Boy Scouts Of America

TROOP 1333

BOY SCOUTING
Boy Scouting, one of the traditional membership divisions of the BSA, is available to boys who have earned the Arrow of Light Award and are at least 10 years old or have completed the fifth grade and are at least 10, or who are 11, but not yet 18 years old. The program achieves the BSA's objectives of developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness.

Polaris District Gold Star Award

2007

2008

2009

Scoutmaster

Webmaster

1. Describe the meaning and purposes of fish and wildlife conservation and management.

    

   Texas State Wildlife Policy

    

   Natural Resource Conservation Programs and Services for Texas Landowners [Texas Parks & Wildlife]

    

   Wildlife Management Associations - WHY?   [Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations]

    

2. List and discuss at least three major problems that continue to threaten your state's fish and wildlife resources.

Non-native Species

U.S. Geological Survey: New Technology to Fight Invasive Species

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Invasive Species Information Center

The Dangers of Invasive Species

Africanized Honey Bees (aka killer bees!)

 Texas Invasive Plants

The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area

The Dirty Dozen - Prohibited in Texas (aquatic)

Cats & Wildlife: A Conservation Dilemma

Pollution

Texas Kills and Spills Team

Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease

3. Describe some practical ways in which everyone can help with the fish and wildlife effort.

    

   How Kids Can Help

    

4. List and describe five major fish and wildlife management practices used by managers in your state.

    

   Texas Wildlife Management Areas

    

   Texas Nature Trackers

   Have you seen a box turtle?  Report it using the Nature Tracker's Box Turtle Sighting Reporting Form

    

   Mourning Doves and Management Implications   [Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations]

    

   Spikes - To Shoot or Not to Shoot   [Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations]

    

   Hill Country Wildlife Management - Historical Perspective   [Texas Parks & Wildlife]

    

   Conservation in Texas  [Ducks Unlimited]

    

   Texas Conservation Programs

    

5. Do ONE of the following:

   1. Construct, erect, and check regularly at least two artificial nest boxes (wood duck, bluebird, squirrel, etc.) and keep written records for one nesting season.

       

      American Kestrel Nest Box Plan

      Chimney Swift Tower

      Flying Squirrel Nesting Box Plan

      Wood Duck Nest Box

      Bluebirds in Texas

      TPWD Do-It-Yourself Guide for Feeders, Houses, and Plants

       

   2. Construct, erect, and check regularly bird feeders and keep written records of the kinds of birds visiting the feeders in the winter.

       

      TPWD Do-It-Yourself Guide for Feeders, Houses, and Plants

       

      Milk Carton Feeder

       

      Hardware Cloth Suet Feeder

       

      Tray Feeder

       

       

   3. Design and implement a backyard wildlife habitat improvement project and report the results.

       

      Texas Wildscapes

       

      Backyard Conservation   - tip sheets on a variety of backyard conservation subjects

       

      Tips and Topics on Backyard Conservation

       

   4. Design and construct a wildlife blind near a game trail, water hole, salt lick, bird feeder, or birdbath and take good photographs or make sketches from the blind of any combination of 10 wild birds, mammals, reptiles, or amphibians.

       

      Low Profile A-Frame Blind

       

      Modified, Portable Fishhouse-Type Blind

       

6. Do ONE of the following:

   1. Observe and record 25 species of wildlife. Your list may include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Write down when and where each animal was seen.

       

   2. List the wildlife species in your state that are classified as endangered, threatened, exotic, game species, furbearers, or migratory game birds.

       

      Bald Eagle Soars Off Endangered Species List

       

      Endangered

       

      

       Attwater Prarie Chicken

           Attwater Prarie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

           Attwater Prarie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

       

      Illustration © Gamini Ratnavira, all rights reserved

       

      Whooping Crane

           Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

       

       

       

      Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

           Padre Island National Seashore

           NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources

                    Threatened

 

1. Start a scrapbook of North American wildlife. Insert markers to divide the book into separate parts for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Collect articles on such subjects as life histories, habitat, behavior, and feeding habits on all of the five categories and place them in your notebook accordingly. Articles and pictures may be taken from newspapers or science, nature and outdoor magazines; or from other sources including the Internet (with your parent's permission). Enter at least five articles on mammals, five on birds, five on reptiles, five on amphibians, and five on fish. Put each animal in alphabetical order. Include pictures whenever possible.

   National Wildlife Federation

   Texas Parks & Wildlife News Releases

   Field & Stream Magazine

   Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations - News Articles

7. Do ONE of the following:
   1. Determine the age of five species of fish from scale samples or identify various age classes of one species in a lake and report the results.
   2. Conduct a creel census on a small lake to estimate catch per unit effort.
   3. Examine the stomach contents of three species of fish and record the findings. It is not necessary to catch any fish for this option. You may visit a cleaning station set up for fishermen or find another, similar alternative.
   4. Make a freshwater aquarium. Include at least four species of native plants and four species of animal life, such as whirligig beetles, freshwater shrimp, tadpoles, water snails, and golden shiners. After 60 days or observation, discuss with your counselor the life cycles, food chains, and management needs you have recognized. After completing requirement 7d to your counselor's satisfaction, with your counselor's assistance, check local laws to determine what you should do with the specimens you have collected.
8. Using resources found at the library and in periodicals, books, and the Internet (with your parent's permission), learn about three different kinds of work done by fish and wildlife managers. Find out the education and training requirements for each position.

Harris County Wildlife Biologist contacts

Local Game Warden contacts

Merit Badge Pamphlet Fish and Wildlife Resources

American Birding Association

American Fisheries Society

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics

National Audubon Society

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

National Marine Fisheries Science

National Wildlife Federation

National Zoological Park

The Nature Conservancy

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Wildlife Conservation Society

Locally Relevant Merit Badge Resources

Texas Organization of Wildlife Management Associations

Texas A&M Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Texas Teaming With Wildlife Coalition

Houston Audubon Society

Huntsville Audubon Society
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Southwest Region