World Scout Environment Award for Cub Scouts

Clean Water and Clean Air

1. Creatively record your activities for the World Scout Environment Award. Begin with a drawing, thumb sketch or photo of your favourite outdoor place. Continue with a description of your outdoor place and explain why it is special to you.
2. Do one of the following:
   • A. Make a waterscope, dip net, or handscreen*. Explore an aquatic habitat such as a marsh, bog, wetland, seashore, lake, stream or snowfield.
     • a) What is the source of water in this area?
     • b) How many different kinds of animals can you find? What makes them different?
     • c) How do aquatic animals differ from those that live on land?
   • B. Go for a walk and think about sources of clean air. How do they make the air clean? How can you tell if the air is clean? (hint: use your senses) Why is clean air important? What can you, your family and pack do to help keep the air clean?
   • C. Discover how nature keeps water and air clean. Do one or both of the following:
     • a) Natural water filter
       • – Collect an outdoor water sample, at least 250 ml.
       • – Using half the water, try to clean it through a natural filter, like soil or sand, placed in the bottom of a paper cone.
       • – Then try to clean the other half of the water with a human-designed filter, like cheesecloth, paper towel, or coffee filter
       • – Which does a better job? How can you tell if water is clean?
     • b) Air particle collectors
       • – Make air particle collectors by fastening a piece of tape sticky-side-up onto cardboard squares.
       • – Place the collectors in different locations (indoors, by trees, near a road, buildings), some facing the wind, and some away from the wind. Don’t forget to protect them from rain if necessary. In your journal keep track of where you put them.
       • – Wait several days then examine your collectors. Are there particles stuck to them? How many? Which particles seem unnatural? Why? Which location had the most particles?
     • If the water flows away or the air blows away, your environment may seem cleaner. Where did it go? Is the air and water clean everywhere?
3. With your Cub Scout pack, discuss the different kinds of soil, water and air pollution that exist. How do these forms of pollution affect your health and the environment? What can be done to stop or limit them?

Natural Habitat

1. Go on a hike in or around a terrestrial (land-based) habitat such as a field, marsh, woodland, beach, prairie or tundra. Use your journal to record by writing, drawing or photos:
   • a) What animals live there? What kinds of plants live there? What is the ground or soil like?
   • b) Which plants and animals provide food for other animals?
   • c) What kind of animal and insect homes are there? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of home you find?
2. Make a viewfinder.* Use it to do one or both of the following activities:
   • a) Use the viewfinder frame to help you find interesting “pictures” that might be worth taking the time to paint, draw or photograph. Look around for several minutes testing different views. Zoom in and out and turn the viewfinder to reach the best composition that highlights a particular detail or snapshot of nature.
   • b) Using the viewfinder frame, focus on a patch of ground outdoors. Use that space to create a microhabitat for a small imaginary creature (you can use a pebble, pinecone, twig, etc.). Be able to identify the food, water, shelter, range, and enemies of your creature and give other Cub Scouts a guided tour of your microhabitat.

Harmful Substances

1. Complete the Climate Change Badge.
2. Complete the Recycling Badge.

Environmental Practices

1. Know and explain the seven principles of Leave No Trace (LNT).
2. Do at least one Leave No Trace activity with your pack. (Green Star #7 (A10? B6?), p.75, Camping Badge #6, p.77)
3. Do two of the following:
   • a) Take a short walk in the neighbourhood around your Cub Scout meeting place. How many kinds of surfaces did you travel on (sidewalk, grass, gravel, schoolyard, etc.)? What makes a surface durable? Which ones were durable? What are other durable surfaces?
   • b) What are three ways you can use the LNT principles at home? At school? At Cub Scouts? Draw a picture or write some ideas in your journal.
   • c) Plan a hike, either in your neighbourhood or a wilderness area. Now that you know about the LNT principles, what will you do differently on this hike? Where will you go? What will you take? What will you wear? Why?
   • d) “Take nothing but pictures, leave with nothing but memories.” This is a good quote about leaving no trace. Make a photo album, scrapbook, sketchbook or describe in your journal about an outdoor area you have visited. Share it with your pack.

Be Prepared to Respond

1. Complete your Emergency Preparedness Badge.

Environmental Project

1. Find out about, and participate in, a local environmental project you could help with (e.g. community garden, Earth Day activities, litter clean up, Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, yellow fish storm drain Scoutrees, etc.).
2. Describe, draw or photograph the environment before, and after, your project is done. How does what you do help the community? Canada? The world?

What Have You Learned?When you have finished all the requirements for this award, write or draw at least three things you learned about our environment, our world, and what you can do to help. Share them with your pack.