CONSERVATION & NATURE
PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES

PROJECT WILD ACTIVITY GUIDES - A program of activities to teach youth from K-12 about the interaction between habitat and wildlife and the controls of wildlife abundance and health. Activities can be related directly to Scouting advancement requirements.

PROJECT WILD/AQUATIC WILD WORKSHOPS: 6 hour workshops designed to show adult and senior youth leaders how to use the guides. Participants will learn how to utilize the guides through involvement in several of the activities contained in the books. Project Wild focuses on the terrestrial environment while Project Aquatic Wild focuses on the aquatic environment. Participants receive a free activity guide for either Project Wild or Project Aquatic Wild depending on which workshop they are in. They also receive additional supplemental materials. Guides contain activities that can be used for youth from k-12 depending on the activity.

PROJECT WILD SCIENCE AND CIVICS: a 2-4 hour workshop to introduce leaders to the use of this guide with a program for high school age youth. It is ideally suited for older Scouts and Venturers. The guide contains four sections dealing with the changing environment, environmental law, environmental science and the application of these principles to the definition and execution of a project. Workshops may be scheduled for groups of 12 to 30 by contacting Glenn Buckley at grbuckley419@houston.rr.com or 936.273.0098.

HOUSTON WILDERNESS PASSPORT: A guide to nearby wilderness areas representing 9 different ecosystems. Participants receive a booklet to keep track of their visits and receive a sticker to paste in their booklet when they visit a site. Ideal for youth through the 7 th grade. Information on how to obtain the passport booklets may be obtained at www.houstonwilderness.org or (713) 524-7330. The web site also has considerable information on the sites in the Houston area.

TRASH BASH: An annual Saturday event usually scheduled for the last Saturday in March that can serve as a service and educational event for Scouts of all ages. The cleanup and activities generally run from 8:30am to 1:30pm. Lunch is included as well as entertainment, souvenirs and door prizes. Program sites are distributed around the Houston area. To determine dates, locate a site near you and find specifics regarding sign up visit www.trashbash.org.

TEXAS ADOPT-A-BEACH CLEAN UP: Beach clean ups conducted in the spring and fall offer a service opportunity and chance for an outing along the coast. Some site have food and activities, but you need to check as to what is offered at each site. For more information go to www.glo.state.tx.us/adopt-a-beach/.

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: The museum conducts numerous programs for Boy Scouts (merit badges), Webelos (Activity Pins) and Cub Scouts (Belt Loops and Pins). There are charges for the various programs, but they appear to be well done. For more information go to www.hmns.org, then education, then Scouts.

JESSE JONES PARK & NATURE CENTER: Numerous nature and historical programs of interest to Scouts. For more information go to www.hcp4.net/jones/.

HOUSTON ARBORETUM & NATURE CENTER: Numerous programs for Cub Scouts through Boy Scouts. Nominal cost/ For additional information go to www.houstonarboretum.org , then education, then Scouting.

MOODY GARDENS: Numerous programs for Cub Scouts through Boy Scouts. Nominal charges for programs. For additional information go to www.moodygardens.com, then teaching and learning, then scouts.

NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF TEXAS AWARD: The Native Plant Society of Texas and The Southern Region Boy Scouts of America have initiated a program to encourage Scouts to learn about native, naturalized and exotic plants. The requirements include field trips, collecting seeds and identifying native plants as well as how some of them were used by the Indians in our area. The award will be an enameled hat pin. A description of the requirements, contact information and the application form are attached.

• Native Plant Award 1.rtf
• Native Plant Award 2.rtf
• Native Plant Award 3.rtf

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/INFORMATION:
• ScoutingTexas.com provides an interactive map view of conservation related activities and projects for the entire state of Texas. Go to www.ScoutingTexas.com.
• ConservationBSA.com has an extensive list of material related to conservation service and program opportunities. Go to www.ConservationBSA.com.