1. The purpose of this Nature Activities Period is to aid in making the "Nature Requirement" in Scouting as interesting as possible. To do this there are many possible points of approach.

.a. Briefly show what the Requirement asks to be done, and give something about standards needed.

b. In most cases, it is well to have Scouts "make something" that is used in studying nature (weather gauge, inset net, collecting case, name tags for trees, rock garden and so on). Having made the article they will want to use it.

c. Stress idea that we are studying nature "as she grows" and we do not want to build museums for everything. Some museum work is good but with Nature all around camp our best possible place to study is in the Open!

2. Finding Nature items of use.

a. Patrol goes out to investigate the camp site as to things that could be used by the camper. These fall into several classifications:

(1) Peculiar growths that would make material for hooks, hangers, tables, spoons, etc. Noggins are included here.

(2) Material that could be used for making ropes - vines, woven grass, reeds, etc.

(3) Items that could be eaten.

(4) Material for dishes and storage vessels.

(5) Fire-by-friction tinder.

(6) Materials for building shelter.

(7) Rocks and minerals.

(8) Dye-materials and colors

Have the Patrols make up an exhibit of as many as possible, be careful not to destroy anything.

3. Try making a painting, using the natural colors found on the camp site.

After painting is complete, lead a string from each color on the picture to a sample of the thing the color was made from.

4. Make a simple "primitive drill" and bore holes in shell and rocks - make "Indian Beads", etc.

5. The Nature Program For The Scout Camp. What Can Be Done?

a. Nature Hikes - observation, fossil hikes, bird walk, "Noises of the night", collecting along the way, star-gazing, exploration, bee hunt, etc.

b. Nature Trails (one for study and one for testing) c. Rock Garden d. Conservation e. Forestry f. Nature Projects g. Plaster Casts h. Games and Contests i. Charts, Pictures, etc.

j. Leaf printing by: (Ink spatter, smoke prints, photo paper, blue prints, (plaster casts, carbon paper, ink prints.) k. Camp zoo (Animals, birds, aquarium for plants and animals)

1. Make a Troop Camp Museum for collections of: (Leaves, cones, bark, woods, rocks and soils, old bird's nests, flowers - live and pressed, insects, mounts, pictures - prints and photos, Indian relics, edible plants, poisonous plants, shells, nature freaks, fungus, bird eggs, skins.) m. Building a "Weather Station".

6. Nature Study Methods. A. Projects (Supplies Needed, Very Soft, Blue Pencil Carbon Paper)

1. Make a leaf print using carbon paper (Place carbon paper on the back of a leaf and rub the carbon into the leaf. Remove carbon paper and place leaf "carbon" side down on a piece of paper. Cover leaf with another piece of paper and rub over the place where the leaf is located, being careful not to move the leaf.

After some rubbing place your hand on a portion of the paper and lift up a corner of the leaf to see how the print is coming along. When printed to your satisfaction remove, and presto you have a fine print of the leaf. If not, try again.

2. Prepare a piece of wood for mounting as in diagram a. The wood is cut as shown - the top end is cut at 45° angle 1" diameter.

b. A full project in this would be to prepare sets illustrating all the kinds of trees on the camp site. They can be mounted on a board by using "screw eyes" in the specimen and placed on hooks on the board. Another method is to fasten them to the board with plastic wood. The specimens can be labelled by writing directly on the flat portion by placing a label on it or by putting the identification below each specimen. (Put numbers on both the labels and on the wood.) A game can be played with this. Cover "names" and have each Patrol look at all specimens by number and write names on a slip of paper.

B. Short Nature Hike

1. Observation - point out various nature objects.

2. Nature Hike Games: -

Tree Cribbage (From Vinal - Nature Guiding)

"This may be played for a time when on a hike. One Troop (Patrol) may take one side of the road and the other the opposite.....(call the name of tree and give points to side seeing it first.) It should be limited to trees at the roadside or fences. Counting the number of _on the right and left side adds points, etc."

- Tree Jerusalem (From Vinal - Nature Building)

"On a hike through the forest, holler the name of a tree and give 30 seconds to bring back a sample. All those getting it in allotted time get a grain of corn (or pebble). The one (or Patrol) getting the greatest number wins, etc."

- Nature Matching (modified from Smith - Games and Recreational Methods.)

"Everybody scatter when I give the word 'go'. Collect as many different kinds of specimens as you can find (avoid poisonous ones) and do not get more than one of each. Return when I blow the whistle."

Part II - Matching.

"Each Patrol arranges its specimens in front of itself facing another Patrol across from it. Number "1" in "A" Patrol holds up a specimen and Number "1" in "B" Patrol has to name it. If he does, it is thrown away. If not, it counts a point for Patrol "A". Number "1" in Patrol "B" now holds up a specimen and Number "2"1 in Patrol "A" has to name it, the same as before. If the name is incorrect some member in opposite Patrol "challenges" and if he can name it, it counts for Challenging Patrol.

C. Other Nature Games. 1. Leaf Identification

Take a piece of card board about 12" square and cut a hole 1 1/2" square in the middle of it. Place hole in cardboard over center of a leaf and have Patrol look at it to see if they can guess the name of the leaf. If not, move the hole over the leaf so as to expose different portions of it gradually including lastly, the edges of the leaf. This can be played on the basis of competition.

7. Nature Diagram

This game begins with instructor giving a word of six letters (or as many spaces as used) to fill spaces to the left. (Scouts is used as an example.) In spaces opposite letters, write name of "Trees" beginning with the letter. Patrol with most correct list wins. Can also score on basis of so many points for being only one to have a given item.

NATURE GAME DIAGRAM