Virtual Mammal Study Merit Badge

What:    Scouts will learn the characteristics that distinguish mammals from other animals, practices used by biologists to study them, and techniques to observe and record them in their natural habitats.

 Meet your Counselor - Kevin Thompson has an Associate’s Degree in Environmental Science. He has also been involved in providing a quality scouting program at council summer camps since 2009 at Cachalot Scout Reservation, and now at Camp Norse where he serves as the Camp Director. Kevin is also an Eagle Scout out of Troop 48 Carver, and is now a Scoutmaster and Cubmaster working in our 1910 Scoutreach District.

WHO: Open to all Scouts BSA members.

HOW:  The Mammal Study Merit Badge will be taught in a virtual classroom. The class has a capacity of 20 Scouts. Small classroom size provides all students with the opportunity to share and interact with the counselors and other Scouts. Scouts should be prepared to be challenged and to join the conversation! Participants who do not engage with the class may not receive credit for the badge. 

Before beginning work on any merit badge, scouts are to have a discussion with their unit leader regarding the specific badge and counselor.

WHEN: This class will be held virtually over one session:

June 5, 2020 5:00PM-6:30PM

Scouts must attend the full session to complete the offered requirements.

After registering, Scouts will receive a link and login information via email the day of the scheduled class. Scouts will also receive instructor details that can be used to connect to the counselor on Scoutbook. This assures that completed requirements are easily recorded. 

PREREQUISITES:    Req. 3a, b, or c, and Req. 5

3. Do ONE of the following:

a. Spend three hours in each of two different kinds of natural habitats or at different elevations. List the different mammal species and individual members that you identified by sight or sign. Tell why all mammals do not live in the same kind of habitat.

b. Spend three hours on each of five days on at least a 25-acre area (about the size of 3.5 football fields). List the mammal species you identified by sight or sign.

c. From study and reading, write a simple life history of one nongame mammal that lives in your area. Tell how this mammal lived before its habitat was affected in any way by humans. Tell how it reproduces, what it eats, and its natural habitat. Describe its dependency upon plants and other animals (including humans), and how they depend upon it. Tell how it is helpful or harmful to humankind.

5. Working with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals.