Conservation

The council conservation committee provides expertise in matters of ecology, conservation, and resource management.  Their purpose is to guide policy-making and operational decisions regarding the management of the council's natural and cultural resources, promotion of conservation-related training, and advancement of conservation programs.

Service Projects     Training     Resources    Awards    Games

Conservation Activities

Public Lands Day

Public Lands Day is celebrated annually at public lands in the United States on a Saturday in late September. A signature event of the National Environmental Education Foundation, it promotes both popular enjoyment and volunteer conservation of public lands. Learn more about the Day of Service hosted by Colonneh Lodge, Order of the Arrow. 

Trash Bash

Trash Bash is typically held the last weekend in March. Thousands of volunteers gather along the Texas waterways to do their part in cleaning up the environment. The project is the largest statewide event to educate the public about the importance of our water resources.

Texas Wildlife & Woodland Expo

Texas Wildlife & Woodland Expo is held in March at Lone Star College-Montgomery, and is designed to help families learn a little about the land on which they live — and how to best take care of it — through hands-on clinics, live demonstrations, and children’s activities.

Texas Parks & Wildlife

Texas Parks & Wildlife programs offer a variety of outdoor learning and leadership opportunities.

Port Authority Boat Tour

The Port Authority offers an unforgettably spectacular waterborne boat tour (free of charge) of one of the busiest ports in the world aboard the Port of Houston Authority's public charter tour boat!

Houston WaterWorks Education Center

Houston WaterWorks Education Center is located near the shores of Lake Houston at the City of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant. WaterWorks Education Center is a one-of-a-kind water destination, whose mission is to promote water education, conservation and stewardship.

The City of Houston’s WaterWorks Education Center welcomes all educational groups to explore the wonders of water during a field trip designed to imbue them with a sense of wonderment and discovery about one of earth’s most precious resources.    



Conservation Awards

BSA has a variety of conservation awards:


 

SHAC has a conservation award for Scouts and adults.    

 

Conservation Training

“The Boy Scouts of America has adopted the principles of Leave No Trace, which are easy to learn and apply. Every outing and activity should be conducted with Leave No Trace in mind. As young people mature, we will enjoy an increasingly beautiful environment because of the impact of their training in Leave No Trace. As members of the Boy Scouts of America, we should be good stewards of our environment through the knowledgeable use of resources.

"We all must take responsibility for our decisions when we use the outdoors, and we should treat the environment with respect so future generations can enjoy the outdoors as we do today.” -Teaching Leave No Trace (BSA No. 21-117). Conservation courses are taught at the University of Scouting.

 

Leave No Trace Trainer Course

The Leave No Trace Instructor Level 1 Course  (formerly the Leave No Trace Trainer Course) is an overnight course for individuals, ages 14 and up who wish to guide units in developing a culture that effectively demonstrates responsible outdoor choices that reduce impacts of Scouting activities. Leave No Trace Instructor Level 1, outdoor ethics guides, and outdoor ethics advisors are the backbone of Scouting’s outdoor ethics program, providing instruction to individuals and units wishing to adopt cutting-edge outdoor ethics into their unit programs. 

The Leave No Trace Master Outdoor Ethics Instructor Level 2 Course ( formerly the Master Educator Course) is a 5-day course conducted over two weekends. The Instructor Level 2 course is the summit of Leave No Trace training and may be taken by individuals, ages 18 and up who wish to be accredited as Instructor Level 2 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Prior completion of a Leave No Trace Instructor Level 1 course is recommended. 

Register for an upcoming course

Conservation Games

National Marine Sanctuary: Games, coloring pages, and fun activities to help you learn about the national marine sanctuaries.

Project Wild is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that focuses on wildlife and habitat. 

Environmental Protection Agency: Games and find other activities to do online, including crossword puzzles and word searches.

