Junior Ranger, choose three of the
following:
_____ Look at and read the exhibits and models at the
visitor center and in the breezeway.
_____ Visit the Fort.
_____ Watch the video about the park and fort.
_____ Walk the nature trail or the beach boardwalk trail.
And then…
“Search for your Stars!” Look for the colored stars and
complete 5 or more activities marked with the color for your
age group.
Ages 4-7 activities are marked with a
Ages 8-14 activities are marked with
a
Older children might wish to become Master Junior Rangers.
To become a Master Junior Ranger, complete ALL Age 8-14
activities and either Be an Anthropologist or Be an Ecologist.
Master Junior Rangers earn a special patch.
When you are finished, bring the book back to the visitor
center or mail it to the address on the back page and receive
your Official Junior Ranger Badge and Certificate!
1
Meet a Ranger
The Rangers at Fort Matanzas do many
things. Some drive the boat or help handle
the dock lines. Others greet visitors in
the Visitor Center, and others give
programs to visitors at the fort. Most of the
Rangers will be wearing the ranger “flat hat”
and a gray shirt with the National Park
Service patch on the sleeve. Others dress
like colonial soldiers. But just like Junior
Rangers, they EXPLORE, LEARN, and
PROTECT the park.
For this activity you are to play the part of
a newspaper reporter and interview
a Park Ranger.
Ask a Park Ranger this Question:
What do you like most about working at Fort Matanzas National
Monument?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Ranger’s Signature ____________________________________
2
Going to Fort Matanzas
In 1742, six to eight Spanish soldiers and their officer were sent
out to Fort Matanzas from St. Augustine for thirty days at a
time. They would come down the river by boat and bring
everything they needed with them.
I’m one of the Spanish soldiers getting ready to make the trip.
Help me collect the gear and personal belongings I need to take
by circling the items below.
If you were going to Fort Matanzas NOW in the 21st century for
thirty days, what would YOU bring? (It does not have to be anything
pictured above. What would make you more comfortable out there?)
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
3
Turtle Hurdles
This activity is from the book Discover Seashores and is used by permission
from the Creative Company.
The beach at Ft. Matanzas National Monument is used as a
nesting area for endangered green and threatened loggerhead sea
turtles. After laying about 100 eggs the size of ping-pong balls,
the mother turtle returns to the sea. In about two months the
eggs hatch, but the baby turtles face many dangers as they crawl
to the ocean. Help this hatchling avoid the dangers and find its way
safely to the sea.
4
Let’s Learn Spanish!
5
DICTIONARY:
Colors:
rojo
(row-hoh)
azul
(ah-sool)
verde (ver-day)
amarillo (am-ar-ree-oh)
anaranjado
(ah-nah-rahn-há-doh)
marrón (mah-roan)
blanco (blahk-koh)
negro
(neg-roh)
hola (Oh-la)
hello
buenas dias
good day
(boo-eh-nahs dee-ahs)
adiós (ah-dee-ohs)
goodbye
sí
(see)
yes
no (noh)
no
gracias
(grah-see-as) thank you
por favor (poor-fay-vor) please
Numbers:
uno
(oo-no)
dos
(doughs)
tres
(trays)
cuatro (qua-troh)
cinco (sink-oh)
diez (dee-es)
one
two
three
four
five
ten
Misc.
soldado (sol-dah-doh)
fusil
(foo-seel)
espada (es-pa-dah)
reloj (ray-low)
red
blue
green
yellow
orange
brown
white
black
soldier
musket
sword
watch
Clothing:
sombrero (som-bray-roh) hat
camisa (kam-ees-sah)
shirt
calzones (kal-sone-es)
pants/breeches falda
(fal-dah)
skirt
casaca
(kas-ah-kah)
dress coat
medias (may-dee-ahs)
socks
zapatas
(sah-pah-tohs)
shoes
sandalias (san-dal-ee-ahs) sandals
chaleco (chal-ee-koh)
vest
vueltas (voo-el-tahs)
cuffs
Answer these questions in Spanish:
1. The soldado’s sombrero is _______________ with a
______________ bow and ______________________ trim.
2. What parts of the soldado’s uniform are azul? _______________
and __________________
3. What color are the vueltas? ___________ His medias? _________
4. The soldado has una espada. Sí or No.
___________
5. The soldado is wearing sandalias. Sí or No.
6. Can you see his chaleco rojo?
Sí or No.
