Just accepted a Junior Ranger job? Finished your season and looking for what's next? Or, just want to dive deeper into the Junior Ranger Program and what we do? Read on to learn more!
Now that you've accepted your job offer, check your email daily for steps on how to start the process of onboarding. If you have questions, reach out to our email.
All employees are required to attend a 1 hour, paid onboarding session in person. At this session, we will help you complete required paperwork.
Junior Ranger positions are competitive and publicly visible. Our crews have lots of fun, but they also work hard. By accepting a position as a Junior Ranger, you agree to follow the Junior Ranger Code of Conduct, while demonstrating respect and a positive attitude towards the public, your crew, and yourself.
Junior Rangers work Tuesday through Friday 8 am – 3:30 pm with a half hour unpaid lunch break during the day.
Junior Rangers are expected to arrive on time for work prepared for the full day.
Junior Rangers make a commitment to work all days of their assigned session. Any absences must be preapproved by the Program Manager two weeks in advance. Please plan your summer accordingly.
Report emergency absences by 7 am via email to juniorrangers@bouldercolorado.gov and your crew leads.
Junior Rangers must have a reliable way of getting to work each day. There is ample parking for bikes in our locked garage. The RTD bus system has a bus stop right in front of the Wonderland Lake Trailhead, where we meet every morning.
All staff are paid on a bi-weekly basis with a 3-week delay from their start date.
All City of Boulder employees must have a social security number before they begin work.
All paychecks will be processed via direct deposit into a bank account. Set up a personal bank account now, if you do not have one.
You will need a few specific personal items to be comfortable and safe at work. Refer to the Personal Equipment Recommendations to help you prepare for work.
You will need a backpack to carry your lunch, water for the day, rain gear, sunscreen, and anything else you need for a full day of work.
To keep you safe, the program provides:
Weather in Colorado can be unpredictable. Crews are expected to work in all-weather if it is safe for the crew and non-detrimental to the trail. If conditions become unsafe for work, crews will secure a safe area in which to wait until the weather clears.
While it is uncommon, if outdoor conditions or emergencies stop work for the day completely, crews will be return to the Foothills Nature Center for dismissal. Staff can be available to shuttle participants home who rely on a parent or guardian for their transportation. Junior Rangers are paid for hours worked and will not be paid past the dismissal time on bad weather cancellation days.
If weather conditions warrant work being cancelled before the start of the work day, a text message notification will be sent to all employees, and any parents who have opted into the text notification service.
If staff arrive late to work due to weather conditions, without pre-approval, the late arrival is treated in the same fashion as a late arrival on any other workday. There may be an option to make up the time by flexing hours at the discretion of the Youth Service Learning Coordinator—either by staying late or coming in early another day. Otherwise, the missed hours will come out of reported hours.
Yes. All Junior Rangers receive a W2 via email to the email address we have on file from your application. The password to the PDF is the last 4 digits of your SSN.
We’ve heard from many people with gmail accounts that the email was sent to their spam folder, and that if you did not rescue it from spam within 30 days, it was automatically deleted. If you have not received your W2 by the end of February, please double check your spam folder, and then reach out to us if you still do not see it: juniorrangers@bouldercolorado.gov.
Reach out to the Junior Ranger Program and help us plan a JR Alumni Event! Alumni events help keep our community strong, inform you of possible job opportunities, and are just a fun way to reconnect with your lifelong friends from JR!
Ideas for possible events we could plan together:
Junior Rangers learn best from inspiring adults who were recently in their shoes. Come back and join a crew for lunch or an afternoon, and share your story - the college courses you're taking, the career path you're on, an internship you've taken, or any interesting experience you've had since the program!
We couldn't run this program without you... come back and share your love of OSMP & the land with the next generation of Junior Rangers! Applications for staff positions typically open in early January, and will be linked on the main page.
Check out this awesome list of other opportunities near us: Other Youth Program Links
“The Junior Ranger Program creates an enriching work experience dedicated to preserving land through trail maintenance, stewardship and resource management service. Through our work, we foster awareness, knowledge and respect for natural and human communities while cultivating personal growth.”
Junior Rangers join a long legacy of service to OSMP. Established in 1965 to create jobs for young people and help them develop work skills while maintaining Boulder’s public lands, the Junior Ranger Program has now employed over 4,000 youth. Since then, the program has built a legacy of community stewards who have a personal investment in the future of OSMP and all public lands. Graduates of the program carry their experience into the future by seeking future jobs in conservation, motivating siblings and friends to serve in the program, returning to OSMP as full-time staff, or continuing their experience as Junior Ranger Program staff.
The Junior Ranger program develops lifelong stewards of the natural world. Through daily conservation work, Junior Rangers gain a sense of awareness for the natural world and accomplishment for a job well done. They build the confidence to give back to their communities through collaboration, decision making, responsibility, reflection, and service.
