Exploration Merit Badge

Free Resources and Answers

Time: 2–4 weeks
Difficulty: Moderate
Setting: Outdoor, fieldwork
Best For: Scouts interested in adventure, discovery, planning
Hands-On Level: High
Requires Camping/Travel: Yes
Eagle Required: No

The Exploration merit badge gives you a chance to discover something new and learn how explorers turn questions into action. Exploration can take you into the outdoors, a community, a field of science, or another area you want to understand better. You do not have to travel to a distant place to be an explorer. You need curiosity, a goal, and a willingness to learn.

As you work on this merit badge, you will learn how to plan an exploration and prepare for possible challenges. You will think about safety, equipment, transportation, communication, and other details that can affect your project. Good preparation helps you make better decisions and gives you a stronger chance of completing your exploration successfully.

You will also learn that exploration rarely goes exactly as planned. Conditions can change, problems can appear, and new information may affect what you do next. By completing an exploration, you can practice adapting to challenges while staying focused on your goal. The skills you develop can help you approach future adventures, projects, and questions with greater confidence.

The requirements for the Exploration merit badge were updated on January 1, 2026.

Exploration Merit Badge requirements

Exploration Merit Badge Pamphlet

Exploration Merit Badge Printable Requirement Check Off Sheet

Printable checkoff sheet for all Scouts BSA merit badges

Help with Answers for the Exploration Merit Badge

Find specific helps for the Exploration merit badge requirements listed on this page. Some of these resources will just give the answers. Others will provide engaging ways for older Scouts to introduce these concepts to new Scouts.

• Requirement 1: General Knowledge
• Requirement 2: History of Exploration
• Requirement 3: Importance of Exploration
• Requirement 4: Real-Life Exploration
• Requirement 5: Exploration in Lab and Field
• Requirement 6: Expedition Planning
• Requirement 7: Prepare for an Expedition
• Requirement 8: Go on an Expedition
• Requirement 9: Career Opportunities
• Additional Resources

Requirement 1a: What Exploration Means

What You Need To Do

Define exploration. Describe how exploration is different from adventure travel, hiking or trekking, tour-group trips, and recreational outdoor trips.

Helpful Tips

• Exploration has a main goal of discovery or gaining new information.
• An explorer may study a place, culture, scientific question, animal, plant, or other subject.
• Adventure travel usually focuses on excitement, challenge, or a new personal experience.
• Hiking and trekking usually focus on traveling on foot, enjoying nature, exercising, or reaching a destination.
• Tour-group trips usually follow a planned schedule with known stops and activities.
• Recreational outdoor trips usually focus on fun, relaxation, or activities such as camping, fishing, or kayaking.
• A trip can include exploration along with hiking, camping, or other activities.
• The purpose of the trip is the key difference. Exploration focuses on discovery and new information.

Resources

• What’s the Difference Between Adventure and Exploration? (website)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to compare several types of trips using their main purpose.
• Use familiar examples such as a family camping trip, a guided tour, or a research expedition.
• Encourage Scouts to give their own examples of exploration.
• Keep the focus on discovery rather than how difficult or remote a trip may be.

Requirement 1b: Exploration in Different Settings

What You Need To Do

Describe how exploration can change based on the location. Compare exploration in the ocean, in space, in a jungle, and in a city science lab.

Helpful Tips

• Ocean exploration may use research ships, submarines, sonar, cameras, or remotely operated vehicles.
• Deep water can bring high pressure, darkness, cold temperatures, and limited access to air.
• Space exploration requires spacecraft, life-support systems, special clothing, and protection from radiation and extreme temperatures.
• Jungle exploration may involve dense plants, rough ground, insects, wildlife, heat, rain, and difficult navigation.
• Jungle explorers may use maps, GPS devices, field guides, cameras, and research equipment.
• A city science lab provides a controlled place for experiments, measurements, and testing.
• Lab exploration may use microscopes, computers, sensors, chemicals, or other scientific equipment.
• Safety plans and equipment change with each setting.
• The goal of discovery can stay the same even when the location and methods are very different.

Resources

• What Is Exploration (video)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to compare the hazards, tools, and methods used in each setting.
• Use photos, maps, or examples of real exploration projects to make the differences clear.
• Encourage Scouts to connect each environment with the equipment needed there.
• Help Scouts focus on how the setting changes the approach to exploration.

Requirement 2: History of Exploration

What You Need To Do

Choose one field with a history of exploration, such as aerospace, archaeology, medicine, oceanography, or paleontology. Discuss how exploration helped that field grow and led to important discoveries or improvements.

