Scouting America’s Distinguished Conservation Service Award program, designed to recognize youth and adults for distinguished service in natural resource conservation, has unveiled new medals available now for recipients.
The Distinguished Conservation Service Award medal is for youth who have earned Scouting’s highest award for conservation.
The Distinguished Conservationist Award medal is for adults with more than 20 years of distinguished service in conservation.
Both are available at Scout Shops with the required paperwork verifying completion of the requirements.
What is the Distinguished Conservation Service Award program?
The Distinguished Conservation Service Award program is designed to encourage learning and to increase public awareness about natural resource conservation. Though lessons and projects related to conservation are present throughout Scouting America’s programs, the Distinguished Conservation Service Award program sits at the top.
Conservation — the idea that we all share the responsibility of protecting everything that lives on our planet — has been part of the Scouting program since it was formed more than a century ago.
Kindergarteners enrolled in the Lion Cub Scouting program can earn the Champions for Nature Adventure, which requires them to learn about recycling and participate in a conservation-related service project.
As a Scout grows, so do the conservation-related aspects of the Scouting America program.
Champions for Nature is repeated each year with slightly more challenging and comprehensive activities for Tiger (first grade), Wolf (second grade), Bear (third grade), Webelos (fourth grade) and Arrow of Light (fifth grade) Cub Scouts.
Scouts BSA members working on earning the rank of Life Scout must complete three hours of conservation-related community service. Many of the requirements for advancement from Tenderfoot through the Eagle Scout rank call for an increasing awareness and understanding of the natural sciences.
Both Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA members study the Outdoor Code that, among other things, challenges them to be conservation-minded.
And Scouting for Clean Waterways is a new conservation initiative launching in January 2025.
How does a youth or adult earn a Distinguished Conservation award?
Applicants for the Distinguished Conservation Service Award must plan, lead and carry out at least two significant projects in two different categories.
Requirements are different for Scouts BSA members, Venturers and Sea Scouts. Click here for the complete list. Scouting America has developed an official workbook to help guide youth along the path.
The projects must be designed to address a conservation issue or need in the local area, and it must benefit the environment or the creatures that live there. The scope of each project must be significant enough to create a lasting impact on the community.
One of the projects can double as the applicant’s Eagle Scout, Venturing Summit Award or Sea Scout Quartermaster leadership service project.
The Distinguished Conservationist award for adults who have provided a minimum of 20 years of regional and national natural resource conservation — including working with youth — is by nomination only. Click here for an application.
There’s also a Distinguished Conservation Service Award certificate granted to organizations or individuals that have demonstrated leadership and commitment to the education of youth on natural resource conservation. Click here for a Distinguished Conservation Service Award certificate nomination form.
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