- Lucas McCarley, 5, is competing to become the next national Junior Ranger.
- Lucas could win a $20,000 prize, meet Jeff Corwin and appear in the Ranger Rick magazine.
- Donations support the National Wildlife Federation, aiding wildlife and natural landscapes conservation.
SALT LAKE CITY — Five-year-old Lucas McCarley likes just about everything in nature. Animals, mountains, trees, rivers, waterfalls, hiking — you name it, he loves it.
Now, Lucas is in the running for the chance of a lifetime: to meet nature superstar Jeff Corwin and win a $20,000 prize and the chance to appear in a Ranger Rick magazine.
Lucas has always had a love of nature, instilled in him by his parents.
"My husband and I really enjoy nature. Lucas goes along with us hiking and camping," said Lucas' mom, Alicia McCarley. "I'm a bit of a hippie at heart."
While scrolling on Facebook one day, McCarley saw an ad to enter the national Junior Ranger competition. With a variety of prizes and nature-focused opportunities, she decided to enter Lucas in the competition.
His campaign quickly gathered support from his family and friends as he skyrocketed through the first few phases of the competition. Now, he is in the quarter finals and trying to push through to the end.
"This competition has inspired me to document our adventures a little bit more," McCarley said. "It's been a bit of a learning adventure."
Donations to the campaign will support the National Wildlife Federation as it protects wildlife and natural landscapes for future generations.
"He's making a difference to help support wildlife and conservation. I thought it was so cool to see the support," McCarley added. "This is a great cause."
As a bonus to the good cause, the opportunity will help Lucas continue doing what he loves — exploring the outdoors. Although he currently lives at Hill Air Force Base with his parents, he has explored many places, including his birthplace in Minnesota.
"In Minnesota, when I had my first camping adventure, that is when I started to love nature," Lucas recalled.
He is a big fan of skunks because they can be stinky, and he thinks it's funny. He has also enjoyed answering questions about nature and his favorite parts of nature.
"I want to be famous like Jeff Corwin," Lucas said.
Daily, Lucas is constantly watching the latest episodes of "Wild Kratts" — an educational children's TV show about animals — going on adventures with his parents, and learning all about animals. One of his standout traits from his adventures is his bravery.
"In Minnesota, we went to a bug show. I got to hold a cockroach and a tarantula," Lucas recalled. "Her name was Rose, but she was the nicest tarantula."
If Lucas were to win the competition, he said he would like to buy a portable treehouse that he could take on all his adventures. When he grows up, he wants to be Spider-Man, a dream inspired by his love of spiders.
"He has the biggest imagination. He loves adventure and jokes," McCarley said, laughing. "Everything is so funny to him."
Lucas says he loves his family, especially all of his cousins and his parents. Without them and the McCarleys' friends, Lucas never would have made it this far.
Lucas has just over 24 hours — from Wednesday, July 9, to Thursday, July 10 — to make it to the top of the leaderboard and advance in the competition. To vote for Lucas with a donation or the free voting tool, visit his online Junior Ranger profile.
