ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MERIT BADGE 2017

Presented by Merit Badge Counselor: James Schultz as taught by Eagle Scout Jared Schultz

Hi! I’m Life Scout Jared Schultz. I’m out on one of my study plots working on my Environmental Science MB working on req. 4.

With the help of my dad who is a counselor, I am going to help you earn your MB. Let’s get started.

About the Merit Badge: A note from Jared • This badge will take you time!! • This badge is project based. You will need to do 7 major activities/experiments. • You would benefit by reading the Merit Badge Booklet. • You will need to do some research. Most of this information can be found on the Web.

Get permission from a parent before “googling”. I will help you find some sites. • I will try and help you as much as I can…but, you will need to pick out and design your

own experiments/activities. Ask your counselor for help if you need it.

When doing this badge and any merit badge remember: Look at the action verbs and do

what it says…Make, define, do, conduct, discuss, perform, record, explain, describe, photograph, determine…

Get help when designing an experiment or doing an activity. Ask your counselor if what you are doing is ok.

You and only you are responsible for your work, not you counselor or parent or another scout. Be responsible.

For an on-line copy of the MB pamphlet: http://troop112nampa.org/documents/Books/MB/Environmental_Science_Merit_Badge_Pamphlet_35892.pdf

Read the pamphlet. It helped me understand the concepts.

Requirement 1: Make a timeline of the history of environmental science in America. Identify the contribution made by the Boy Scouts of America to environmental science. Include dates, names of people or organizations, and important events.

https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/history-of-environmental-science-in-the-united-states

http://www.environmentalhistory.org/

Google: timeline of environmental science in America and look at the images section. Great information

1962 Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book, Silent Spring called for a ban on harmful pesticides. Carson used her extensive scientific knowledge, her prolific writing skills, and her love of nature, to make citizens aware of the dangerous chemicals in our air. She provided scientific evidence of the devastating effects these chemicals had on living things – changing the way we viewed the environment forever

Research Time. Hop on the internet and make your timeline.

1776 1800 1900 2000 2017

Rachel Carson wrote “Silent Spring 1962

Make a large timeline with the history of Environmental Science combined with Boy Scout’s contribution to conservation

http://www.slideshare.net/hillaryjones739/environmental-science-requirement-1-and-2

https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/history-of-environmental-science-in-the-united-states

Sierra Club formed 1892

BSA formed 1910

Yellowstone N.P. 1872

I love canoeing the BWCA which is a result of the environmental movement in 1964. Check out the two websites I gave you for data on your timeline.

BWCA established

1964

Requirement 2: Define the following terms: population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction, pollution prevention, brownfield, ozone, watershed, airshed, nonpoint source, hybrid vehicle, fuel cell.

INDIVIDUAL POPULATION COMMUNITY ECOSYSTEM BIOSPHERE

population, community, ecosystem, symbiosis, niche, habitat, conservation, threatened species, endangered species, extinction, pollution prevention, brownfield, ozone, watershed, airshed, nonpoint source, hybrid vehicle, fuel cell.

Look up the definitions of these words/concepts. But please note: Knowing the terms doesn’t mean that you know how they work together and that is actually the important part even though the requirement doesn’t ask you. Read and learn how they interrelate and make up the ecology. Your MB pamphlet will help you understand the concepts. I will not be giving you the definitions, you will have to look them up on your own.

What is my food?

What is my shelter?

What is my water?

What role do I play in my

environment?

Am I common,

threatened or

endangered?

What are the parts of

my ecosystem?

Who belongs to

my community

?

Who am I?

Requirement 3: Do ONE activity in EACH of the following categories (using the activities in this {the merit badge} pamphlet as the basis for planning and carrying out your projects):

For this requirement, you will be conducting 7 activities in 7 different areas of environmental science They will either be an • Experiment • Project • Research

Water Pollution Land Pollution Endangered Species

Pollution Prevention Pollination

Greenhouse effect experiment Decomposition experiment Erosion research project

Air Pollution Ecology

These are 3 of the projects I did

How to run a good experiment.

Environmental scientists use the scientific method when doing experiments and running tests. These are the parts: • Problem • Gather data • Write a hypothesis • Experimental Procedure • Collect data • Analysis of Data • Conclusion

A hypothesis is a “If…then” statement. Write yours like: If I ________ then ______ will happen

A procedure must have a control and a variable. The control is what you will use to compare your results to. The variable is what you are testing.