Helpful Tips

• Exploration has played a major role in science, technology, medicine, industry, and the study of Earth.
• Aerospace exploration moved from early flight experiments to aircraft, rockets, satellites, and space missions.
• Archaeology uses exploration and excavation to uncover artifacts, buildings, and other evidence from past cultures.
• Medicine advances through research into diseases, treatments, genetics, and the human body.
• Oceanography uses ships, sonar, submarines, and underwater vehicles to study oceans and marine life.
• Paleontology relies on field exploration to locate fossils and gather evidence about ancient life.
• Oil exploration uses geology, seismic surveys, drilling, and other methods to locate underground resources.
• New tools often allow explorers to reach places or gather information that was unavailable before.
• Focus on one field and identify several major discoveries, inventions, or milestones from its history.
• Connect each example to the role exploration played in moving the field forward.

Resources

• 50 Years of Space Exploration (video)
• Into the Abyss: How Humans Became the Astronauts of the Deep Sea (video)
• The Age of Exploration (video)
• How the Higgs Boson Was Discovered (video)

Leader Tips

• Help Scouts choose a field they find interesting.
• Encourage them to build a simple timeline with a few major exploration milestones.
• Ask how each discovery changed the field or opened the way for later work.
• Keep the discussion focused on the importance of exploration, not just a list of dates and names.

Requirement 3a: A Scientific Basis

What You Need To Do

Describe why exploration should have a scientific basis. Focus on how careful methods, evidence, records, and testing make discoveries more useful and reliable.

Helpful Tips

• Scientific exploration starts with a clear question or goal.
• Explorers collect facts, measurements, samples, images, or other evidence.
• Good records make it possible to review what happened during the exploration.
• Clear methods allow other people to repeat the work and compare results.
• Evidence helps separate facts from guesses or personal opinions.
• Research before an expedition can help identify hazards and reduce risk.
• Scientific methods can help explorers use time, money, and equipment wisely.
• Accurate results can add useful information to a larger field of study.

Resources

• What It Takes to Be an Adventurer (video)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to connect scientific methods with real exploration examples.
• Encourage them to name the types of evidence an explorer might collect.
• Use a simple example, such as mapping a cave or studying water quality.
• Keep the focus on reliable information and useful results.

Requirement 3b: How Explorers Help Us

What You Need To Do

Describe ways explorers have added to our knowledge of Earth and beyond. Use examples from areas such as geography, biology, archaeology, oceans, space, or extreme environments.

Helpful Tips

• Early geographic exploration helped create more accurate maps of land and sea.
• Naturalists collected plants, animals, and other specimens from unfamiliar places.
• Charles Darwin’s work during the voyage of HMS Beagle contributed to ideas about evolution.
• Archaeologists uncover artifacts, buildings, and graves that provide evidence about past cultures.
• Ocean explorers map the seafloor and study marine animals, currents, and underwater geology.
• Space missions have provided information about the Moon, planets, asteroids, and other parts of the solar system.
• Polar and cave explorers gather information from places with extreme conditions.
• New discoveries can change older ideas when better evidence becomes available.
• Modern tools such as satellites, sonar, robots, and remote sensors allow exploration in places people cannot easily reach.

Resources

• Why We Explore (video)

Leader Tips

• Help Scouts choose a few clear examples instead of listing many names.
• Ask how each exploration added new information.
• Include modern exploration as well as historical examples.
• Keep the discussion centered on discoveries and their value.

Requirement 3c: Qualities of an Explorer

What You Need To Do

Describe the skills and personal qualities needed for exploration. Include traits that help an explorer prepare, solve problems, work safely, and continue when conditions change.

Helpful Tips

• Curiosity gives explorers a reason to ask questions and search for answers.
• Preparation helps explorers choose proper equipment, routes, supplies, and safety plans.
• Careful attention to details can reveal important clues or changes in conditions.
• Problem-solving helps when equipment fails, routes change, or new challenges appear.
• Adaptability allows an explorer to change plans when conditions require it.
• Patience is useful because discoveries may take time.
• Determination helps an explorer continue working through setbacks.
• Teamwork is important on many expeditions because people may depend on one another.
• Good communication helps a team share information, directions, warnings, and results.
• Responsible explorers respect people, property, wildlife, cultural sites, and the environment.

Resources

• Why Great Scientists Ask Great Questions? w/ Neil deGrasse Tyson (video)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to connect each quality with a real exploration situation.
• Encourage examples from Scouting trips, school projects, or outdoor activities.
• Guide the discussion toward preparation, teamwork, safety, and problem-solving.
• Avoid treating courage as the only important trait.

Requirement 4a: Research a Living Explorer

What You Need To Do

Choose a living explorer and research one of the person’s expeditions. Prepare a short report or presentation covering the expedition’s goals and achievements, then share it with your counselor and unit.

Helpful Tips

• Choose an explorer with enough reliable information available for research.
• Sylvia Earle is known for ocean exploration and marine science.
• James Cameron completed a solo dive to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in 2012.
• Robert Ballard is known for deep-sea exploration and locating famous shipwrecks.
• Research the main goal of one expedition.
• Include where the expedition took place and when it happened.
• Describe the tools, vehicles, or equipment used during the expedition.
• Include the expedition’s most important achievement or discovery.
• Use books, museum websites, science organizations, universities, or other reliable sources.
• Your presentation may be spoken, written, or multimedia.

