Oakland's young nature lover competes in the Jr. Ranger competition quarterfinals

Oakland’s Finn O’Brien was around 4 years old when his family visited the Oakland Nature Preserve museum for the first time. 

They quickly noticed Annabelle, a snake who came out of hiding to do something they’d never seen before: drink water.

Fascinated by the snake’s curious movements and behavior, Finn stood in front of the cage for minutes on end just watching in awe. It was like a light bulb went off in his brain and he immediately became interested in animals, said Nicole O’Brien, Finn’s mom.  

That moment shaped Finn’s future, sparking an interest that now has led him to being a quarterfinalist in the Jr. Ranger competition.

This competition is a nationwide adventure for kids ages 4 to 12 who love the great outdoors. If Finn wins, he will receive $20,000 and have a chance to meet and learn from Emmy-winning TV host and conservationist Jeff Corwin and appear in a Ranger Rick Jr. Magazine. 

To Finn, the competition offers a chance for new experiences and the opportunity to appear in one of his all-time-favorite magazines. 

“I think it would be cool (to be in the magazine)” Finn said. “They relate to nature and it’s fun to read.” 

According to Nicole O’Brien, he reads the entire Ranger Rick Jr. Magazine as soon as it arrives in the mail. 

His love for nature and animals is a part of his identity. 

When Finn was just 18 months old, he went through some difficulties which impeded him from eating. From the age of 18 months to 8 years old, Finn had to eat through a feeding tube. 

Because of his complications, Finn turned to nature for comfort. It was like therapy for him, his mom said. 

“It gave him something to really focus in on,” Nicole O’Brien said. 

Nicole O’Brien became an employee at the Oakland Nature Preserve around eight years ago before assuming her role as the managing director in 2024. Since then, she began bringing Finn around more often. He adored it.

“This past school year, he would bike here (ONP) after school every day,” Nicole O’Brien said. 

Finn’s biggest inspiration in life is his mom and he wants to follow in her footsteps, becoming an animal caretaker when he is older. 

“I like to experience what Mommy does, and of course, the animals,” Finn said. 

At ONP, his presence doesn’t go unnoticed; he has a real impact in his community. 

When Finn is there, he enjoys giving tours to visitors of the museum, which includes sharing information about snakes, grasshoppers, frogs and all other animals in there. 

From snakes to opossums, Finn knows it all. 

“ He’s been a staple out here, in the museum,” said Denise Byrne, Grants and Fundraising Coordinator at ONP. “He can talk to everyone, anyone who walks in, and he’s so knowledgeable as well.” 

He constantly is learning from his mom and her colleagues by asking questions, reading signs, magazines and being attentive to his environment. 

“His eagerness and his curiosity really, really stuck with me,” Byrne said.  “He’s just got such good characteristics with regard to nature and environmentalism and stuff like that. I think it’s really, really important that we raise generations of children that are eco-conscious — there’s a lot of important issues in the world.” 

Byrne said the younger that parents can get kids out to ONP, the better, so they can become young environmental advocates. 

“ I imagine a generation of people that really, really, really want to save the environment,” Byrne said. “I think (the world) would be a lot better, and overall for our health and our benefits, it’s going to be a lot better, too. We want to live in a healthy world.” 

Byrne hopes children are able to spread enthusiasm, like Finn has toward nature, to other people. 

“I’m absolutely rooting for him in this competition,” Byrne said. “I guess I might be biased, but he has a very, very strong place in my heart.”

Now, Finn is doing what he can to stay in the competition, while maintaining his core values of helping and preserving nature and wildlife in his every-day life. 

The Jr. Ranger competition will end on Thursday, July 24, with the grand-prize winner announcement happening by Friday, Aug. 8. 

To win the competition, votes are necessary. 

You can vote for Finn by going to jr-ranger.org/2025/finn-d997.