Example of an experiment. • Hypothesis: If I add polluted water to a plant, then it will not grow as fast as clean water. • Experiment: Take ten pots with equal amounts of dirt in them. Plant a plant that is the

same in all 10 pots. 5 pots will get clean water (control) and 5 will get polluted water (variable). Place all plants in the same area and water once a week the exact same amount of liquids. Every other day measure the height of the plants and record.

• Data: Collect it in a chart properly labelled (day, pot #, height in inches…) • Analysis: Compare the two sets of pots for plant height. Explain what happened and

what you believe is the reason. • Conclusion: Repeat the hypothesis using the information you discovered. Was your

hypothesis correct?

Document what you are doing with pictures with you in them.

How to do a good project. Projects are really common in environmental science. They stem from problems, observations, analysis and what you are going to do with that information.

You will increase your success if you have a clear goal to your project and a good plan on achieving that goal. Do this first before you start the project.

Example of a good project: Problem: I love salamanders and they live in the leaf litter of our little forest. But the earthworms come out at night and eat all the leaf litter so the salamanders have no place to live and the slugs they eat are exposed to the sun. Project: I will build shelters using logs, bark and rotting leaves in the forest especially near the pond where the soil is more moist. I will build five. How: I will cut down the dead trees in lengths of 6 feet. Then I will lay them on top of bark and leaves in 6x6 foot squares. I will add leaves on top of the logs. Write up your project and results. Document using lots of pictures!!

How to do good research.

Research is a lot like doing a project, but only on paper. It follows many of the same guidelines: • Have a clear concise topic • Read some information about your

topic so you know what to look for and what questions to ask

• Use many sources of different kinds: internet, books, professionals…

• Write your paper with complete sentences and complete thoughts.

• Follow any guidelines given • Read your paper when done and ask

yourself…does this answer the question, the topic? Does it do what I wanted it to do? Does it make sense?

• Have someone else read and proof your paper.

• Don’t copy. “Quote” • Record where you found your

information.

Putting up bluebird houses is a good project. Learning about bluebirds is research. Making a placard about the bluebirds is another project based on your research.

QUIZ TIME: MATCHING (These are only partial

definitions…enough to quiz you on, not good enough for you to have in

your worksheet.)

endangered species, pollution prevention, nonpoint source, threatened species, hybrid vehicle, population, conservation, community, ecosystem, symbiosis, niche, habitat, extinction, brownfield, ozone, watershed, airshed, fuel cell.

1. The amount of an organism in a given place and time 2. A battery that produces an electric current 3. All the species in a given place and time 4. A community of organisms and their abiotic

environment 5. A vehicle that uses more than one source of power 6. The region of the earth where life exists including the

water, land and air 7. A source of pollution that is wide spread and can not be

pin pointed to one spot 8. Relationship between organisms where they both

benefit 9. An area of confined air that has similar air pollution 10. The role an organism plays in its environment 11. An area of land drained by a river or lake 12. Where an organism lives including its food, shelter and

water 13. An unstable toxic gas that reflects UV rays 14. The action of protecting something 15. A former industrial site where future use is affected by

environmental contamination 16. The reduction or elimination of pollution at it’s source 17. Any species that is vulnerable to endangerment 18. Any species that is vulnerable to becoming extinct 19. An organism that no longer exists

So...How did you

do on the quiz?

a. Ecology 1. Conduct an experiment to find out how living things respond to changes in their environments. Discuss your observations with your counselor. 2. Conduct an experiment illustrating the greenhouse effect. Keep a journal of your data and observations. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor. 3. Discuss what is an ecosystem. Tell how it is maintained in nature and how it survives.

ECOLOGY: the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Ecosystem: a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment Greenhouse Effect: is the process by which radiation from a planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without its atmosphere. If a planet's atmosphere contains radiatively active gases (i.e., greenhouse gases) the atmosphere will radiate energy in all directions

b. Air Pollution 1. Perform an experiment to test for particulates that contribute to air pollution. Discuss your findings with your counselor. 2. Record the trips taken, mileage, and fuel consumption of a family car for seven days, and calculate how many miles per gallon the car gets. Determine whether any trips could have been combined ("chained") rather than taken out and back. Using the idea of trip chaining, determine how many miles and gallons of gas could have been saved in those seven days. 3. Explain what is acid rain. In your explanation, tell how it affects plants and the environment and the steps society can take to help reduce its effects.