Resources

• 50 Years of Discovery | Jane Goodall and The Leakey Foundation (video)
• The World’s Greatest Living Explorer | Ranulph Fiennes (video)
• Levison Wood / Walking the Nile / Himalayas / Americas / Arabia Badlands & Beyond (video)
• Unsung Heroes of Everest | Nat Geo Live (video)

Leader Tips

• Help Scouts choose a living explorer with good source material available.
• Encourage research from more than one reliable source.
• Guide Scouts toward one specific expedition instead of covering the explorer’s entire career.
• Give Scouts a clear chance to share their work with the unit.

Requirement 4b: Research a Scientific Expedition

What You Need To Do

Research a real scientific exploration expedition. Cover its goals, major discoveries, and how its results helped scientists answer important questions, then share your findings with your counselor and unit.

Helpful Tips

• Choose an expedition with a clear scientific purpose.
• Ocean, space, archaeology, geology, biology, and polar research all provide good choices.
• The Rosetta mission studied Comet 67P and placed the Philae lander on its surface in 2014.
• Mars rover missions have studied rocks, soil, climate, and evidence of past water.
• Deep-ocean expeditions study places with extreme pressure, darkness, and unusual forms of life.
• Archaeological expeditions can uncover fossils, artifacts, or remains connected with human history.
• Start with the mission’s main scientific question or goal.
• List the equipment or technology used to gather information.
• Pick the discoveries you find most important or interesting.
• Connect each major discovery to a question scientists were trying to answer.
• Use reliable science agencies, universities, museums, or research organizations as sources.

Resources

• Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover (website)
• Expedition Amazon – Into the Waters | National Geographic (video)

Leader Tips

• Help Scouts narrow broad missions to a manageable topic.
• Ask Scouts to connect discoveries with the expedition’s original questions.
• Encourage the use of reliable scientific sources.
• Give Scouts room to choose discoveries they find especially interesting.

Requirement 4c: Exploration in a Laboratory

What You Need To Do

Research exploration done in a laboratory or scientific research facility. Describe how laboratory research is similar to field exploration.

Helpful Tips

• Laboratory exploration can take place in medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and many other fields.
• Medical researchers may test treatments, study diseases, or examine cells and genes.
• Biology labs may study organisms, DNA, cells, or ecosystems.
• Chemistry labs may test reactions and create or study new materials.
• Physics labs may investigate matter, energy, forces, and particles.
• Astronomy research can use telescopes, computers, images, and data collected from space.
• Both laboratory and field exploration begin with questions or goals.
• Both require planning, equipment, safety procedures, and accurate records.
• Both involve collecting evidence and analyzing results.
• Unexpected results can lead to new questions and further research.
• Field explorers gather information in natural settings, while laboratory researchers often work in controlled conditions.
• Both types of exploration can produce discoveries that add new information to a field.

Resources

• Research Scientist (video)
• Inside the World’s Largest Science Experiment (video)
• Day in the Life of a Research Scientist (video)

Leader Tips

• Help Scouts choose a laboratory field with clear examples of research.
• Ask them to compare the steps used in field and laboratory exploration.
• Encourage examples involving equipment, safety, records, and evidence.
• Keep the focus on similarities as well as the different settings.

Requirement 5a: Visit an Exploration Organization

What You Need To Do

With your parent’s permission and counselor’s approval, visit an exploration organization in person or online. Find out what types of exploration the organization supports, then share what you found with your counselor.

Helpful Tips

• Possible organizations include The Explorers Club, National Geographic Society, Smithsonian Institution, Alpine Club, or World Wildlife Fund.
• Check the organization’s website before your visit.
• Look for recent expeditions, research projects, grants, or field programs.
• Find out which subjects or places the organization supports.
• Some organizations support ocean, wildlife, space, cultural, or geographic exploration.
• Write down the names of one or two projects that interest you.
• Find the goal of each project and who carried it out.
• Look for photos, videos, articles, or expedition reports.
• Prepare a few questions before an in-person visit.
• Take notes so you can share the main points with your counselor.

Resources

• The Explorers Club (website)
• National Geographic Society (website)
• Smithsonian Institution (website)
• World Wildlife Federation (website)

Leader Tips

• Make sure the Scout has parent permission and counselor approval before the visit.
• Help the Scout choose an organization with clear information about exploration.
• Encourage the Scout to focus on specific projects instead of the whole organization.
• Ask what kinds of exploration the organization supports and why.

Requirement 5b: Visit a Research Facility

What You Need To Do

With permission and approval, visit a science lab, observatory, medical research facility, or similar site in person or online. Find out what type of exploration or research takes place there, then share what you found with your counselor.

