BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Program
The BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award is the BSA’s highest conservation award available. Developed to encourage learning by the participants and to increase public awareness about natural resource conservation through sound stewardship.
The awards program has three awards:
Youth: BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award
Adult: BSA Distinguished Conservationist
Organizations and Individuals: BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Certificate
50th Anniversary Environmental Protection Agency Award
Program Term – January 1 to December 31, 2021
The Environmental Protection Agency, as part of a public awareness campaign to celebrate its first 50 years, has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America to create an award for members of troops, crews and ships. This new award will recognize youth who research and learn about the subjects of human health and the environment, as the EPA develops its vision for the next 50 years.
The objective of the EPA award is to combine a variety of disciplines to challenge and educate youth; introduce them to the breadth of the EPA’s involvement in environmental protection and conservation; and encourage them to research, investigate, experiment, demonstrate, survey, and study air pollution, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, and ocean dumping.
Members must earn the Public Health merit badge and three additional merit badges from selected categories. Finally, they must participate in an environmental/public health community service project as part of an approved Scouting program.
Download the application here.
Completed applications are submitted to the local Scout Shop to receive the commemorative patch.
World Conservation Award
The World Conservation Award provides an opportunity for individual Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts to think globally and act locally to preserve and improve our environment. This program is designed to help youth members gain awareness that all nations are closely related through natural resources and that we are interdependent with our world environment.
Conservation Good Turn Award
The Conservation Good Turn is an opportunity for Cub Scout packs, Scouts BSA troops, Venturing crews, and Sea Scout ships to join with conservation or environmental organizations (federal, state, local, or private) to carry out a Conservation Good Turn in their home communities.
National Outdoor Badge–Conservation
When a Scout excels in outdoor participation, there are awards to show for it! This program, conceived by the BSA’s National Camping Task Force, includes a series of six badges designed to recognize a Scouts BSA, Sea Scout, or Venturer who has exemplary knowledge and experience in performing high-level outdoor activities.
The segments represent six areas of emphasis: camping, aquatics, hiking, riding, adventure, and conservation, with rigorous requirements to earn each segment.
A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 hours of conservation work. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 hours of conservation work (for example, the first silver device is earned at 125 total hours of conservation work).
Keep America Beautiful Hometown USA Award
The Hometown USA Award is a joint program between Keep America Beautiful Inc. and the Boy Scouts of America. It is designed to give recognition to the outstanding efforts of Scouts in their communities in regard to citizenship and environmental improvement.
Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award
Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camp and complete various requirements for each Cub Scout rank, including completing a certain number of outdoor activities. Among the options for a Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award activity is this one: Complete a nature/conservation project in your area. This project should involve improving, beautifying, or supporting natural habitats. Discuss how this project helped you to respect nature.
National Park Service Scout Ranger Program
The Scout Ranger program invites Scouts of all ages to participate in educational and/or volunteer service projects at national park sites to spark their awareness of the national parks and to provide Scouts with the opportunity to explore the national parks and learn more about protecting our natural and cultural resources. Scouts are awarded certificates and/or patches for participating in the program.