AIR POLLUTION: Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas, is a major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog. Some air pollutants are poisonous

Acid Rain (precipitation) When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere. These chemical gases react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acid. These may combine with water and form acid rain, snow (precipitation.)

c. Water Pollution 1. Conduct an experiment to show how living things react to thermal pollution. Discuss your observations with your counselor. 2. Conduct an experiment to identify the methods that could be used to mediate (reduce) the effects of an oil spill on waterfowl. Discuss your results with your counselor. 3. Describe the impact of a waterborne pollutant on an aquatic community. Write a 100-word report on how that pollutant affected aquatic life, what the effect was, and whether the effect is linked to biomagnification.

WATER POLLUTION: Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This form of environmental degradation occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds

Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers.

Biomagnification: the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.

d. Land Pollution 1. Conduct an experiment to illustrate soil erosion by water. Take photographs or make a drawing of the soil before and after your experiment, and make a poster showing your results. Present your poster to your patrol or troop. 2. Perform an experiment to determine the effect of an oil spill on land. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor. 3. Photograph an area affected by erosion. Share your photographs with your counselor and discuss why the area has eroded and what might be done to help alleviate the erosion.

LAND POLLUTION: Land pollution is any type of destruction of the Earth's land. It can either occur naturally or as a result of human activities, such as industrial development, agricultural development, coal mining, deforestation and overcrowded landfills

Erosion: the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.

Oil Spill: An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.

e. Endangered Species 1. Do research on one endangered species found in your state. Find out what its natural habitat is, why it is endangered, what is being done to preserve it, and how many individual organisms are left in the wild. Prepare a 100-word report about the organism, including a drawing. Present your report to your patrol or troop. 2. Do research on one species that was endangered or threatened but which has now recovered. Find out how the organism recovered, and what its new status is. Write a 100-word report on the species and discuss it with your counselor. 3. With your parent's and counselor's approval, work with a natural resource professional to identify two projects that have been approved to improve the habitat for a threatened or endangered species in your area. Visit the site of one of these projects and report on what you saw.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Animals and plants that are at risk of becoming extinct because of threats from changing environments or predators are considered threatened or endangered. An "endangered" species is any species in danger of extinction through all or a significant portion of its range.

USFWS: Endangered Species in Minnesota https://www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/lists/minnesot-spp.html

http://dnr.state.mn.us/ets/index.html

http://www.livescience.com/54010-species-success-stories.html

f. Pollution Prevention, Resource Recovery, and Conservation 1. Look around your home and determine 10 ways your family can help reduce pollution. Practice at least two of these methods for seven days and discuss with your counselor what you have learned. 2. Determine 10 ways to conserve resources or use resources more efficiently in your home, at school, or at camp. Practice at least two of these methods for seven days and discuss with your counselor what you have learned. 3. Perform an experiment on packaging materials to find out which ones are biodegradable. Discuss your conclusions with your counselor.

POLLUTION PREVENTION, RE4SOURDFE RECOVERY, AND CONSERVATION

Pollution prevention (P2) is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source. P2, also known as "source reduction," is the ounce-of-prevention approach to waste management. Reducing the amount of pollution produced means less waste to control, treat, or dispose of.

Biodegradable: (of a substance or object) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

g. Pollination 1. Using photographs or illustrations, point out the differences between a drone and a worker bee.

Discuss the stages of bee development (eggs, larvae, pupae). Explain the pollination process, and what propolis is and how it is used by honey bees. Tell how bees make honey and beeswax, and how both are harvested. Explain the part played in the life of the hive by the queen, the drones, and the workers.

2. Present to your counselor a one-page report on how and why honey bees are used in pollinating food crops. In your report, discuss the problems faced by the bee population today, and the impact to humanity if there were no pollinators. Share your report with your troop or patrol, your class at school, or another group approved by your counselor.

