Bear Champions for Nature Adventure for 2024

Printable requirements for the Bear Champions for Nature Adventure

Checkoff sheet to keep track of your den’s progress on the Bear Champions for Nature Adventure

Printable check off sheet for the Bear Badge

Wastewater

Discover what happens to the wastewater in your community.   

For the second requirement of the Bear Champions for Nature adventure, Bear Cub Scouts learn about what happens to the wastewater in their community. Wastewater is the water that has been used in homes, schools, and businesses that is no longer clean.

Here are some ways for den leaders to help Bear Cub Scouts explore and understand wastewater treatment:

• Tour a Treatment Facility: Arrange a tour of a local wastewater treatment plant. Many facilities offer educational tours that explain how they clean the water before it goes back into rivers or lakes. This can help scouts see the process firsthand and understand why it’s important.
• Educational Videos: Show a video that explains the wastewater treatment process. Look for videos designed for children that use simple language and visuals to describe how water is cleaned.
• Model Building: Help the scouts build a simple model of a wastewater treatment plant. You can use everyday items like bottles, straws, and cotton balls. This activity can help them visualize and understand how cleaning water works.
• Community Speaker: Invite a local expert, like someone from the water utility company, to talk about wastewater and its treatment. They can discuss how everyone in the community can help keep water clean by not putting harmful substances down the drain.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Champions for Nature Adventure requirement 2:

• Water Conservation Charades
  • Cub Scouts will learn ways of conserving water by playing charades. 
  • Supplies: Conservation Charades clues, scissors, timer, pencil, small bowl
  • indoor, high energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Water Management Facility Tour
  • Cub Scouts tour their local ​​water management facility. 
  • Supplies: Activity Consent Form 
  • requires travel, moderate energy, more than a week prep
• Where Does Wastewater Go?
  • Cub Scouts make a poster showing what happens to wastewater in their community. 
  • Supplies: paper, scissors, glue sticks, old magazines, crayons, colored paper, markers
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

These activities can help Bear Cub Scouts learn about an important part of our environmental infrastructure and why keeping water clean matters to everyone in the community.

Soil

Investigate soil. 

For the third requirement of the Bear Champions for Nature adventure, Bear Cub Scouts learn about soil. Soil is the top layer of the earth where plants grow. It is made up of tiny pieces of rock, minerals, and dead plants and animals.

Here are some creative ideas for den leaders to help Bear Cub Scouts explore and learn about soil:

• Soil Sampling: Take the scouts on a field trip to a local park or garden to collect different types of soil. Use simple tools like shovels and jars to gather soil samples. Back at your meeting place, examine the differences in soil color, texture, and smell.
• Soil Experiments: Conduct simple experiments to see what’s in the soil. For example, you can teach scouts how to test soil for sand, silt, and clay or show them how to find out if the soil is acidic or alkaline using a testing kit.
• Planting Activity: Give each scout a pot, some soil, and a few seeds. Let them plant the seeds and take care of their plant during the adventure. This helps them understand how soil supports plant life.
• Soil Art: Use soil as an art medium. Scouts can create artwork using different colored soils. This activity makes the learning process fun and shows how diverse soil can be.
• Soil Sample Cupcakes: For a snack which ties in with these examples, check out this creative recipe.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Champions for Nature Adventure requirement 3:

• Aqua Pollution Adventure
  • Cub Scouts demonstrate how pollution can enter our groundwater. 
  • Supplies: clear glass loaf pan powdered drink mix, sand, spray bottle filled with water, book or small block of wood
  • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• DIY Composter
  • Cub Scouts will build their own composter. 
  • Supplies: Bear handbook, empty 2-liter soda bottle, sharp knife, nails, shredded newspaper, dirt, compost materials, dead leaves, flat plastic dish, spray bottle filled with water
  • indoor, high energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Soil Investigation
  • Cub Scouts will investigate different soils.
  • Supplies: three soil samples, white card stock, magnifying glasses, tweezers, sieves
  • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep

These activities can help Bear Cub Scouts get hands-on experience with soil and understand why it is an important natural resource.

Air Pollution

Investigate air pollution. 

For the fourth requirement of the Bear Champions for Nature adventure, Bear Cub Scouts investigate air pollution. Air pollution is when harmful substances mix with the air we breathe. It can come from cars, factories, and even some products used at home.