_____________
______________
6
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
RECYCLED PRODUCTS are everywhere:
at home, in your family's garden, at
school, in the playground, and even in the
clothing we wear. When you buy
products made from recycled materials,
you help conserve precious resources and
eliminate waste from landfills.
Draw a line from the item in the first
column to what it can be recycled
into. Some items can be recycled into
more than one thing.
What are the best things to recycle? What do you do to reduce and recycle?
7
Matanzas Critters
Fort Matanzas is home to many animals.
Some of these animals are hard to see because
they blend in with their surroundings, just like
the animals hidden in the letters below. If you
are quiet and lucky, you may see a few of
them during your visit. Can you find all the
animals hidden in this puzzle?
K
T
O
R
T
O
I
S
E
A
S
B
Z
X
O
N
K
S
W
C
R
N
A
C
S
O
B
K
M
F
A
D
A
T
P
N
S
U
O
K
C
O
K
K
R
X
E
N
U
R
RACCOON
BAT
BOBCAT
EAGLE
MOUSE
OWL
WOODSTORK
C
D
T
L
E
Y
A
K
S
O
O
A
K
T
Y
T
T
B
E
T
O
P
M
L
E
A
U
V
T
S
N
A
B
A
C
R
R
L
K
D
O
F
G
B
D
L
T
M
N
O
R
L
O
G
O
W
L
N
P
O
E
B
B
X
L
M
E
O
S
W
OSPREY
OTTER
SEA TURTLE
SKUNK
FOX
SNAKE
TORTOISE
8
Who am I? - Connect the dots
I can weigh 1000 pounds and be 9 feet long.
I am an endangered mammal.
I like to live in warm water.
I have wrinkled, gray-brown skin, but no fur.
I eat only plants, over 100 pounds a day!
How did I get the
marks on my back?
I am a ______________________________
9
Fort Matanzas Bingo
Can you walk
like a crab?
THE WIND
Where did you
see it? What is
ANY ANIMAL
TRACKS
Whose are
What color
was it?
Whose hat is
this?
What is it?
How does
water get in?
Fort Matanzas protects both natural and
historic resources. See how many of these
things you can find during your visit.
Cross off only when you see them.
10
“Fuego!” (Fire!)
Originally, Fort Matanzas had five cannon.
How many are there now? __________
Two of them were left by the Spanish.
Can you tell which ones?
Here are six cannon.
Circle the two that are the same.
11
Matanzas Math Fun
1.
Fort Matanzas is 50 feet on each side. What is the perimeter of
the little watchtower fort? Circle the answer.
a. 100 feet
c. 200 feet
b. 150 feet
d. 250 feet
2. The Spanish founded St. Augustine in 1565. They held
Florida until 1763 when the British took over by treaty. The
British held Florida for only 21 years. Then the Spanish got it
back until they ceded (transferred) it to the United States by
treaty in 1821.
How long did the Spanish hold St. Augustine and Florida?
Circle the answer.
a.
235 years
c. over 400 years
b.
256 years
d. 1763 years
3. How long has Florida been a part of the United States?
Compute the answer. __________ years
4. Who has held Florida the longest? Circle the answer.
Spain
Great Britain
United States
5. Fort Matanzas National Monument protects about 1 mile
of ocean beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. If there are
about 12 nests each summer, and each nest has an average
of 110 eggs, what is the average number of eggs laid each summer
on the Fort Matanzas beach? Circle the answer.
a. 336 eggs
c. 1320 eggs
b. 720 eggs
d. 3220 eggs
Only about one turtle from every 1000
eggs lives to adulthood! What are some
of the things that can happen to eggs
and baby turtles?
12
Explore the National Park Service
Why is there a National Park Service?
The National Park Service was created in 1916. By that time, there
were already many National Parks in the country, but not many of
them were working together. So, just like we have teams for sports,
the creation of the National Park Service put the different parks under
one “team name” and combined all the parks under one mission.
What is the Mission of the National Park Service?
The Park Service was created to help preserve and protect the best parts
of our country. There are mountains, forests, canyons, and lakes that
need to be cared for. There are many endangered animals and other
wildlife that need to be protected. There are also places where
important historic events occurred and those areas need to be
preserved so their stories can be told. In 1951, the team known as the
National Park Service got an official logo: the Arrowhead.
