Home

Requirements February 1979 until September 1995

1. Explain the meaning of the following: ecology, biosphere, ecosystem, plant succession, limiting factor. Give an example of the last two.

2. With the help of your counselor, pick an area of 10 acres* for study.

3. Visit the area four times for 2 hours each time. Do this at different times  on one day a week for a month, or if at camp, on four different days of the week at different times of the day.

(a) Record the temperature, rain, and wind.
(b) List the animals you saw. Tell what they were doing.
(c) List the plants you saw.
(d) Name the kinds of rocks and soil.

4. Write about your study in 500 words or more showing:

(a) How the climate, topography, and geology have influenced the number and kinds of plants and animals.

(b) How the living and nonliving elements are interrelated.

(c) Why it is important that people understand this.

5. With your counselor, plan and carry out a project on ONE of the following:

(a) The effect of water-holding capacity of soil on plant life. The relation of plant cover to runoff. How both are related to the water and oxygen cycles.

(b) The influence of land plant life on temperature, light intensity, wind velocity, and humidity. The influence of water plant life on the water environment. How both land and water plants affect animal life.

6. Make a report, in the form of a short talk to a Scout group, on what you did in No. 5.

7. Show you understand the following:

(a) The causes of water pollution. Tell what it does to rivers and lakes.
(b) The causes of land pollution. Tell what it does to the environment.
(c) The causes of air pollution. Tell what it does to the environment.
(d) How some chemicals get into the tissues of animals miles from where they were used.

8. Describe what you and others can do to help solve a local problem of air pollution, water pollution, or litter.

9. Describe the duties of three positions in environmental science.

Requirements September 1995 until January 1998

1. Explain the meaning of the following: ecology, biosphere, ecosystem, plant succession, limiting factor. Give an example of each.

2. With the help of your counselor, pick an area of 10 acres* for study.

3. Visit the area four times for 2 hours each time. Do this at different times on one day a week for a month, or if at camp, on four different days of the week at different times of the day.

(a) Record the temperature, rain, and wind.
(b) List the animals you saw. Tell what they were doing.
(c) List the plants you saw.
(d) Name the kinds of rocks and soil.

4. Write about your study in 500 words or more showing:

(a) How the climate, topography, and geology have influenced the number and kinds of plants and animals.
(b) How the living and nonliving elements are interrelated.
(c) Why it is important that people understand this.

5. With your counselor, plan and carry out a project on ONE of the following:

(a) The effect of water-holding capacity of soil on plant life. The relation of plant cover to runoff. How both are related to the water and oxygen cycles.

(b) The influence of land plant life on temperature, light intensity, wind velocity, and humidity. The influence of water plant life on the water environment. How both land and water plants affect animal life.

6. Make a report, in the form of a short talk to a Scout group, on what you did in No. 5.

7. Show you understand the following:

(a) The causes of water pollution. Tell what it does to rivers and lakes. (b) The causes of land pollution. Tell what it does to the environment.
(c) The causes of air pollution. Tell what it does to the environment.
(d) How some chemicals get into the tissues of animals miles from where they were used.

8. Describe what you and others can do to help solve a local problem of air pollution, water pollution, or litter.

9. Describe the duties of three positions in environmental science.

Requirements January 1998 until April 1999

1. Make a timeline of the history of environmental science in America. Identify the contribution made by the Boy Scouts of America to environmental science. Include dates, names of people of organizations, and important events.

2. Define the following terms and describe the relationships among them: population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction.

3. Do ONE activity in EACH of the following categories (using the activities in this pamphlet as the bases for planning and carrying out your projects), and record your findings:

(a) Ecology

1. Conduct an experiment to find out how living things respond to changes in their environments. Discuss your observations with your counselor.
2. Conduct an experiment illustrating the greenhouse effect. Keep a journal of your data and observations. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor.

(b) Air Pollution

1. Perform an experiment to test for particulates that contribute to air pollution. Discuss your findings with your counselor.
2. Conduct a study to test the effects of acid rain on plants. Discuss your findings with your counselor.

(c) Water Pollution

1. Conduct an experiment to show how living things react to thermal pollution. Discuss your observations with your counselor.
2. Conduct an experiment to identify the methods that could be used to mediate (reduce) the effects of an oil spill on waterfowl, Discuss your results with your counselor.

(d) Land Pollution

1. Conduct an experiment to illustrate soil erosion by water. Take photographs or make a drawing of the soil before and after your experiment, and make a poster showing your results. Present your poster to your patrol or troop.
2. Perform an experiment to determine the effect of an oil spill on land. Share your journal and discuss your conclusions with your counselor.

(e) Endangered Species

1. Do research on one endangered species found in your state. Find out what its natural habitat is, why it is endangered, what is being done to preserve it, and how many individual organisms are left in the world. Prepare a 100 word report about the organism, including a drawing. Present your report to your patrol or troop.
2. DO research on one species that was endangered or threatened but which has now recovered. Find out how the organism recovered, and what its new status is. Write a 100-word report on the species and discuss it with your counselor.

