SCOUTING GUIDE

ECO LEARNER

Step 1 – Be prepared to protect nature before you go outdoors
Girl Scouts know it’s important to be prepared! When you go outdoors, take water and maybe a snack. Wear sunscreen and dress in layers. (That means you can take layers off if you are too hot, or add them if you are too cold.) Find out what kind of plants and wildlife you may see and how to treat them. Be prepared to not only keep yourself safe, but keep nature safe, too! (outdoor grounds exploration)

Step 2 – Outdoor grounds exploration
Keep living things save when you walk in nature. (outdoor grounds exploration)

OUTDOOR ART MAKER

Step 1 – See the colors of nature
You probably notice colors outside when they’re very bright, like when you see pink flowers or a red bird. If you look a little closer, though, you can see lots of different colors in nature! (outdoor grounds exploration)

Step 2 – Hear the sounds of nature
When you hear the world “art,” what do you think? You might imagine a pretter picture on the wall or a painting in a museum. But did you know that music and dance are art, too? (outdoor grounds exploration)

Step 3 – Share your outdoor art
Art can be pretty, but it can tell a story, too. Make art that shows how you can help take care of the outdoors, and share it with your family or friends. (outdoor grounds exploration)

SPACE SCIENCE EXPLORER

Step 1 – Outdoor grounds exploration

Step 2 – Discover your city or town
In your city or town, neighbors work together in lots of different places. These places help make sure everyone has what they need. How many different places can you think of? (outdoor grounds exploration)

Step 3 – See what makes your state special
There are 50 states in the United States. They’re all neighbors to one another, and each one is special in its own way. When you put them together, they make a big community – and your part of it. See what makes your state unique in this step. (tour)

ECO FRIEND

Steps 1 – Think of ways to help the outdoors: As a Girl Scout, you know it’s important to protect nature when you’re outdoors. If you remember to be respectful of the environment whenever you’re outside, you’ll be a friend to nature forever!  (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 2 – Observe outdoor spaces: If you think of yourself as a guest in nature’s home, it’s easy to remember that objects in nature should stay where they are. When you visit a friend’s house, you wouldn’t pick up something you liked and take it home without permission. And everything in nature is there for a reason, too. In this step, you’ll buddy up with some friends and an adult, and go outside to a place where you can see things in nature like rocks, leaves, shells, and fallen branches.  (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 5 – Practice being kind: It’s important to be kind everywhere you go, but especially in the outdoors. Practice your outdoor kindness skills in this step. (outdoor grounds exploration)

BUGS

Step 5 – Take a bug field trip: The best place to view creepy critters is to go outside where they live! Take a trip to get up-close with your bug friends. (outdoor grounds exploration)

SENSES

Step 1 – Look around: Explore your sense of sight. (tour)
Step 2 – Listen to the world: The inside of your ear has hundreds of bones. Some of these bones are the tiniest in your body, but they can deliver big sounds. (outdoor grounds exploration)

OUTDOOR ART CREATOR

Step 1 – Find art ideas outdoors: Art can be found everywhere—not just inside the four walls of a museum. Go outdoors to collect ideas for art! Find colors you can use in a drawing, a shape you want to copy, or a new way to be creative.
Step 3 – Dance or make music outdoors: When a bee comes back to its hive, it does an eight-step “waggle dance” to tell its bee friends where the pollen and flowers are. The bee dances to share information with other bees. Can you move your body like a bee does? Or create a song like a bird’s? There are many ways you can express yourself through music and dance—remember, music and dance are art, too. (outdoor grounds exploration)

ANIMAL HABITATS

Step 1 – Find out about wild animals: Wild animals may seem very different you’re your pets at home, but at one time, all animals were wild! (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 2 – Investigate an animal habitat: One habitat can contain lots of different animals-you might think of it as a city in the wild kingdom. (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 5 – Help protect animal habitats: You can take steps to protect animals’ homes and prevent them from becoming endangered. (outdoor grounds exploration)

FLOWERS

Step 1 – Uncover the science of one flower: Scientists called botanists track the history of different kinds of flowers. Become a botanist and figure out how, when, and where one flower was first bred or found. Learn about when it blooms and what it looks like.  (formal garden exploration)
Step 2 – Look under the petals: Flowers aren’t just pretty. They may look like they aren’t doing a lot, but they’re actually quite busy!  (formal garden exploration)
Step 3 – Find out how flowers help people: Not only do flowers have a lot going on inside of them, but they do a lot for people. (formal garden exploration)

PLAYING THE PAST

Steps 1 – Decide who you are: Pick your time period and do a little research. What did girls do? What did they like? Then use on of the choices to come up with the details of your character’s life. (tour)
Step 3 – Experience daily life: Immerse yourself in your character’s time period. Think about what her lifestyle would have been like, and live it out. This is your chance to spend a day seeing the wold through your character’s eyes. (tour)
Step 4 – Have some old-fashioned fun: Every girl has a favorite game. Find out what kinds of things girls in your chosen time period did for fun, then try out an activity yourself. (outdoor grounds exploration)

ANIMAL HELPERS

Step 5 – Look at how animals might help us in the future: Scientists continue to work with animals, hoping to find new ways to use their special skills. (outdoor grounds exploration)

OUTDOOR ART APPRENTICE

Step 1 – Explore art outdoors: Art can be found everywhere, not just inside the four walls of a museum. Put on your artist’s cap and head outside to gather ideas that will spark your creativity. (tour)
Steps 3 – Get to know—and create—sounds of nature: The sounds you hear outdoors are a powerful connection to nature. Think about how you feel when you hear rolling thunder, water flowing in a stream, or a bird chirping. Take your cues outdoors as you absorb the natural sounds of wind, water, wildlife, weather, plants, and trees, and make music! (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 4 – Be a nature photographer: Nature photographers take pictures not only because their subjects are beautiful but also to remind people to appreciate and respect the environment. When you portray nature through a different perspective, it opens up a new way of thinking. Explore nature and create your art through the lens of a camera (outdoor grounds exploration)

ADVENTURER

Step 1 – Enhance your adventure: Choose your adventure activity and find a location that will offer possibilities for a trip of at least two nights. (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 4 – Plan your service to the great outdoors: Combine the natural environment and service to together into your adventure or help other GS before or after your trip. (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 5 – Capture the adventure: Time to set out! Choose a way to capture the amazing days. (outdoor grounds exploration)

OUTDOOR ART EXPERT

Step 1 – Explore art outdoors: Creative inspiration can spring from the things you experience, so head outside to take in the sights and sounds of the great outdoors. Take a hike, observe a cloud, lie on a hammock, and write in your journal or draw sketches. The ideas you collect will become your guide as you create for each step. (tour)
Step 4 – Capture nature digitally. (outdoor grounds exploration)

ECO EXPLORER

Step 2 – Explore biodiversity: Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal species in an area. It’s a delicate balance of living things that all work together. When species become extinct—or new species are introduced—it can create problems in the environment. Take a trip to explore biodiversity in this step (outdoor grounds exploration)
Step 3 – (outdoor grounds exploration) Investigate a global ecosystem issue: As you learned in Step 2 of this badge, biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal species in an area. An ecosystem includes plant and animal life, but also refers to nonliving factors such as climate, soil, and water. Dive into an issue that affects the global ecosystem in this step.
Step 4 – Plan a trip to explore and work on an issue: Now that you’ve talked to an expert and explored some environmental issues, think of one issue you’d like to explore further. Plan a trip to investigate your issue in person and come up with a hands-on way to make a difference. Your trip or series of visits could take place at the local level or farther away—whichever works best for you and your family. (outdoor grounds exploration)