Helpful Tips

• Science labs may study biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, geology, or other subjects.
• Astronomical observatories use telescopes and other instruments to study objects in space.
• Medical research facilities may study diseases, treatments, cells, genes, or medical technology.
• Find the main purpose of the facility before your visit.
• Look for current research projects or recent discoveries.
• Identify the tools and equipment researchers use.
• Find out what questions the researchers are trying to answer.
• Ask how researchers collect and record their data.
• Follow all safety rules during an in-person visit.
• Do not touch equipment or enter restricted areas without permission.
• Take notes about the research, equipment, and discoveries.
• Choose a few main points to share with your counselor after the visit.

Leader Tips

• Help the Scout find a facility with useful visitor or online resources.
• Review safety and visitor rules before an in-person visit.
• Encourage questions about the purpose, methods, and equipment used in the research.
• Ask the Scout to connect the facility’s work with exploration and discovery.

Requirement 6a: Set Expedition Goals

What You Need To Do

Describe why an exploration needs clear objectives before it begins. The objectives give the team a purpose and guide the rest of the planning.

Helpful Tips

• Objectives describe what the expedition is meant to accomplish.
• A clear goal helps the team stay focused.
• Goals can involve mapping, collecting data, studying wildlife, testing equipment, or answering a research question.
• Specific goals make it easier to choose the right people and equipment.
• Goals also help determine how much time the expedition may require.
• A team can use its objectives to measure whether the mission was successful.
• Too many goals can make an expedition difficult to manage.
• Write the most important objectives before planning the other details.

Resources

• EXPEDITIONS | How to Get Started! (video)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to create a simple goal for a sample expedition.
• Help them make the goal specific enough to guide planning.
• Ask how the goal affects equipment, people, time, and cost.
• Keep the focus on why objectives come first.

Requirement 6b: Plan the Mission

What You Need To Do

Describe why an expedition needs a schedule and a complete mission plan. Include possible permits, documents, or approvals required for the trip.

Helpful Tips

• A mission plan lists the major activities from departure through the return home.
• A schedule helps the team use its time well.
• Include travel time, exploration work, meals, rest, and other important activities.
• Extra time may be needed for weather delays or other problems.
• Some locations require permits before visitors can enter, camp, collect samples, or conduct research.
• Travel may require identification, passports, visas, or other documents.
• Activities such as fishing, boating, or collecting specimens may require licenses or special permission.
• Rules can vary by location, landowner, agency, state, or country.
• Check permit and document requirements early so there is time to obtain them.
• Keep copies of important documents where the team can reach them.

Resources

• How to Plan an Expedition (video)
• Plan Your DREAM ADVENTURE: Expert Tips From a Pro Expedition Leader (video)
• How to Plan an Adventure | Plan a Camping Trip (video)

Leader Tips

• Give Scouts a sample expedition and ask them to build a basic schedule.
• Ask what permits or documents might apply.
• Encourage time for delays and unexpected changes.
• Show how a schedule supports the expedition’s main goal.

Requirement 6c: Plan the Budget

What You Need To Do

Describe why an expedition needs a budget. Estimate the money needed for travel, equipment, lodging, food, permits, licenses, and other expenses.

Helpful Tips

• A budget lists the expected costs of an expedition.
• Transportation may include fuel, airline tickets, vehicle rental, or other travel costs.
• Equipment costs may include purchases, rentals, repairs, or replacement items.
• Lodging can include hotels, campsites, cabins, or other accommodations.
• Food costs depend on the number of people and the length of the trip.
• Permits, licenses, admission fees, and guide fees may add to the total.
• Emergency funds can help cover unexpected expenses.
• Compare prices before making major purchases or reservations.
• Some equipment can be borrowed or rented instead of purchased.
• Add the expected costs together before deciding whether the expedition is affordable.

Resources

• How to Plan for Permits and Reservations (video)

Leader Tips

• Have Scouts create a simple sample budget.
• Encourage realistic prices for major expenses.
• Ask which costs are essential and which could be reduced.
• Include some money for unexpected needs.

Requirement 6d: Choose Equipment and Supplies

What You Need To Do

Describe how to choose the personal and mission equipment needed for an expedition. Supplies should match the location, goals, group size, and length of the trip.

Helpful Tips

• Personal gear can include clothing, footwear, sleeping gear, hygiene items, and water containers.
• Mission equipment depends on the expedition’s goals.
• Research equipment may include cameras, measuring tools, sample containers, maps, or computers.
• Food and water supplies must cover the planned length of the expedition.
• Weather and terrain affect clothing and shelter needs.
• Emergency and first aid supplies should be easy to reach.
• Equipment should be tested before departure.
• Batteries, fuel, repair kits, and replacement parts may be needed for important equipment.
• Heavy or bulky gear can affect transportation and travel speed.
• Make a checklist to reduce the chance of leaving important items behind.

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts to build an equipment list for a sample expedition.
• Have them connect each major item with a specific need.
• Encourage them to separate personal gear from mission equipment.
• Include backup supplies for important equipment when practical.

Requirement 6e: Communication and Transportation

What You Need To Do

Describe how an expedition team will travel and communicate. Include plans for communication within the team and with people outside the expedition.

Helpful Tips

• Transportation must match the location, terrain, group size, and equipment.
• Travel may involve cars, boats, aircraft, bicycles, hiking, or several methods.
• Routes should be planned before the expedition begins.
• Backup transportation may be important in remote areas.
• Team members need a way to communicate while working on-site.
• Communication tools can include cell phones, radios, satellite devices, or other equipment.
• Cell service may be unavailable in remote locations.
• Emergency contacts should have the expedition schedule and location information.
• Set regular times for checking in with a base contact when appropriate.
• Keep communication equipment charged and protected from weather or damage.

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts what could happen if normal transportation or communication fails.
• Encourage a backup plan for remote expeditions.
• Discuss the limits of cell phones in isolated areas.
• Connect communication planning with safety and emergency response.

Requirement 6f: Safety and First Aid

What You Need To Do

Describe the safety and first aid plans needed for an expedition. Include possible hazards, ways to reduce those hazards, and a plan for getting an injured or sick person to medical care.

Helpful Tips

• Identify hazards before the expedition begins.
• Hazards may include weather, wildlife, rough terrain, water, heat, cold, illness, or equipment problems.
• Prevention can include proper clothing, training, protective equipment, route choices, and weather checks.
• First aid supplies should match the size of the team and the expedition’s risks.
• Team members should have first aid skills appropriate for the activity.
• Know where the nearest medical help may be available.
• A medical evacuation plan describes how an injured or sick person can leave the area safely.
• Emergency transportation may be difficult in remote locations.
• Communication methods should support the emergency plan.
• Team members should know what to do and who is in charge during an emergency.

Resources

• Essential Expedition Essentials Medical Kit Guide (video)

Leader Tips

• Give Scouts a sample expedition and ask them to identify several hazards.
• Have them match each hazard with a prevention step.
• Include evacuation planning in the discussion.
• Reinforce the value of planning before an emergency occurs.

Requirement 6g: Select the Team

What You Need To Do

Describe how to choose people for an expedition. Identify important team skills and the qualities needed by the expedition leader.

Helpful Tips

• Team members should have skills related to the expedition’s goals.
• A team may need people with navigation, first aid, science, repair, cooking, communication, or outdoor skills.
• Some expeditions require specialists with technical training.
• Team size can affect transportation, supplies, cost, and safety.
• Each person should have a clear role.
• Team members need to work well with others.
• The expedition leader coordinates the team and keeps the mission focused.
• A leader needs good communication and decision-making skills.
• A leader should be prepared to change plans when conditions require it.
• A strong team includes the right mix of skills rather than people with identical abilities.

Resources

• Flight of the Osprey Media Team Selection (video)

Leader Tips

• Give Scouts a sample mission and ask which roles are needed.
• Encourage them to match skills with specific expedition jobs.
• Ask which leadership skills matter when plans change.
• Keep the discussion focused on building an effective team.

Requirement 6h: Keep and Share Records

What You Need To Do

Describe how an expedition team will document its work. Include plans for organizing, interpreting, and sharing the information collected after the expedition.

Helpful Tips

• Good records preserve information gathered during the expedition.
• Records can include written notes, photographs, videos, maps, measurements, samples, or digital files.
• Dates, times, locations, and conditions can add useful details to records.
• Use the same recording method throughout the expedition when possible.
• Label samples, photographs, and files clearly.
• Back up important digital records when possible.
• Organized records make it easier to compare information later.
• After the expedition, review the information and identify the most important results.
• Maps, charts, reports, presentations, and videos can help explain the findings.
• Share results in a form suited to the people who will use the information.

Resources

• The 7 Fundamentals of Documenting Your Travels (website)

Leader Tips

• Ask Scouts which records would be useful for a sample expedition.
• Encourage a simple and consistent method for recording information.
• Discuss ways to protect records from loss or damage.
• Ask how the final results could be shared with others.

Requirement 7a: Work With a Qualified Adult

What You Need To Do

Prepare for your expedition with help from a qualified adult who has experience with exploration. Your parent must give permission, and your counselor must approve the plan.

Helpful Tips

• Choose an adult with experience related to the type of expedition you are planning.
• A qualified adult might be a science teacher, museum representative, park employee, instructor, or experienced expedition leader.
• The adult should be able to help with planning, safety, equipment, and possible problems.
• Share your expedition goal with the adult before making detailed plans.
• Review the location, route, schedule, and activities together.
• Ask for help identifying hazards you may have missed.
• Use the adult’s experience when choosing equipment and preparing backup plans.
• Keep your merit badge counselor involved as your plans develop.

Leader Tips

• Help the Scout find an adult with useful experience for the planned expedition.
• Give the Scout responsibility for making the plan instead of doing the planning for them.
• Ask questions that help the Scout check details and possible risks.
• Make sure parent permission and counselor approval are in place.

Requirement 7b: Plan Equipment and Team

What You Need To Do

Use the planning steps from requirement 6 to prepare for your expedition. Make an equipment and supply list, give a reason for each item, and decide who should be part of the expedition team.

Helpful Tips

• Start with the expedition objectives from requirement 6.
• Use your route, schedule, weather, and activities to build your equipment list.
• Include personal gear such as clothing, footwear, food, water, and hygiene items.
• Include mission equipment needed to complete the expedition objectives.
• Add navigation, communication, first aid, and emergency supplies.
• Give a specific purpose for each major item.
• Avoid carrying equipment with no clear use.
• Check batteries, fuel, repair supplies, and other items needed to keep equipment working.
• Choose team members whose skills match the expedition’s needs.
• Useful skills may include first aid, navigation, science, communication, outdoor skills, or equipment repair.
• Make sure each team member has a clear role.
• Review your choices with your counselor before the expedition.

Leader Tips

• Ask the Scout to connect each major item with a real expedition need.
• Look for important missing items rather than building the list for the Scout.
• Discuss how team skills support the mission and safety plan.
• Encourage a complete plan without adding unnecessary equipment.

Requirement 7c: Complete a Pre-Expedition Check

What You Need To Do

Review the complete expedition plan before leaving and share the results with your counselor. Use the Scouting America SAFE Checklist with your counselor and make sure foreseeable hazards have been addressed.

Helpful Tips

• Review each planning step from requirement 6 before departure.
• Confirm the expedition objectives, schedule, transportation, budget, equipment, communication, team, and recordkeeping plans.
• Check all equipment to make sure it is present and working.
• Confirm permits, reservations, permissions, and other required documents.
• Review weather conditions and other current information about the location.
• Check communication methods and emergency contact information.
• Review first aid supplies and medical emergency procedures.
• Confirm how an injured or sick person could reach medical care.
• Identify hazards connected with weather, terrain, water, wildlife, equipment, or planned activities.
• Add ways to avoid or reduce each foreseeable hazard.
• Walk through the Scouting America SAFE Checklist with your counselor.
• Correct problems found during the check before beginning the expedition.

Resources

• Scouting America SAFE Checklist (PDF)

Leader Tips

• Let the Scout lead the pre-expedition review.
• Use the SAFE Checklist to guide a complete safety discussion.
• Ask how each major hazard will be prevented or managed.
• Require changes when a foreseeable risk has not been adequately addressed.

Requirement 8a: Complete Your Expedition

What You Need To Do

With your parent’s permission and proper adult supervision, carry out the expedition you planned in requirements 6 and 7. Travel to an area you have not explored before and follow your expedition plan.

Helpful Tips

• Review your goals before the expedition begins.
• Use the schedule, equipment list, safety plan, and communication plan you already prepared.
• Complete a final check of your personal gear and mission equipment.
• Follow the route and procedures approved for the expedition.
• Keep safety ahead of completing every planned activity.
• Change the plan when weather, hazards, or other conditions make a change necessary.
• Keep notes about important events during the expedition.
• Record locations, times, measurements, findings, and other useful details.
• Take photos when they can help document your work.
• Keep track of problems and changes made during the expedition.
• Work with your team and follow the direction of the approved adult supervisor.
• Protect all notes, photos, samples, and other records needed for your final report.

Leader Tips

• Allow the Scout to carry out as much of the prepared plan as safely possible.
• Guide decisions when conditions require changes.
• Encourage accurate recordkeeping during the expedition.
• Keep the Scout’s objectives, safety plan, and approved preparations at the center of the activity.

Requirement 8b: Practice Outdoor Ethics

What You Need To Do

Discuss why outdoor ethics are important during exploration. Describe how you used the Outdoor Code, Leave No Trace principles, and Tread Lightly! principles during your expedition.

Helpful Tips

• Outdoor ethics help protect places used for exploration.
• The Outdoor Code calls for being clean, careful with fire, considerate, and conservation-minded.
• Leave No Trace includes planning ahead and preparing for the conditions of the area.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces such as established trails and campsites when appropriate.
• Pack out trash, leftover food, and other waste.
• Leave rocks, plants, artifacts, and other natural or cultural items where you find them.
• Keep campfire impacts low and follow local fire rules.
• View wildlife from a safe distance and never feed wild animals.
• Respect other visitors and their opportunity to enjoy the area.
• Tread Lightly! promotes responsible travel and respect for other people and sensitive areas.
• Stay on approved routes and avoid damaging fragile or protected places.
• Use examples from your expedition to show how you put these practices into action.