Did you know . . .
·
Yellowstone was the first national park in the world, founded in 1872.
·
Today there are over 400 national parks, located in every state and
even in most territories.
·
National park areas include national parks, monuments, memorials,
seashores, scenic rivers, historic sites, battlefields, parkways, and trails.
13
Each symbol in the logo means something.
Draw a line to connect each picture to its symbolism.
·
Preservation of archaeological sites
and cultural history.
·
Protection of wildlife
·
Preservation of scenic and
recreational values
·
Protection of vegetation
In the box below, draw your own team logo
with symbols that mean something to you.
14
Marshy Shores — Who Lives Here?
Tidal marshes, like those found on Rattlesnake Island, are grassy
areas that are flooded at high tide. Here spartina grass, sea oxeye daisy,
saltwort, and other salt-tolerant plants trap mud, silt, and decaying plant
matter. This mixture, called detritus, becomes food for fish, crabs,
shellfish, and small mammals. Marshes also as provide shelter and
protection for the young of many species.
Many animals live in and around the waters of tidal marshes. Some
are easy to spot. Others hide in the grasses or in the mud.
Identify the animals in this picture by matching the correct
letter to the name in the list below.
____ Osprey
____ Fiddler crab (one big claw)
____ Ghost Crab
____ Raccoon
____ Great Horned Owl
____ Dragonfly
____ Mullet
____ Marsh Rabbit
____ Rice Rat
____ Oysters
____ Great Blue Heron
____ Sandpiper
15
Which ones did you see during your
visit? Did you see any other
animals in or near the marsh?
____ Ghost Crab
Did you know? Tidal marshes are very important to us. Marshes
protect the mainland from storm waves and erosion. Many of the
ocean fishes and shellfish you eat spend part of their lives in tidal
marshes growing big on the rich nutrients found there.
16
Tammy Tortoise
Many gopher tortoises live in the sand dunes at Fort
Matanzas National Monument. These turtles, about the
size of a dinner plate, can live to be 80 years old. They
love to eat prickly pear cactus.
Tammy Tortoise was out eating cactus and now wants to
get some shade. Help Tammy find her way through the
dunes back to her home.
You can sometimes see gopher tortoises along the nature trail.
17
Senses Scavenger Hunt
As you explore Fort Matanzas National
Monument, use your senses to see,
smell, hear, and feel. Remember that
as a Junior Ranger, it is part of your job
to help take care of and protect the
park, so don't pick anything or disturb
any plants, animals, or historic objects.
Find each of the following and tell what you found and where.
1. Something fuzzy: _____________________________________
2. Something rough: ____________________________________
3. Something yellow: ___________________________________
4. The feel of wind: _____________________________________
5. A good place for an animal to live: ______________________
6. Something that smells: ________________________________
7. The sound of a bird: __________________________________
8. Something else that makes a noise: ______________________
9. Something mushy: ___________________________________
10. Something alive: ____________________________________
11. Something an animal eats: _____________________________
12. Something pretty: ___________________________________
13. Something that reminds you of yourself: ________________
___________________________________________________
18
The Web of Life
Everyone eats someone or something. Draw arrows from
each animal to its food. An animal may eat more than
one thing, and more than one animal may eat the same
thing. When you are finished, this page may look
complicated, even messy. Nature can be like that!
(Seeds)
(Plankton)
19
Color By Numbers
When you get home, color these soldiers!
Spanish
British
The Spanish built the Fort
and held it from the time
it was built until 1763,
and then again from 1784
to 1821.
The British held the
Fort for only 21 years,
from 1763 to 1784.
3
2
3
2
1
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
3
3
3
1. Red
2. Dark Blue
3. Black
The ribbon on his hat is red
and the trim is yellow. His
buttons are brass.
1. Red
2. Dark Blue
3. Black
The ribbon on his hat is
black, and the trim is white.
His buttons are silver. 20
Be an Ecologist — Master Jr. Ranger Project #1
An ecologist is a person who studies plants and
animals and how they interact with their habitats or
homes. In fact, the word “ecology” comes from
the Greek word eco, meaning home, and ology,
meaning study of.
Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves at
least three distinct habitats within its 300 acres.
Ecologists learn a lot about plants and animals by
carefully observing them in their natural habitats.
