Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure

Adventure Type: Elective
Number of Requirements: 6
Typical Time to Complete: 1 or 2 meetings and a service project
Parent Involvement: Low to moderate
Preparation Needed: Moderate, research materials and project planning
Activity Level: Low to moderate
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor and outdoor
Special Requirements: Conservation service project, threatened or endangered animal research
Supplies Snapshot: Research materials, pencils, worksheets, conservation project supplies

The Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure helps Scouts discover what animals need to survive: food, water, shelter, and space. It also shows why protecting healthy habitats is important.

Webelos choose a threatened or endangered animal and learn why it is at risk. They explore what people are doing to protect the species and its habitat.

Finally, Scouts put their knowledge into action by participating in a conservation service project. Along the way, they build teamwork, responsibility, and a lasting respect for nature.

Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure Requirements

1. Discover the four components that make up a habitat: food, water, shelter, space.
2. Pick an animal that is currently threatened or endangered to complete requirements 3, 4, and 5.
3. Identify the characteristics that classify an animal as a threatened or endangered species. 
4. Explore what caused this animal to be threatened or endangered. 
5. Research what is currently being done to protect the animal.
6. Participate in a conservation service project. 

Printable requirements for the Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure

Check off sheet to keep track of your den's progress on the Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure

Webelos Adventures Check Off Sheet

Requirement 1: Explore a Habitat

Discover the four components that make up a habitat: food, water, shelter, space.

Help Scouts understand that every animal needs food, water, shelter, and enough space to survive. Use a familiar local animal as an example, and encourage Scouts to look for these four habitat components outdoors.

Easy Option: Take a short walk around a park or meeting place. Choose one animal and identify where it might find food, water, shelter, and space.

More options:

• Local Habitat Hunt Game: Cub Scouts learn about habitats by playing the Habitat Hunt game.
• Local Microhabitat Study: Cub Scouts learn about microhabitats.

Requirement 2: Choose an Animal

Pick an animal that is currently threatened or endangered to complete requirements 3, 4, and 5.

Let each Scout choose a threatened or endangered animal that interests them. Leaders can provide a short list of animals to make the decision easier and ensure that reliable information is readily available.

Easy Option: Write several endangered animals on index cards and let each Scout draw one from a bowl. See Pick an Animal.

More resources:

• Animal Welfare Institute
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• World Wildlife Fund

Requirement 3: Understand Its Status

Identify the characteristics that classify an animal as a threatened or endangered species.

Guide Scouts in discovering why their chosen animal is considered threatened or endangered. Focus on its population and the dangers it faces instead of spending too much time on technical definitions.

Easy Option: Have Scouts complete a simple chart showing the animal’s estimated population, habitat, and greatest threat. See Think Like a Conservationist.

More resources:

• Learning about Endangered Species

Requirement 4: Discover the Causes

Explore what caused this animal to be threatened or endangered.

Help Scouts connect the animal’s decline to causes such as habitat loss, pollution, climate change, hunting, or invasive species. Asking “What changed in this animal’s environment?” can help keep the discussion focused.

Easy Option: Play Endangered Animal Charades, then briefly discuss the main threat affecting each animal.

Requirement 5: Learn How It Is Protected

Research what is currently being done to protect the animal.

Ask Scouts to find one or two ways people are helping their chosen animal. Direct them toward reliable sources, and remind them that protection may include laws, habitat restoration, breeding programs, or public education.

Easy Option: Have each Scout draw a three-panel comic showing a problem the animal faces and how people are helping solve it. See Animal Protection Comic Strip.

Requirement 6: Complete a Conservation Project

Participate in a conservation service project.

Choose a practical project that benefits wildlife or improves a local habitat. Keep the project age-appropriate, assign every Scout a useful job, and briefly explain how the work supports conservation.

Easy Option: Organize a cleanup at the pack’s meeting place or a nearby park. Bring gloves and bags, review safety rules, and sort recyclables when possible.

More options:

• Air Bee n’ Bee: Cub Scouts build a bee hotel that will attract solitary bees and give them a safe home.
• Build a Bat House: Cub Scouts build bat houses.
• Endangered Species Service Project: Cub Scouts participate in a service project to benefit a locally endangered species.
• WOSM Earth Tribe: Explore the World Organization for the Scouting Movement’s conservation efforts.

What is the Champions for Nature Adventure?

It’s an adventure where Webelos Scouts learn about animal habitats, endangered species, and how to help protect nature.

What do Webelos do in this adventure?

Webelos discover what animals need to live, pick a threatened or endangered animal to study, and participate in a conservation project.

Why do we focus on threatened or endangered animals?

Focusing on these animals helps Webelos understand the challenges wildlife face and what we can do to help protect them.

What kind of conservation projects can we do?

Projects can include planting trees, cleaning up natural areas, building shelters for wildlife, and educating others about conservation.

How can this adventure help Webelos in the future?

It teaches them about ecology, responsibility, and how to work together to make a positive impact on the environment.

The Webelos Champions for Nature Adventure is designed to teach Webelos Scouts about the importance of wildlife conservation and the environment. Throughout this adventure, Scouts learn how animals and their habitats are interconnected with human activities and the broader ecosystem. The main goal is to inspire a sense of responsibility and a desire to protect nature.

The adventure starts with Scouts learning about the four essential components that every habitat needs: food, water, shelter, and space. This foundational knowledge helps Webelos understand what all living creatures need to survive and thrive. Next, Scouts choose a threatened or endangered animal to focus on, diving deeper into the factors that put these animals at risk and the conservation efforts necessary to protect them.

Webelos then engage directly in conservation through a service project. This hands-on activity not only benefits the environment but also gives Scouts practical experience in protecting natural resources. Projects can range from habitat cleanups to building wildlife shelters, all contributing to local conservation efforts.

By the end of the adventure, Webelos will have gained valuable insights into the challenges facing our planet’s wildlife. They’ll learn the importance of each individual’s role in conservation, fostering a lifelong respect for nature and an understanding of how they can continue to make a difference. This adventure sets them on the path to becoming champions for nature, ready to take action in their communities and beyond.