Conservation Baseball

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Name

Description

  
  Project Wild  
  Fishing Fun    
  National Marine Sanctuary  
  Shark Sample Activity    
  NOAA  
  Coloring Pages    
  PBS  
  NOVA’s Energy Lab Online game about energy.  
  NOVA’s Cloud Lab Online game about clouds.  
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  
  Energy Choices Interactive board game to learn the costs/benefits of different types of fuel for electricity.    
  Trash and Climate Change Printable activities about trash.  
  Acid Rain Kids Printable activities about acid rain  
  Water Facts  Printable card game  
  How Much Water Printable matching game using water usage fun facts. Grades 4-8.  
  Nature’s Benefits  Printable game about ecosystems. Grades 6-12.  
  Recycle City Online game about how the people of a town reduce waste, use less energy, and even save money by doing simple things at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods. Grades: 2-6  
  Reducing Food Waste
 		 Printable activity book about how to reduce food waste and help protect the environment. Grades: 3-5  
  Indoor Air Quality Online home tour to learn about the key pollutants and how to address them.  
  Pollinator Protection
 		 Printable activities about how to help protect pollinators like bees, bats, butterflies, birds, and beetles.   
  Air Sensor
 		 Particle pollution known as particulate matter (PM) is one of the major air pollutants regulated by EPA to protect public health and the environment. Build your own air sensor kit to investigate particulate pollution. High school.  
  Ozone Crossword Puzzle If you're good with words, and think you know all about the ozone layer (or want to learn more), then you're sure to enjoy this crossword puzzle. Grades: 4-7  
  Pollution Awareness Printable word search about pollution awareness. Grades: 6-9  
  All About EPA Printable coloring book about how EPA protects our health and environment.  
  NASA's Eyes on the Earth Online activities about climate change. Grades: 3-7  
  Energy Kids Printable activities about energy. Grades: 3-8  
  Go with the Flow Online game about the flow of water. Grades: 6-9  
  Habitats Online game about animal habitats to learn!   
  WaterSense Game Online and printable games about  water-efficiency. Grades: 3-7  
  National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  
  It's all about weather! Online games all about weather and science!  
       
  The Ad Council; US Dept of Ag – Forest Service  
  Smokey for Kids Games about how help prevent wildfires.   
  Smithsonian’s’ National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute  
  The Migration Game
 		 Online game about migratory birds.   
  National Park Service  
  National Junior Ranger Printable booklets with activities to do at home or a park.   
       

 

Pollinator Garden at Camp Strake

Since 1910, conservation and environmental studies have been an integral part of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts have rendered distinguished public service by helping to conserve wildlife, energy, forests, soil, and water. Past generations of Scouts have been widely recognized for undertaking conservation Good Turn action projects in their local communities. Through environmental explorations, Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts visit the outdoors and discover the natural world around them. Many natural resource careers are born in Scouting.

"When it comes to attracting beautiful butterflies and birds to your yard or community, the best thing you can do is use native plants. By planting natives, you restore the health and function of your local ecosystem... " (Source)

Learn more about native plants.

Learn about our new pollinator garden at Camp Strake.

About the Conservation Committee

Council Conservation Committee

The council conservation committee provides the council with all available expertise regarding matters of ecology, conservation, and resource management so as to guide policymaking and operational decisions regarding the management of the councils’ natural and cultural resources, promotion of conservation-related training, and advancement of conservation programs.

The council conservation committee typically meets eight times per year on the second Thursday of each month, except during the summer and December. Check the council calendar for specific dates.

Why Conservation and the BSA?

  • Duty to God - Most people of faith share a common ethic of respect for, and harmony with, the natural world.
  • Sound Citizenship - Responsible and thoughtful stewardship of resources, whether viewed as abundant or scarce, is a critical issue for all of us—today and into the future.
  • Physical Fitness - Naturally associated with outdoor activity, education, and service.

Mission:  Council Conservation Committee

  • Promote conservation awareness and responsible/ethical action among Scouts, Scouters, and the broader community.
  • Foster community awareness and appreciation of the Sam Houston Area Council as a leader in supporting conservation.
  • Ensure that council camps are managed according to sound conservation practices.

Methods

Awareness

  • Emphasize Scouting participation in significant community conservation activities such as Rivers, Lakes, Bayous and Bays Trash Bash, and/or Environment Week.
  • Organize environmental/conservation-oriented demonstrations for weekend camping, summer camps, and other summer programs (e.g., Ecodin).
  • Promote the conservation ethic at the council events.
  • Promote conservation-oriented awards.

Training: 

  • Develop and implement courses for University of Scouting.
  • Develop Project Wild facilitators throughout the council and offer at least one annual council-wide workshop.
  • Encourage conservation programs at roundtables to review awards as well as educational and project opportunities.
  • Encourage training utilizing BSA resources/offerings, as well as resources outside the BSA.
  • Offer Outdoor Ethics training.

Practice

  • Aggressively encourage Scout participation in conservation-related projects in our area (such as conservation needs of Texas Watch Partner, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Forest Service, and area parks).
  • Camp Conservation Plans:  For each of the council camps, prepare and steward conservation plans that can be used as a source of projects and information for program staff.
  • Camp Nature Center:  Survey needs and opportunities for an educational center at the council's camps.
  • Encourage Leave No Trace camping and outdoor ethics.

 

Contact

For more information, contact the council conservation committee.