Jump to content

Suggestions for a Den Conservation Project for the World Conservation Award


Recommended Posts

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a den conservations project the boys could do this spring to complete their World Conservation Award. We are a wolf den with 7 boys. We usually have pretty good attendance, so I would hope everyone will show up. The spring is the hardest due to the popularity and irregular schedules of Little League (my son included!) Thanks for any suggestions....I am really not sure what falls under the topic of "conservation project." Our CO is a nearby church and they may have something we can do to, but since they are only 7 & 8 years old we aren't going to get a lot of hard labor and digging for planting trees and bushes or anything out of them. :-)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Certainly check with your CO. Litter pick-up is often needed in the spring.

Your town council or county fish/game commissioner might have a suggestion or two. It's been a heavy winter, so sprucing up around picnic shelters is on everyone's agenda. Some areas just need kids to walk the trails and move sticks/brush to the side. If there's a big trunk in the way, they can mark it's location and report it.

'Round here, Japanese knotweed removal is an ongoing project, and it's fun because they are big plants that pull out easily.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Garbage collection is the old standby, of course. But invasive species removal (buckthorn, burrdock) is pretty big, too.

 

My city (Minneapolis, and I know St. Paul has it, too) has a program where groups check out a box of supplies from the public works building. In it are all the tools to go around and clean trash from around storm drains, and stencils to spraypaint "No Dumping: Drains to River"(with fish outlines) on the curb next to the drain. Its a fun hour/two hour project, even if the younger cubs had trouble with the spray cans. The kits come with a map of all the storm drains in the area you tell them you're targeting, and door hangers you can hang to let residents know the whats/whys of the message on their street.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Check with the local school. They may have a beautification project planned that the scouts can help on. Our pack had boys that went to their elementary school and helped plant flowers, pick up brush/shrub/leaves, painted the wood benches, and helped spread the mulch (with rakes).

 

We've also done the local river cleanup.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Wolf Dens are great for spreading mulch. Birdhouse building is a great idea - so are bat houses, especially when you have them find out how many Mosquitos a bat can eat in one night. Check with your local Department of a Environmental Protection, they might have a list of ideas waiting for volunteers. Post back about what your group did

Link to post
Share on other sites

We went the preventative route when it came to conservation. My boys built napkin holders to keep napkins from blowing away in the wind. They donated them to civic groups who hold outdoor BBQ's to help prevent the litter from occurring in the first place.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We did both the 'cleanup' ideas (mostly around lake shores) and the weed (invasive) removal. The most fun was cleanup because around a lake shore they could skip rocks and have fun discovering what kinds of things drift ashore from boats, etc.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 years later...

We met with a local landscaper who talked to the boys about why its important to prune trees.  After he showed them the whys and hows, they got to prune trees themselves.  they absolutely loved it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Check with local Arbor Day Chapter about PLANTING the trees to prune!   Many county agencies (parks,  road maintenance, "Street Beautiful",  etc.)  would support a tree or bush or flower bulb planting.   Get those hands dirty!  https://www.arborday.org/programs/

 

County Extension agent:  http://www.pickyourown.org/countyextensionagentoffices.htm

 

USDA Soil conservation  agency:   http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/

 

Does recycling count?    Check with the county Solid Waste  Department.

 

Good Scouting to you!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...