MURPHY – Colson Goings, a local 7-year-old boy with dreams of being an astronaut and a judge, has been making big moves through the National Jr. Ranger competition and is now competing in the quarter-final round.
Jr. Ranger is a national competition for kids ages 4-12 that encourages an appreciation for nature in kids and their communities and raises awareness for the conservation efforts of the National Wildlife Federation.
The grand prize winner of the Jr. Ranger competition will be awarded $20,000, a wildlife adventure with Jeff Corwin – known for hosting The Jeff Corwin Experience on Animal Planet as an American wildlife biologist – and a feature in Ranger Rick, a children’s nature magazine.
May 11 began the voting period for the quarter finalists and will continue through May 21 at 11 p.m., which will be followed by a semi-finalist round from May 22-28 and the finalist round from May 29 to June 4.
Everyone can get one free daily vote during the voting period, but additional votes can be purchased by donating to support the National Wildlife Federation. Voters can also sign up to receive text updates about Colson’s progress in each round.
Colson is obsessed with all things animals and outdoors.
“Every single animal is my favorite, but I love bearded dragons the most," Colson said. "I have three of them.”
According to Meagan Goings, Colson’s mom, “Colson is so curious and has a deep love for animals and being outside exploring nature. He loves following his dad or myself through the woods on a hike or hunting and asking questions as we point out animal tracks, burrows, plants, etc. Colson has talked a lot about animal habitats and learning how to help those habitats so that the animals have their homes. He is a very caring and sensitive kid and wants all of the animals to be cared for and be happy.”
Colson loves being in nature because it’s when he can be surrounded by animals and gives him a place to have fun and play.
“I play football for the Wildcats, and that’s one of my favorite things to do outside," he said. "I’m most excited about going on an adventure with Jeff Corwin to find more animals and explore nature.”
While he is excited about the prizes he could win in this competition and is described as competitive by his parents, Meagan and Austin, Colson said his favorite part of competing has been seeing the number of people who have supported him.
“I got to be on the radio,” he said, referring to an interview he did with WKRK Radio.
“Winning this competition would mean the world to Colson and let him see that there is always a possibility for amazing things to happen when a community comes together. Him having this experience, especially if he wins, means the world to myself and his dad. Just seeing him get so excited and seeing him find his courage and talk to people around him in the community has been wonderful for us," Meagan said. "So Colson winning, for our family, would absolutely all around be a reward in addition to any prizes he might gain. I hope that others, especially another kid, can gain the appreciation that even one person can make a difference; in the environment, in school, in their community."
Colson and his family want to share their gratitude to everyone in the community who has helped him to get this far in the competition and hope they will continue to help make Colson’s dreams come true.
“We want to thank everyone who has supported Colson this far in the competition. Colson has made it into the quarterfinals, which means everyone’s support has helped him make it to the top 1% of all explorers in the competition,” the family said.
Details: To vote for Colson, visit jr-ranger.org/2026/colson-184c