(f) Resource Recovery

1. Perform an experiment on packaging materials to find out which ones are biodegradable. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor.
2. Find out if your local community has a recycling program in effect. If it does, find out what items are recycled, and who pays for recycling. If your community does not have a recycling program, write questions for and conduct a survey on recycling. Include questions about attitudes toward recycling, what should be recycled, and your community’s willingness to support a recycling program. Discuss your findings with your counselor.

4. Build an ecosystem in a bottle. Include soil, plants, fungi, and small animals found in your local environment. Maintain the ecosystem for one week. Observe it daily, and keep a record of your observations. Discuss your observations with your counselor.

5. Choose an outdoor area to study. In your study area, do ONE of the following:

(a) Mark off three study plots of four square yards each, and count the number of species found there. Then estimate how much space is occupied by each species found in the plots. Make a chart, graph, or table to compare the plots. Write a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and population density of your study area. Discuss your report with your counselor.
(b) Make four visits to the study area, staying for at least 30 minutes each time, to observe the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Keep a journal of your observations, including a discussion of differences noted during the four visits. Write a report on your observations and discuss it with your counselor.

6. Propose a hypothetical construction project in your community and prepare a limited environmental impact statement for the project. Study the area to see what the impact of the project might be upon the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

7. Develop a plan that would help solve an environmental problem, reduce an environmental impact, or affect environmental awareness in your community. Include plans for a specific project that could be done by your patrol or troop.

8. Discuss three possible careers in the field of environmental science. Identify the education that you would need to pursue ONE of these careers.

Requirements April 1999 until January 2006

1. Make a timeline of the history of environmental science in America. Identify the contribution made by the Boy Scouts of America to environmental science. Include dates, names of people of organizations, and important events.

2. Define the following terms and describe the relationships among them: population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction.

3. Do ONE activity in EACH of the following categories (using the activities in this pamphlet as the bases for planning and carrying out your projects):

(a) Ecology

1. Conduct an experiment to find out how living things respond to changes in their environments. Discuss your observations with your counselor.
2. Conduct an experiment illustrating the greenhouse effect. Keep a journal of your data and observations. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor.

(b) Air Pollution

1. Perform an experiment to test for particulates that contribute to air pollution. Discuss your findings with your counselor.
2. Conduct a study to test the effects of acid rain on plants. Discuss your findings with your counselor.

(c) Water Pollution

1. Conduct an experiment to show how living things react to thermal pollution. Discuss your observations with your counselor.
2. Conduct an experiment to identify the methods that could be used to mediate (reduce) the effects of an oil spill on waterfowl, Discuss your results with your counselor.

(d) Land Pollution

1. Conduct an experiment to illustrate soil erosion by water. Take photographs or make a drawing of the soil before and after your experiment, and make a poster showing your results. Present your poster to your patrol or troop.
2. Perform an experiment to determine the effect of an oil spill on land. Share your journal and discuss your conclusions with your counselor.

(e) Endangered Species

1. Do research on one endangered species found in your state. Find out what its natural habitat is, why it is endangered, what is being done to preserve it, and how many individual organisms are left in the wild. Prepare a 100 word report about the organism, including a drawing. Present your report to your patrol or troop.
2. Do research on one species that was endangered or threatened but which has now recovered. Find out how the organism recovered, and what its new status is. Write a 100-word report on the species and discuss it with your counselor.

(f) Resource Recovery

1. Perform an experiment on packaging materials to find out which ones are biodegradable. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor.
2. Find out if your local community has a recycling program in effect. If it does, find out what items are recycled, and who pays for recycling. If your community does not have a recycling program, write questions for and conduct a survey on recycling. Include questions about attitudes toward recycling, what should be recycled, and your community’s willingness to support a recycling program. Discuss your findings with your counselor.

4. Build an ecosystem in a bottle. Include soil, plants, fungi, and small animals found in your local environment. Maintain the ecosystem for seven days after completing construction of the ecosystem. Observe it daily, and keep a record of your observations. Discuss your observations with your counselor.

5. Choose an outdoor area to study. In your study area, do ONE of the following:

(a) Mark off three study plots of four square yards each, and count the number of species found there. Then estimate how much space is occupied by each species found in the plots. Make a chart, graph, or table to compare the plots. Write a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and population density of your study area. Discuss your report with your counselor.
(b) Make four visits to the study area, staying for at least 30 minutes each time, to observe the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Keep a journal of your observations, including a discussion of differences noted during the four visits. Write a report on your observations and discuss it with your counselor.

6. Propose a hypothetical construction project in your community and prepare a limited environmental impact statement for the project. Study the area to see what the impact of the project might be upon the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

7. Develop a plan that would help solve an environmental problem, reduce an environmental impact, or affect environmental awareness in your community. Include plans for a specific project that could be done by your patrol or troop.

8. Discuss three possible careers in the field of environmental science. Identify the education that you would need to pursue ONE of these careers.