Brothers Peter and Jeremy Rush, ages 6 and 8, are believed to be the youngest brothers to earn 171 Junior Ranger badges at U.S. National Park Service Sites. Photo courtesy of David Rush
March 10 (UPI) — A pair of Idaho brothers are believed to be the youngest people to earn Junior Ranger badges at all 63 U.S. national parks — as well as 108 other National Park Service Sites.
David Rush, the man who holds the most concurrent Guinness World Records, said he and his family visited their first national park, Death Valley National Park on the California-Nevada border, in February 2020, when his sons Jeremy and Peter were 3 years old and 1 year old, respectively.
The boys, now aged 8 and 6, have now completed the Junior Ranger program at all 63 national parks, as well as 108 other NPS sites.
“Interested youth complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate,” the NPS’ Junior Ranger website explains. “Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 to 13, although people of all ages can participate.”
Rush said Jeremy and Peter are believed to be the youngest brothers to complete the Junior Ranger program at every national park.
“When we visited our first national park 5 years ago as a family, we didn’t imagine we’d make it to all of them, let alone in just 5 years. But the joy it brought us and our family, and the joy that the national parks bring with over 300 million visitors per year, justify them as America’s best idea,” Rush said.
The father said he has submitted information to the NPS as well as Guinness World Records to see if Jeremy and Peter can get an official record for being the youngest brothers to earn 171 Junior Ranger badges, and if Peter can get recognized as the youngest overall to complete the feat.
