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Soil and Water Conservation Merit Badge
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Soil and Water Conservation
Merit Badge

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SoilWaterConserve

Soil and Water Conservation Merit Badge Overview

Conservation isn’t just the responsibility of soil and plant scientists, hydrologists, wildlife managers, landowners, and the forest or mine owner alone. It is the duty of every person to learn more about the natural resources on which our lives depend so that we can help make sure that these resources are used intelligently and cared for properly.
Soil-Water-Conserve_merit-badge-overview

Soil and Water Conservation Merit Badge Requirements

The previous version of the Merit Badge requirements can be found in Scoutbook

The requirements will be fed dynamically using the scout book integration 111
1. Do the following:
  • (a) Tell what soil is. Tell how it is formed.
  • (b) Describe three kinds of soil. Tell how they are different.
  • (c) Name the three main plant nutrients in fertile soil. Tell how they can be put back when used up.

2. Do the following:
  • (a) Define soil erosion.
  • (b) Tell why soil erosion is important and how it affects you.
  • (c) Name three kinds of soil erosion. Describe each.
  • (d) Take pictures of or draw two kinds of soil erosion.

3. Do the following:
  • (a) Tell what is meant by conservation practices.
  • (b) Describe the effect of three kinds of erosion-control practices.
  • (c) Take pictures of or draw three kinds of erosion-control practices.

4. Do the following:
  • (a) Explain what a watershed is.
  • (b) Outline the smallest watershed that you can find on a contour map.
  • (c) Outline, as far as the map will allow, the next larger watershed that also has the smaller one in it.
  • (d) Explain what a river basin is. Tell why all people living in a river basin should be concerned about land and water use in the basin.
  • (e) Explain what an aquifer is and why it can be important to communities.

5. Do the following:
  • (a) Make a drawing to show the hydrologic cycle.
  • (b) Demonstrate at least two of the following actions of water in relation to soil: percolation, capillary action, precipitation, evaporation, transpiration.
  • (c) Explain how removal of vegetation will affect the way water runs off a watershed.
  • (d) Tell how uses of forest, range, and farmland affect usable water supply.
  • (e) Explain how industrial use affects water supply.

6. Do the following:
  • (a) Tell what is meant by "water pollution."
  • (b) Describe common sources of water pollution and explain the effects of each.
  • (c) Explain the terms: primary water treatment, secondary waste treatment, biochemical oxygen demand.
  • (d) Make a drawing showing the principles of complete waste treatment.

7. Do TWO of the following:
  • (a) Make a trip to TWO of the following places. Write a report of more than 500 words about the soil and water and energy conservation practices you saw.
  • (1) An agricultural experiment
  • (2) A managed forest or a woodlot, range, or pasture
  • (3) A wildlife refuge or a fish or game management area
  • (4) A conservation-managed farm or ranch
  • (5) A managed watershed
  • (6) A waste-treatment plant
  • (7) A public drinking water treatment plant
  • (8) An industry water use installation
  • (9) A desalinization plant.
  • (b) Plant 100 trees, bushes and/or vines for a good purpose.
  • (c) Seed an area of at least one-fifth acre for some worthwhile conservation purposes, using suitable grasses or legumes alone or in a mixture.
  • (d) Study a soil survey report. Describe the things in it. Using tracing paper and pen, trace over any of the soil maps and outline an area with three or more different kinds of soil. List each kind of soil by full name and map symbol
  • (e) Make a list of places in your neighborhood, camps, school ground, or park that have erosion, sedimentation, or pollution problems. Describe how these could be corrected through individual or group action.
  • (f) Carry out any other soil and water conservation project approved by your counselor.

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Merit Badge Pamphlets are now free and publicly available. Note: Always check www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/ for the latest requirements.

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Discover more about "Soil and Water Conservation"

Does picking up trash constitute conservation?

Scouts serve their communities in many ways. One popular way involves picking up litter, thereby keeping their hometowns, parks and local environments clean. Some of these efforts are global, while others have been part of awards. Every Star Scout seeking to advance to the next rank must contribute six hours of service, at least three of which must be conservation related. But what exactly does “conservation-related” mean? Does it include picking up trash?

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Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

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