Here are some activities for den leaders to help Bear Cub Scouts explore and learn about air pollution:

• Air Quality Monitoring: Teach scouts how to check the air quality index (AQI) for your area. This can be done using a website or an app that provides daily air quality updates. Explain what the different AQI levels mean for outdoor activities.
• Discussion on Sources of Air Pollution: Have a discussion about the common sources of air pollution in your community. Help scouts identify things like vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and even dust.
• Clean Air Games: Play games that emphasize the importance of clean air. For example, organize a relay race where scouts pass a ball representing clean air, avoiding obstacles that represent sources of pollution.
• Make Posters: Let scouts create posters about ways to reduce air pollution. They can use markers, crayons, and stickers to design their posters. This activity allows them to think about solutions to air pollution and share their ideas with others.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Champions for Nature Adventure requirement 4:

• Acid Rain Investigation
  • Cub Scouts conduct an acid rain experiment. 
  • Supplies: jars, flowers, masking tape, pens, vinegar, water, small boxes
  • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Air Pollution Investigation
  • Cub Scouts investigate air pollution. 
  • Supplies: index cards, hole punches, string, scissors, petroleum jelly, Q-tips, paper, pencils, ziploc bags, magnifying glass
  • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Human Air Pollution Detectors
  • In this activity, Cub Scouts will be “indoor pollution detectors” to investigate air pollution. 
  • Supplies: electric fan, onion, timer
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

These activities can help Bear Cub Scouts understand more about air pollution, its sources, and ways to help reduce it. This knowledge is important for helping them become responsible and environmentally conscious citizens.

Conservation Project

Participate in a conservation project.

For the fifth requirement of the Bear Champions for Nature adventure, Bear Cub Scouts participate in a conservation project. Conservation projects help protect and improve the natural environment. These projects are important for keeping our planet healthy for everyone.

Here are some conservation project ideas that are suitable for Bears:

• Community Cleanup: Organize a cleanup day at a local park, beach, or community area. Scouts can pick up trash and recyclables, helping to keep these areas clean and safe for wildlife and people.
• Planting Trees or Flowers: Work with a local park or community center to plant trees or flowers. This helps improve air quality and beautifies the area. It also gives scouts a chance to learn about different types of plants.
• Building Bird or Bat Houses: Help scouts build bird or bat houses and place them in appropriate locations. This project supports local wildlife and gives scouts a chance to learn about the species that live in their area.
• Recycling Drive: Set up a recycling drive to collect items like paper, plastic, and cans from the community. Teach scouts how recycling helps conserve resources and reduce waste.

Here are some options for fulfilling Bear Champions for Nature Adventure requirement 5:

• Bears Plant Trees
  • Cub Scouts plant trees for a local organization.
  • Supplies: shovels, gloves, mulch, water, tree saplings, Activity Consent Form 
  • requires travel, moderate energy, one week prep
• Planting Native Plants
  • Cub Scouts will add native plants to a garden for the chartered partner, school, or other community location.
  • Supplies: soil, plant fertilizer, water, native plants, small shovels, gloves, trash bag, Activity Consent Form 
  • requires travel, high energy, one week prep

These projects are engaging and teach Bear Cub Scouts how they can make a positive impact on the environment. By participating in these activities, scouts learn the importance of taking care of the natural world.

Before any activity, check the SAFE Checklist to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone involved in Scouting America activities should know the Guide to Safe Scouting and other relevant guides or books. Also follow any state or local rules that are more strict than Scouting America rules and guidelines.

Before starting this Adventure, complete the following:

• Use the Service Project Planning Checklist to plan your den or pack service project.
• Review the SAFE Project Tool Use guide for age guidelines and allowed activities for service projects, not crafts.

During the Adventure:

• Allow time to train all youth and adults on using the tools for the project.
• Provide continuous, qualified adult supervision during the project.
• Follow all manufacturer’s instructions and age or skill restrictions. If there is a conflict, follow the most restrictive guidelines.

More information

The Bear Champions for Nature adventure is a key activity for Bear Cub Scouts, who are typically third graders. This adventure teaches them about the natural world and how to care for it. It’s designed to spark a love for the outdoors and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

In this adventure, scouts tackle five main requirements. They start by discovering natural resources, which helps them appreciate the materials provided by the earth that support life and civilization. Next, they learn about wastewater and what happens to it after it goes down the drain, gaining insight into community sanitation and water conservation.

The adventure continues as scouts investigate soil and air pollution. They get their hands dirty examining different types of soil and learn what makes healthy soil important for plants and wildlife. When they explore air pollution, scouts understand the impact of clean air on health and the environment. These activities make the abstract concept of air quality tangible and relevant.

Lastly, participating in a conservation project empowers Bear Cub Scouts to apply what they’ve learned. Whether they’re planting trees, cleaning up a local park, or building birdhouses, scouts take active steps to improve their local environment. This hands-on involvement builds teamwork and leadership skills.

The Bear Champions for Nature adventure not only educates Bear Cub Scouts about environmental issues but also encourages them to become proactive in preserving and protecting nature. This fosters a sense of responsibility and pride in making positive changes in their community and the wider world.