The Forester Activity Badge is part of the Outdoor group. The WEBELOS Scouts will learn how to identify the trees around them, how trees grow, and how to prevent forest fires.

OBJECTIVES

To make boys more observant and appreciative of trees. To instill the idea of conservation in WEBELOS Scouts. To teach boys the value and uses of trees. To make WEBELOS Scouts aware of devastation due to wildlife.

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO

Spend a den meeting teaching WEBELOS Scouts how to measure tree heights (see Official Boy Scout Handbook).

Contact a local tree service and see if you arrange to have the den watch a crew "in action".

Plant saplings in the spring as a conservation project,

Skit

Saps Through the Trees (skit)

PROPS: Signs with different tree names, like Red Oak, Maple, Ash, etc., one for each parent.

Den Leader announces he is going to teach his den all he knows about trees, but he needs the help of the parents. He then calls parents up one at a time and gives each parent a sign to hold. He spaces his forest of parents across the room so there is enough room to walk between each 'tree'. The Den Leader lines his den in a single file row behind himself. He calls out, "Follow me!" The leader then runs a zig-zag pattern between the trees with WEBELOS Scouts right behind.

The Den chief, looking puzzled, stops the leader and asks, "What are you doing?"

The answers, "I'm teaching my WEBELOS Scouts how saps run through the trees.

LEAF COLLECTIONS

Dry Leaf Collection - Put each leaf between a separate sheet of newspaper. Put several folds of newspaper on top of and underneath the sheets you are using to press the leaves. Put something heavy on top until the leaves are presses out and dry.

Crayon Print - Lay a leaf on the table with vein side up. Put a clean sheet of paper on top of it. Hold the leaf in place with your hand and make parallel strokes back and forth over the leaf with your crayon until the print shows on your paper.

Ink Pad Leaf Prints - Put a leaf, vein side down, on your ink pad. Cover it with a piece of newspaper and rub your hand back and forth over it. Then put the leaf, ink side down, on a clean sheet of paper. Put a newspaper over it again and rub.

Paraffin Coated Leaves - Melt paraffin in a double boiler. When it is melted, turn off the heat. Dip one leaf at a time into the melted wax. Shake off the extra drops of wax into the pan. Hold the leaf until the wax hardens, then lay it on waxed paper. Using this method, you can get the leaves in their green color, or in the brilliant colors of autumn.