Hint: The bulletin board by the restroom building describes the
habitats at Fort Matanzas National Monument
HABITAT #1 — THE SALT MARSH
(A good place to explore this habitat is the Salt Marsh Trail to the North of the
Visitor Center.)
What are the primary plants in this habitat? (Grasses? Bushes? Trees? Other?)
Name at least one plant in this habitat.
How would you describe the plants in general? (look carefully, feel and smell
them.) Rough?, Smooth? Thin? Tall? Short? Many? Few? Other characteristics?
What is the soil like? Sandy? Muddy? Warm? Cool? Color?
What animals live here?
21
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
HABITAT #2 — THE HAMMOCK OR MARITIME FOREST
(A good place to explore this habitat is along the Nature Trail.)
What are the primary plants in this habitat? (Grasses? Bushes? Trees? Other?)
Name at least one plant in this habitat.
How would you describe the plants in general? (look carefully, feel and smell
them.) Rough?, Smooth? Thin? Tall? Short? Many? Few? Other characteristics?
What is the soil like? Sandy? Muddy? Warm? Cool? Color?
What animals live here?
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
HABITAT #3 — THE DUNES AND SCRUB
(A good place to explore this habitat is from the boardwalk that goes to the
beach from the parking lot ¼ mile south of our main lot.)
What are the primary plants in this habitat? (Grasses? Bushes? Trees? Other?)
Name at least one plant in this habitat.
How would you describe the plants in general? (look carefully, feel and smell
them.) Rough?, Smooth? Thin? Tall? Short? Many? Few? Other characteristics?
What is the soil like? Sandy? Muddy? Warm? Cool? Color?
What animals live here?
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
22
Be an Anthropologist — Master Jr. Ranger Project #2
An anthropologist is a person who studies how
people live. For this Master Junior Ranger
Project, you can have fun exploring Fort
Matanzas! See how many of these things you
can find during your visit to the fort.
A. FOODS
1. With all of the salt water around, what do you think the
soldiers ate?
2. How did the soldiers cook their food?
3. Name at least four foods we have now that they did not have here
in the 1740s.
B. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Where did the soldiers get their drinking water?
2. In the 1700s people did not have electric lights. Name two (2) other
things related to science and technology that we use nearly every
day that the Spanish soldiers at Fort Matanzas did not have in 1743.
3. Would it be very healthy living at Fort Matanzas? Why or why not?
C. CLOTHING AND FASHION
1. Name two things about the soldier’s clothing that is different
from our clothing today. Look closely!
2. How comfortable would the clothing have been? What makes you
think this?
23
D. CUSTOM AND CULTURE
1. Find something that shows that the Spanish soldiers were
religious. What religion was it?
2. What holidays might they have celebrated?
3. What holidays didn’t they have?
E. RECREATION AND LEISURE
1. Find 2 things that show what the soldiers might have done in
their free time.
2. What else might they have done for fun?
(Remember that most soldiers could not read or write in 1743.
3. Find something that a soldier might have made himself.
F. THINK ABOUT IT
1. Look at and feel the mattresses. What are they stuffed with?
2. What sounds might a soldier have heard at Fort Matanzas?
3. What is a “Powder Magazine”? How did soldiers get powder out of
it?
4. What might be one good thing about being at Fort Matanzas?
24
Connections to Our History
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Located 14 miles to the North, the Castillo de San Marcos is the
oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States. It
was constructed between 1672 and 1695 under the Spanish
government with labor from the local Timucuan Indians. British
forces obtained the fort in 1763 as a result of the French and
Indian War, but the Spanish regained control in 1784 at the end of
the American Revolution.
Florida became a United States territory in 1821, and the Castillo,
renamed Fort Marion, was used as a supply depot, a military base,
and a Native American prison over the years. The fort was named
a National Monument in 1924, and the National Park Service
restored its original name, Castillo de San Marcos, in 1942. Today,
the Castillo is an immensely popular tourist attraction, and it
helps tell the unique story of St. Augustine, the oldest
continuously inhabited European settlement in the
continental United States.
www.nps.gov/CASA
25
Fort Caroline National Monument
Fort Caroline and its surrounding village were built in 1564 by
René Goulaine de Laudonnière and 200 French Huguenots who
were escaping religious wars in France. When the King of Spain
found out about the French settlement in Spanish Florida, he
sent Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to get rid of them. In September
of 1565, after creating the city of St. Augustine, Menéndez led a
group of Spanish soldiers to Fort Caroline and captured it.
www.nps.gov/FOCA
26
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Frederica was a military outpost established in 1736.
