This module is designed to help you learn about wildlife and the natural world around you.
Nova WILD!
Requirements last updated January 2022. There are broken links and outdated information in places and formatting may not match between two Nova awards because the requirements are preserved to match the original state from Scouting America. Where available, the related counselor notes have been included along with the requirements.
1.
Choose A or B or C and complete ALL the requirements:
A.
Watch an episode or episodes (about one hour total) of a show about
wildlife, endangered species, invasive species, food chains,
biodiversity, ecosystems, or wildlife habitats. Then do the following:
1.
Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you
watched.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
Some examples include - but are not limited to - shows found on PBS
("NOVA"), Discovery Channel, Science Channel, National Geographic
Channel, TED Talks (online videos), and the History Channel. You
may choose to watch a live performance or movie at a planetarium or
science museum instead of watching a media production. You may
watch online productions with your counselor's approval and under
your parent's supervision.
B.
Read (about one hour total) about wildlife, endangered species,
invasive species, food chains, biodiversity, ecosystems, or wildlife
habitats. Then do the following:
1.
Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you read.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
Books on many topics may be found at your local library. Examples
of magazines include but are not limited to Odyssey, KIDS DISCOVER,
National Geographic Kids, Highlights, and OWL or Owlkids
(https://owlkids.com/).
C.
Do a combination of reading and watching (about one hour total) about
wildlife, endangered species, invasive species, food chains,
biodiversity, ecosystems, or wildlife habitats. Then do the following:
1.
Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you read
and watched.
2.
Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
2.
Complete ONE adventure from the following list for your current rank or
complete option A or B. (If you choose an Adventure, choose one you have
not already earned.) Discuss with your counselor what kind of science,
technology, engineering, and math was used in the adventure or option.
- Wolf Cub Scouts: Digging in the Past, Spirit of the Water
- Bear Cub Scouts: A Bear Goes Fishing, Critter Care
- Webelos Scouts: Into the Wild, Into the Woods
Option A: Do all of the following.
a.
Make a poster that shows and explains the water cycle.
b.
Set up a simple weather station to record rainfall, temperature, air
pressure or evaporation for one week.
c.
Find the local weather forecast. Discuss with a family member the
weather forecast. Follow-up by discussing the accuracy of the forecast
the following day.
Option B: Do all of the following.
a.
Explain what natural resources are and why it's important to protect
and conserve them.
b.
Make a poster that shows and explains the food chain. Describe to your
den or adult what happens when the food chain becomes broken or
damaged.
c.
Learn about an endangered species. Make a report to your den or adult
that includes a picture, how the species became endangered, and what is
being done to save it.
3.
Explore.
A.
What is wildlife? Wildlife refers to animals that are not normally
domesticated (raised by humans).
B.
Explain the relationships among producer, prey, predator, and food
chain. (You may draw and label a food chain to help you answer this
question.)
C.
Draw (or find) pictures of your favorite native plant, native reptile
or fish, native bird, and native mammal that live in an ecosystem near
you. Why do you like these? How do they fit into the ecosystem?
D.
Discuss what you have learned with your counselor.
4.
Act like a naturalist. Choose TWO from A or B or C or D or E or F, and
complete ALL the requirements for those options.
A.
Investigate the endangered species in your state.
1.
Make a list, drawing, or photo collection of three to five animals
and plants that are endangered.
2.
Design a display (a poster, PowerPoint presentation, or other type
of display) to show at least 10 of the threatened, endangered, or
extinct species in your state. (You may use your drawings or photo
collection in your display.)
3.
Discuss with your counselor the differences between threatened,
endangered, and extinct species. Discuss how threatened animals or
plants could become endangered or extinct. How might the loss of
these animals or plants affect the ecosystem and food chain? What
can be done to preserve these species?
B.
Investigate invasive species.
1.
Make a list, drawing, or photo collection of at least five mammals,
plants, fish, birds, insects, or any other organisms that are
invasive in your state or region of the country.
2.
Design a presentation (a poster, PowerPoint presentation, or other
display) including at least one of the invasive species from your
list. Explain where they came from, how they got to your area, what
damage they are causing, and what is being done to get rid of them.
Share your presentation with your counselor and your family or your
den.
3.
Discuss with your counselor what an invasive species is, how
invasive animals or plants cause problems for native species, and
how these invasive species could affect an ecosystem and food
chain.
C.
Visit an ecosystem near where you live.
1.
Investigate the types of animals and plants that live in that
ecosystem.
2.
Draw a food web of the animals and plants that live in this
ecosystem. Mark the herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. Include
at least one decomposer or scavenger.
3.
Discuss with your counselor (using your food web drawing) how the
animals or plants in the food web fit into a food chain. Which
animals are predators and which can be prey? How does each plant
and animal obtain its energy? Describe the energy source for all
the plants and animals.
D.
Investigate one wild mammal, bird, fish, or reptile that lives near
you.
1.
Create a diorama representing the habitat of this creature. Include
representations of everything it needs to survive; its home, nest,
or den; and possible threats. You may use a variety of different
materials within your diorama (usually constructed in a shoebox or
similar container).
2.
Explain to your counselor what your animal must have in its habitat
in order to survive.
E.
Investigate your wild neighbors.
1.
Make a bird feeder and set it up in a place where you may observe
visitors. The feeder could be complex or as simple as a pinecone
covered with peanut butter and rolled in birdseed and then tied
with a string to an appropriate location, like a tree branch.
2.
Fill the feeder with birdseed. (Make sure that your feeder does not
remain empty once you have started feeding birds.)
3.
Provide a source of water.
4.
Watch and record the visitors to your feeder for two or three
weeks. (It may take a while for visitors to discover your food
source.)
5.
Identify your visitors using a field guide, and keep a list of what
visits your feeder. (Visitors are not always birds! Sometimes deer,
rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons visit bird feeders - or
the area under the feeder! The kinds of nonbird visitors will
depend on where you live. You may want to investigate how to
collect the tracks of any nighttime visitors.)
6.
Discuss with your counselor what you learned about your wild
neighbors.
F.
Earn the Cub Scout World Conservation Award (if you have not already
earned them for another Nova award).
5.
Visit a place where you can observe wildlife. Examples include parks
(national, state, and local), zoos, wetlands, nature preserves, and
national forests.
A.
During or after your visit, talk to someone about:
1.
The native species, invasive species, and endangered or threatened
species that live there. If you visit a zoo, talk to someone about
the ecosystems for different zoo animals and whether any of the zoo
animals are invasive in different areas of the world. (For example,
pythons are often found in zoos, but they are an invasive species
in Florida.)
2.
The subjects studied in school that enable him or her to work with
wildlife. Examples of experts to talk to include forest ranger,
wildlife biologist, botanist, park ranger, naturalist, game warden,
zookeeper, docent, or another adult whose career involves wildlife.
B.
Discuss with your counselor what you learned during your visit.
6.
Discuss with your counselor:
A.
Why wildlife is important
B.
Why biodiversity is important
C.
The problems with invasive species and habitat destruction