3. Hive a swarm OR divide at least one colony of honey bees. Explain how a hive is constructed.

POLLINATION: the transfer of pollen to a stigma, ovule, flower, or plant to allow fertilization

Propolis: a red or brown resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds, used by them to fill crevices and to seal and varnish honeycombs

Requirement 4: Choose two outdoor study areas that are very different from one another (e.g., hilltop vs. bottom of a hill; field vs. forest; swamp vs. dry land). For BOTH study areas, do ONE of the following: a. Mark off a plot of 4 square yards in each study area, and count the number of species found there. Estimate how much space is occupied by each plant species and the type and number of non-plant species you find. Write a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and population density of these study areas. Discuss your report with your counselor. b. Make at least three visits to each of the two study areas (for a total of six visits), staying for at least 20 minutes each time, to observe the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Space each visit far enough apart that there are readily apparent differences in the observations. Keep a journal that includes the differences you observe. Then, write a short report that adequately addresses your observations, including how the differences of the study areas might relate to the differences noted, and discuss this with your counselor.

This project requires you to be able to identify the plants that you found. Get a tree ID book and a plants of MN ID book to help you from your library. Also having someone with you who knows this stuff helps. When in doubt, draw a small picture of the plant/animal and give a brief description or take a picture with your cell phone. Take a picture of your two areas with you in it. This project will take a really long time to do if you do a quality job…maybe a couple of days. You may need several sheets of paper.

Plant Species Space each occupies

Non-Plant Species Number found

Study Plot Number of Species:

Requirement 4a Density: number of organisms in a given area at a specified time. Written: 10 butterflies per acre on July 5, 2017 Biodiversity: The number of different living organisms in a given area at a specified time. Written: 45 species of plants per acre on July 5, 2017

Study Area 1 Visit 1 Date: ________________ Time started: __________ Time ended: __________ Observations of living parts:

Observations of non-living parts:

Differences noted:

Requirement 4b Print out six sheets on separate paper. Attach to a clipboard and go out to your study areas. Observations: Use all 5 senses to make observations, not just your eyes. Get down on your hands and knees, climb a tree, smell, touch, listen, see and taste (only if you know what you are tasting!!) Sit in one spot for a short time without making a movement or noise and take in what you experience. Dig through the grass and dirt, bring binoculars and an ID book.

Requirement 5: Using the construction project provided or a plan you create on your own, identify the items that would need to be included in an environmental impact statement for the project planned.

Below in green is the procedure for doing your own Environmental Impact Study (ESI). If you would like to use the construction project in the MB pamphlet, it is include on the next two pages. Our National Park System was set up in 1916 by Pres. Wilson

Scout Jared at Arches National Park, Utah

Construction Project for Requirement 5

Requirement 6: Find out about three career opportunities in environmental science. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

• agricultural agent • animal scientist • biochemist • chemical engineer • ecologist • environmental activist • environmental consultant • environmental researcher • environmental scientist • environmental lawyer • government regulator • microbiologist • parasitologist • pollution engineer • range manager • soil scientist • toxicologist • waste mgt. tech

• environmental educator • environmental engineer • environmental lobbyist • museum curator or naturalist • parks ranger or naturalist • recycling management • waste disposal management

arborist • ecologist • entomologist • farmer • fisheries manager • forest engineer • forest pathologist • forest ranger • forest supervisor • park ranger or manager • plant physiologist • technical writer • wildlife manager • zoology

• agronomist • archaeologist • botanist • college professor • ecologist • laboratory technician • nature conservancy • paleontologist • pharmaceutical research • plant physiologist • research scientist • soil scientist • technical writer

• ecologist • embryologist • environmental scientist • geneticist • geochemist • geologist • lawyer • lobbyist • microbiologist • oceanographer • political scientist • research scientist

• agricultural engineer • animal breeder • biologist • college professor • consultant • ecologist • farmer • forester • natural resources manager • orchardist • physicist

• anatomist • biochemist • biologist • college professor • ecologist • entomologist • laboratory technician • marine biologist • paleontologist • pest controller • veterinarian • zoologist

• anatomist • biochemist • biologist • college professor • ecologist • entomologist • laboratory technician • marine biologist • paleontologist • pest controller • veterinarian • zoologist

General Categories to look under include: Animal Science, Biologist, Botany, Ecology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Forestry, Wildlife Biology, Geology, Natural Resource Management, Soil Science, Zoology

RESEARCH TIME

The End…………Save the environment!!