Why it’s beneficial to record your Scouting for Clean Waterways project in Scoutbook

Scouting for Clean Waterways is up and running.

After being announced last summer, Scouting America’s newest conservation initiative became an official Scouting activity for individuals, units and families earlier this year.

Once you’ve done your part to reduce marine waste, there’s just one more step to take: Record your service in Scoutbook Plus.

Recording your Scouting for Clean Waterways in Scoutbook is beneficial for many reasons.

First, it’s a great way to track service hours for your youth. (And by the way, the same thing applies for Scouting for Food and Messengers of Peace projects.)

Second, it allows our valued partner to double the impact of your hard work. CleanHub, a company focused on collecting and repurposing ocean-bound plastic waste, has pledged to match every pound of plastic collected by Scouts and their families (up to 100,000 pounds) by removing an equivalent amount from critical global pollution hot spots.

And finally, it gives us the data we need to show the world that Scouting America is dedicated to making a difference.

“Preservation of our resources is vital for the longevity of our existence,” says Brian Gray, Scouting America’s national director of conservation. “Through everyone’s efforts, and with the matching commitment from CleanHub to match the plastic trash amount in other countries, we will make even a larger impact.”

What is Scouting for Clean Waterways?

Scouting for Clean Waterways is designed to be a simple, easy and fun way to get Scouts of all ages involved in doing a Conservation Good Turn.

Though Scout units and their families may choose to participate in a Scouting for Clean Waterways project on or around Earth Day 2025 (April 22), Scouts can participate in a project at any time of the year that’s convenient for them.

And you don’t even have to live near the water to participate.

Millions of tons of plastic and other human-made materials enter our water bodies each year, and much of it comes from dry land miles away from the nearest water resources. That means anyone — no matter how far from the closest body of water you live — can participate in a project to help reduce marine debris that endangers marine life, disrupts habitats and imposes high economic costs.

“Scouting America has always been at the forefront of community engagement, so we’re excited to work together to encourage people to get outside, roll up their sleeves and clean up their local waterways,” says Joel Tasche, co-founder at CleanHub. “By combining our operations and experience in waste management with the enthusiasm of Scouts, we hope to inspire families all over the world to take action to reduce waste in their own communities.”

Along with CleanHub, the program is presented in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation strives to protect and expand America’s national marine sanctuaries through strategic partnerships and public engagement. Its goals encompass conserving marine biodiversity, safeguarding cultural and historical resources, and promoting ocean literacy.

How do I record a Scouting for Clean Waterways project in Scoutbook Plus?

Unit leaders, chartering organization representatives and committee chairs can enter Scouting for Clean Waterways projects in Scoutbook by creating a new activity in the Activity Logs section.

Click here to log into your Scoutbook Plus account.

For “Type of Project,” select “Environmental/Conservation.”

Then, under “Initiative,” select “Scouting for Clean Waterways.”

You can add service hours for individuals or for the entire unit. You can also add Scouting for Clean Waterways service hours to other activities in your Scoutbook calendar.

Be sure to enter the pounds of waste removed and, separately, the pounds of plastic waste in the corresponding drop-down options.

Click here for more detailed instructions.