HMNS Scout Program Environmental Science Merit Badge ...

HMNS Scout Program
Environmental Science Merit Badge
Information for Troop Leaders and Advancement Chairs
HMNS Scout Program has an open door policy. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to sit in on
classes with their child, and Troop leaders may observe any class. Parents and leaders may come and
go as they please in any scout class. If you do not have a scout registered for a class you wish to
observe, please let us know by sending an email to scouts@hmns.org. You WILL learn something!
For all HMNS Scout Program classes, each requirement is signed off individually; if a requirement has not
been completed to the satisfaction of the instructor, credit will not be given for that requirement.
Individual attention will be given to any scout in need, so that each scout has every opportunity to the
complete badge.
The Environmental Science Merit badge is required for the rank of Eagle and is one of the harder badges
to earn with more advanced concepts. We will follow the requirements as precisely as possible and use
the scientific method format for all experiments (hypothesis, experiment, data collecting, conclusion).
The Environmental Science badge takes three days to complete. We complete all requirements in class
with no outside work.
Method of Fulfilling Requirements:
Requirement 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 or organizations, and important events.
Scouts will use a web site that describes the eras of Environmentalism: Ancient Civilizations, Middle Ages
& Renaissance, Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, Progressive, and the decades of the 20 th century, to
complete a fill-in-the-blank timeline. Scouts will discuss how BSA has contributed to the study and health
of the environmental.
Requirement 2
Define the following terms: population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation,
threatened species, endangered species, extinction, pollution prevention, brownfield, ozone, watershed, airshed,
nonpoint source, hybrid vehicle, fuel cell.
Scouts will define terms, then complete a scavenger hunt in the Hall of Texas Wildlife to gain a better
understanding.
Requirement 3A, Option 1
Conduct an experiment to find out how living things respond to changes in their environments. Discuss your
observations with your counselor.
Scouts will conduct experiments by changing the environmental conditions (light, temperature, and
moisture) of mealworms. Experiment conclusions will be compared to real world conditions and how
mealworms would react to changes in their habitat.

Requirement 3B, Option 1
Perform an experiment to test for particulates that contribute to air pollution. Discuss your findings with your
counselor.
Scouts will build air pollution collectors to be set outside for several days at home and then brought back
to the class. Particles collected will be described and counted, and samples from different locations will
be compared. Using the internet, scouts will investigate the current pollution and pollen count.
Requirement 3C, Option 1
Conduct an experiment to identify the methods that could be used to mediate (reduce) the effects of an oil spill on
waterfowl.
Scouts will experiment with different methods of cleanup on a model oil spill including water, animal and
bird cleanup. After recording which methods worked best, they will describe how the model cleanup
compares to methods used in real-world situations.
Requirement 3D, Option 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.
Using prepared trays of bare soil, a paper slurry coating soil, and grass growing in soil, scouts will
observe and diagram the amount of erosion from water flowing down the tray. Conclusions will be drawn
about what causes erosion and what can be done to control erosion. Also, conclusions will be made
about flood control, as this is a more common problem in the Houston area.
Requirement 3E, Option 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.
Using the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, scouts will research an endangered species of their choice in
Texas and write a report including the required information.
Requirement 3F, Option 3
Perform an experiment on packaging materials to find out which ones are biodegradable. Discuss your conclusions
with your counselor.
Scouts will compare different samples of packing material and evaluate the biodegradability and
“environmental friendliness” of each. Different methods of degradation and the claims of store purchased
packing material will be discussed.
Requirement 4
Choose two outdoor study areas that are very different from one. Mark off a plot of 4 square yards in each study
area, and count the number of species found there. Estimate how much space is occupied by each plant species and
the type and number of nonplant species you find. Write a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and
population density of these study areas. Discuss your report with your counselor.
The first study plot will be in a weedy lawn area. Scouts will catalog and describe each plant type in the
plot. Using three random transect lines, plants and non-plant material will be sampled to give an estimate
of the diversity and percentage ground cover of the area. This sampling will be compared to the transect
method used to estimate the lumber type wood in a large timber stand. A second plot in an area with
native plants growing will be sampled for diversity. This plot will show the natural progression of a plant

community from bare soil to forest. Scouts will compare the diversity of the controlled lawn area to the
wild native habitat.
Requirement 5
Using the construction project provided or a plan you create on your own, identify the items that would need to be
included in an environmental impact statement for the project planned.
Scouts will decide on an example construction project close to the museum. Benefits and problems of
the construction problem will be listed, and then the value of the project will be debated. Effects on
erosion, run-off, pollution, wildlife and plants, and social community will be determined, and a final
evaluation of the environmental impact will be made.
Requirement 6
Find out about three career opportunities in environmental science. Pick one and find out the education, training,
and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might
interest you.
By reviewing the experiments completed, scouts will name and discuss careers available. These may
include timber stand manager, pollution control, environmental engineer, environmental law, ecologist,
and wildlife, rangeland, and natural resources management.