Resources

Outdoor Code (website)
The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace (website)
Leave No Trace Basics (video)
Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics (video)

Leader Tips

• Ask for specific examples from the Scout’s expedition.
• Connect outdoor ethics choices with protecting the area for future visitors.
• Discuss choices involving trails, waste, wildlife, fires, and sensitive sites.
• Keep the discussion tied to actions the Scout actually took.

Requirement 8c: Write Your Expedition Report

What You Need To Do

Prepare a one- to three-page report about your expedition. Include your objectives, findings, observations, photos, discoveries, problems, and a conclusion describing whether you completed your objectives.

Helpful Tips

• Begin the report with the objectives you set before the expedition.
• Describe where the expedition took place and what you did.
• Use your field notes to list important findings and observations.
• Include discoveries related to your expedition goals.
• Add measurements, maps, charts, or other useful information when appropriate.
• Include photos that help document the expedition.
• Report problems, delays, equipment failures, bad weather, or other adverse events.
• Describe changes made to the original plan.
• Include the results even if they were different from what you expected.
• End with a clear conclusion about whether you reached each objective.
• Give reasons for any objective you did not complete.
• Keep the written report between one and three pages.
• Up to one page may consist of photos, graphs, or figures.
• Organize the report so your counselor can easily follow the expedition from goals through results.

Leader Tips

• Encourage the Scout to use records collected during the expedition.
• Help organize the report without writing it for the Scout.
• Ask for clear connections between the original objectives and final results.
• Accept unsuccessful objectives when the report accurately explains what happened.

Requirement 9a: Explore a Career

What You Need To Do

Choose one career connected to exploration and research it. Find information about education, training, costs, job duties, salary, job outlook, and advancement, then discuss your findings and interest in the career with your counselor.

Helpful Tips

• Choose a career connected to science, travel, research, mapping, engineering, or fieldwork.
• Find the education or training required to enter the career.
• Some careers require a college degree, while others may require certifications or special training.
• Include the cost of college, training programs, licenses, or required equipment when they apply.
• Find the main duties performed by someone in the career.
• Look for current salary information from a reliable source.
• Check current job prospects and expected demand for workers in the field.
• Research ways a person can advance to higher positions or more specialized work.
• With your parent or guardian’s permission, you may research online or interview someone working in the field.
• A library, college, government career website, or professional organization can provide useful information.
• Include parts of the career you would enjoy and parts you might find difficult.
• Be ready to discuss why the career does or does not interest you.

Careers to Explore

• Marine biologist
• Astronomer
• Geologist
• Archaeologist
• Glaciologist
• Volcanologist
• Cave researcher
• Oceanographer
• Aerospace engineer
• Wildlife researcher
• Climatologist
• Expedition leader
• Cartographer
• Remote sensing specialist
• Anthropologist
• Environmental scientist
• Field biologist
• Planetary scientist
• Geographic information systems specialist
• Research scientist

Resources

• Ocean Exploration Careers (website)
• Unlocking Space Careers: Beyond Astronauts and Rocket (video)
• How I Became a Researcher (video)

Leader Tips

• Help the Scout choose a career with enough reliable information available.
• Encourage current sources for salary, job outlook, and education costs.
• Ask the Scout to connect daily job duties with personal interests.
• Keep the discussion focused on one career in enough detail to meet the requirement.

Requirement 9b: Explore a Hobby

What You Need To Do

Choose a hobby that uses exploration skills and research how to get started. Find any needed training, expected expenses, supporting organizations, and possible short-term and long-term goals.

Helpful Tips

• Exploration hobbies can involve nature, science, navigation, photography, travel, or collecting information.
• Start by finding the basic skills needed for the hobby.
• Some hobbies require classes, certifications, permits, or safety training.
• List the equipment needed to begin.
• Include the cost of equipment, lessons, memberships, travel, or activity fees.
• Look for clubs, associations, museums, parks, or other groups that support the hobby.
• Local groups may offer classes, outings, meetings, or experienced mentors.
• A short-term goal should be something you can complete fairly soon.
• A long-term goal can involve higher skills, larger projects, certifications, or special trips.
• Exploration skills such as planning, navigation, recordkeeping, and careful preparation can support many hobbies.
• Some hobbies allow participants to contribute information to scientific research.
• Choose a hobby you would enjoy continuing after completing the merit badge.

