Riverside 4-Year-Old Is One Vote Away From a National Wildlife Win

"Mom, turn off the water — you are using too much."

Francesca Lichauco wasn't surprised when her 4-year-old son Zephyr Bolaños scolded her mid-shower. Whether he's sorting the recycling, quizzing adults on the difference between venom and poison, or chasing monarch butterflies through the family's backyard, Zephyr has had a passion for the natural world almost from birth — and now a national contest is taking notice.

Zephyr is competing in the 2026 Jr. Ranger contest, presented by Ranger Rick magazine and the National Wildlife Federation, and he is currently in first place in his group. Riverside readers can help push him to the next round by casting a free daily vote at jr-ranger.org — but the window closes Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m.

The grand prize includes a feature profile in Ranger Rick magazine, a hands-on wildlife experience with Emmy Award-winning biologist and TV host Jeff Corwin, and $20,000 in education funds for Zephyr and his older brother.

Zephyr was born at Parkview Community Hospital in 2022. The family moved to Riverside in 2020 and has made the region's landscape a constant presence in Zephyr's life — sunrise hikes up Mt. Rubidoux, visits to the California Citrus State Historic Park, and close-enough-to-count encounters with rattlesnakes and coyotes in the San Bernardino mountains.

"The local environment and history is rich," Lichauco wrote to the Gazette. If Zephyr wins, she said, she hopes the Ranger Rick feature will turn a national spotlight on Riverside — the city is already woven through his contest profile in photos and stories from local outings.

Lichauco said she entered Zephyr on a whim after coming across the contest online. "I now think our whim could turn into a win for him and, more importantly, the community that has nurtured his interests since he was born — Riverside," she wrote.

Votes are free and can be cast once per day through the end of the contest. The Jr. Ranger contest is operated by Colossal, a fundraising platform, on behalf of DTCare, a registered public charity that directs donations to the National Wildlife Federation. Paid votes, which count for more, are also available.

More information: To vote for Zephyr, visit jr-ranger.org. Voting for the current round closes Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7 p.m. PDT. The overall contest closes June 4, 2026.