In our Ranger Community series, we hear from ANiMOZ Rangers out in the field about how they use the game to learn about, teach about and support wildlife.
Ranger Pariya spoke to Headquarters about how she and her Junior Rangers use ANiMOZ!
Ranger Pariya is mum to two Junior Rangers – Chara (7yo) and Trae (6yo). She’s a teacher, and said the ways to use the cards are endless:
“ANiMOZ provides opportunities for non restrictive play to occur. My two children have set up their own sets of ‘rules’ which, when you watch them, are easily interchangeable.
They do not keep score, but instead point out things such as the colours of the animals and names. They enjoy changing these processes regularly.”
Asked if the kids are getting use out of the game, Ranger Pariya said it helps that it’s transportable:
“They play ANiMOZ quite often as there are no restrictions on time so it can be played anywhere. I find that mine play with their cards before school and they keep them on hand in the car ride to school drop off.”
What do the Junior Rangers say?
Chara says she likes how many different creatures there are: “I like that there’s lots and lots of different animals and some of them are really colourful and some are only one colour and some that are really different.”
“It’s very interesting how it says what they are and what their name is. I like that there’s made up names because some of them are very funny; like one’s called an ‘iNGO‘ – and if you put the ‘D’ in front, it’d be a Dingo.
Picking up the HERMAN card, she continued: “There’s one that looks like a normal mouse, but it’s actually a Sandy island mouse. There are lots of different ones I haven’t seen before!”
Trae also has some specifics when it comes to his favourite part of ANiMOZ: “I like that they say a Black flying fox because I have never seen one before! And some of [the animals] are Flee, which means that they run away from Predators.
And I like that they’re Highly Rare – because I think that rare means that they’re… really precious.”
Pariya also asked her two Junior Rangers how they use the cards, and what games they play.
“We have to ask each other what card the other person has,” said Chara. “There are no limits to what you can ask. Because there are no rules it makes it easier to play. It’s just a fun game and you can end it whenever you like.”
Trae said he plays a similar game with his friends: “When I take them to school, I play with the kids the same as I do at home. I [also] like to keep piles of my collections I have made.”
Do you have any questions about the game? Send us a message, or comment below!
If you have a story to tell and want to be part of our Community Series, get in touch.
I have told everyone at the project that I help with about your game, and I really look forward to receiving it!
I volunteer at the Western Shield Camera Watch project where volunteers from all over the world come together to catalogue images taken by camera traps in the the South West forests of Western Australia. We see Echidna, Grey Kangaroo, Chuditch, Black Gloved Wallaby and and many more while helping preserve these animals from introduced species like Fox and Cat. Your readers might like to help us – it is a great activity for all the family!
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/birgus2/western-shield-camera-watch/classify
Hi Ranger Leece!
Thanks for sharing that – we’re big fans of Zooniverse here at Headquarters 🙂
Ranger Joel