It was built to defend the Georgia Colony from the Spanish
forces in Florida. The territory of Georgia was often called the
debatable land because both Spain and Britain claimed it. In
1742, the Spanish attacked British forces at Fort Frederica. The
Battle of Bloody Marsh ended in a British victory. The Spanish
were forced to retreat back to St. Augustine. This battle ended
the debate: Georgia was a British colony.
www.nps.gov/FOFR
27
Fort Mosé Historical State Park
In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered Gracia Real de
Santa Teresa de Mosé, or Fort Mosé, as the first legally free black
settlement in North America. The fort was built on the edge of
a marsh, two miles north of St. Augustine and the Castillo. In
1740, when British soldiers attacked St. Augustine, Fort Mosé
was abandoned at first, but the brave militiamen of Mosé
recaptured their home from the British and forced them to
retreat back to Georgia.
www.floridastateparks.org/fortmose
28
Suggested Reading List for Junior Rangers
Barlowe, Sy. 101 Questions about the Seashore. Mineola, NY: Dover
Publications, 1997.
Carlson, Laurie. Colonial Kids. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1997.
Chandler, Linda, ed. Fort Matanzas National Monument Handbook.
St.. Augustine: Historic Print and Map. Company., 2002.
Gioia, Robyn. America’s REAL First Thanksgiving. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple
Press, 2007
Katz, Cathie. The Nature of Florida’s Beaches. Great Outdoors Publishing
Company, 1995.
Manucy, Albert. Menéndez. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, Inc., 1983.
Weitzel, Kelly G. The Timucua Indians : A Native American Detective
Story. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2000.
Witherington, Blair and Dawn. Florida’s Living Beaches. Sarasota, FL:
Pineapple Press, 2007.
The History of the Castillo de San Marcos. St. Augustine Historic Print and
Map Company, 2005.
Florida Fabulous Series (Waterbirds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Insects, etc)
Hawaiian Gardens, CA: World Publications.
Credits
This Junior Ranger Booklet was created by the staff of Fort Matanzas &
Castillo de San Marcos National Monuments.
The cartoon soldiers and rangers were drawn by Jeffrey Edel. The “Color By
Number” soldiers were drawn by volunteer Frank Suddeth.
This book is dedicated to our volunteers who give their time as deckhands,
visitor center hosts, interpreters, and living history reenactors
29
Junior Ranger Pledge
I, (your name)_______________________________
promise to take care of our National Parks by:
Learning as much as I can about parks and sharing what
I learn with my friends and family.
Exploring as many National Parks as I can and getting
involved with their Junior Ranger Programs.
Helping take care of our parks by not feeding the wildlife,
not climbing on historical structures, by picking up
litter, and leaving only footprints.
Remember the Junior Ranger Motto—
EXPLORE! LEARN! PROTECT!
While you are at the Fort, please be safe
and treat it with respect. Do not sit, stand,
or climb on any of the cannons or on the
walls of the fort. The coquina stone the
fort is built out of is very fragile, and we
would like Fort Matanzas to be here for
years to come. Please help us preserve this
National Monument for future
generations of Junior Rangers.
30
REMINDERS FOR A SAFE AND FUN VISIT . . .
·
Fort Matanzas was built for war, not safety. Watch for uneven
and slippery surfaces.
·
Do not climb, sit, or stand on the cannons, cannon carriages, or
the shell stone walls of the Fort.
·
Parents--WATCH your children on the ladder to the fort's
roof.
·
Beware of slippery rocks and sharp oyster shells when fishing
or beach-combing along the river banks.
·
Avoid the dock, beach, and trails when threatening weather
appears.
·
Lightning can strike without warning. Seek shelter before the
storm arrives. Stay indoors until it has passed.
·
Wear bug spray as needed. Mosquitoes and gnats live here, too.
·
Wear sunscreen, and drink plenty of water. It’s hotter than you
think!
·
Respect wildlife. Watch, but do not touch, feed, or tease the
deer, birds, raccoons, spiders, snakes, or crabs.
Help keep Fort Matanzas National Monument green.
Take only pictures and leave only footprints.