Hobbies to Explore

• Astronomy and stargazing
• Birdwatching
• Nature photography
• Orienteering
• Geocaching
• Fossil hunting
• Rock and mineral collecting
• Amateur geology
• Wildlife tracking
• Cave exploration
• Scuba diving
• Snorkeling
• Hiking and navigation
• Mapmaking
• Amateur archaeology
• Weather observing
• Nature journaling
• Citizen science projects
• Backpacking
• Exploring local history

Resources

• Ready to Dive Into the Adventure of a Lifetime? Become a PADI Scuba Diver (video)
• Astronomy for Beginners (video)
• Permanent Orienteering Course (video)

Leader Tips

• Encourage the Scout to choose a hobby with a clear connection to exploration skills.
• Help separate necessary expenses from optional equipment.
• Ask for one realistic short-term goal and one longer-term goal.
• Encourage the Scout to find a club or organization connected with the hobby.

More Merit Badge Resources

The Exploration merit badge adds a discovery-focused option to the wide range of merit badges Scouts can choose from. While some badges teach outdoor skills, science, or crafts, this one encourages Scouts to study a place, create a plan, and carry out a real exploration. It might involve nature, history, or a local landmark. Like many badges, it teaches careful planning, observation, and hands-on learning.

This badge also shows how the merit badge program supports many interests. Scouts who enjoy asking questions and learning how things work can use those strengths here. Exploration teaches research, clear notes, and safe travel. It fits well with the idea that Scouts grow by trying new challenges and learning directly from their surroundings.

Learn More about Scouts BSA

The Exploration merit badge supports the larger Scouts BSA program by building leadership and personal development. Scouts plan an activity, lead parts of the trip, and keep the group safe. These tasks build confidence, responsibility, and good judgment. They also help Scouts learn how to guide others.

It also supports citizenship and fitness. Explorations often involve walking, observing nature, or studying local history, which helps Scouts stay active and aware of their community. Scouts see how learning about the world builds respect for people and places. These lessons support the program’s goals of character, service, and steady growth.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Exploration Merit Badge

What is the purpose of the Exploration Merit Badge?

The Exploration merit badge aims to introduce Scouts to the concept of exploration, covering its various aspects from planning to execution, and highlighting its significance in human history.

Is there a specific age or rank requirement to earn the Exploration Merit Badge?

No, there isn’t a specific age or rank requirement for the Exploration Merit Badge, but it might be beneficial for older Scouts due to the complexity and planning involved in some requirements.

Do I have to undertake a real expedition to earn the Exploration merit badge?

Yes, one of the requirements for the Exploration merit badge involves planning and going on an actual expedition, though it can be to a nearby area you haven’t explored.

Can I use virtual tours for the visits required in the Exploration merit badge?

Some requirements allow for either in-person or internet visits, but you should always check with your Exploration merit badge counselor for specific guidance.

What type of careers can the Exploration merit badge introduce me to?

The badge touches on various exploration fields, from marine biology and geology to space exploration and anthropology, offering insights into multiple career paths.

How is “exploration” different from just traveling or going on an adventure?

Exploration has a defined objective, often scientific or academic in nature, while traveling or adventures might not necessarily have such specific goals.

Do I need special equipment for the expedition for the Exploration merit badge?

The equipment will depend on the type and location of your expedition. It’s essential to plan thoroughly and consult with experienced individuals when deciding on necessary gear.

How long should my post-expedition report be for the Exploration merit badge?

The report should be at least one page but no more than three pages. One of these pages can be dedicated to photos, graphs, or figures.

Who can serve as a counselor for the Exploration merit badge?

A registered merit badge counselor who is approved by the local council for this particular badge should guide you.

Are there any safety guidelines I should be aware of for the expedition for the Exploration merit badge?

Safety is paramount. Scouts should be familiar with the Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety and ensure that all possible hazards are adequately addressed before embarking on an expedition.

Can I work on the Exploration merit badge with a group of Scouts?

While you can work together on some aspects, like group discussions or joint expeditions, each Scout must satisfy each requirement individually.

Do all expeditions for the Exploration merit badge have to be outdoors?

No, while many expeditions are outdoor-based, exploration can also occur in areas like laboratories, research facilities, or even online digital landscapes, as long as it meets the merit badge’s intent.

What if my planned expedition for the Exploration merit badge gets canceled due to unforeseen circumstances?

It’s essential to have backup plans. If one expedition plan falls through, you can consider an alternative that still meets the Exploration merit badge’s requirements.

How do I choose an appropriate expedition leader or qualified adult for my expedition for the Exploration merit badge?

The leader should be someone with experience in the type of exploration you’re undertaking. They could be a teacher, a professional in the field, or a Scout leader with relevant experience.

Can my expedition for the Exploration merit badge be part of another Scouting activity or camp?

Yes, as long as the expedition meets the Exploration merit badge requirements and is to an area you haven’t explored before.

Can I collaborate with organizations or professionals during my expedition for the Exploration merit badge?

Absolutely! Collaborating with experts or organizations can provide valuable insights and resources for your exploration.

How do I handle any adverse events or challenges during the expedition for the Exploration merit badge?

Safety first. Address immediate dangers, stay calm, and rely on your preparations and training. Communicate with your team and follow established protocols.