Into the Wild lets you study a wild animal up close. You'll watch how it behaves, build a model of its home, and learn how people affect it. You'll come away seeing nature in a new way.
Why it's worth it
Wildlife biologists spend hours just watching animals, because behavior tells you how an animal survives. You'll pick one animal, observe it closely, build a model of its ecosystem, and find out how people both hurt and help it. You'll start noticing wildlife everywhere, even in a city park.
Start this week
- Sit quietly in a park or your yard for 10 minutes with your adult and write down every animal you see or hear.
- Make a short list of animals near you that you'd like to study, like a squirrel, a duck, or a deer.
- Ask your adult about a zoo, nature center, or wildlife refuge you could visit.
Stay safe
- Watch wild animals from a distance, never touch or feed them, and stay with your adult or buddy.
Requirements · 5
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Visit a place with many kinds of wild animals; pick one and watch how it behaves, then use that animal for the rest of the requirements
Tip: Visit a zoo, nature center, or park and watch one animal for a while. Write down what it does.
For example: Watch a squirrel for 15 minutes and keep notes: "Ran up the oak, buried an acorn, chased another squirrel, flicked its tail when a dog walked by." Then guess why it did each thing.
- Requirement 2
Make a model of your animal's ecosystem
Tip: Use a shoebox and craft supplies to show your animal's home, food, and neighbors.
For example: In a shoebox, show your animal's home: a pond with cattails for a frog, insects to eat, a heron that hunts it, and logs where it hides. Label food, water, shelter, and space.
- Requirement 3
Investigate how your animal lives alongside other animals in the wild
Tip: Find out what animals it eats, competes with, or lives alongside.
For example: A deer shares the woods with rabbits that eat the same plants, coyotes that hunt fawns, and birds that eat ticks off its back. Draw a web showing who eats, competes with, or helps your animal.
- Requirement 4
Describe how people interact with your animal's ecosystem
Tip: Think about roads, buildings, and pollution, plus ways people help, like parks.
- Requirement 5
Find out how wildlife management helps your animal
Tip: Ask a ranger or wildlife worker how they manage habitats to help your animal.
For example: Wildlife managers might protect nesting areas, plant food plots, set hunting or fishing seasons to keep populations healthy, or build road crossings so animals don't get hit.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A national wildlife refuge or state wildlife area
These places are managed for wildlife, and staff can explain how they help your animal.
How: Have your adult call the visitor center and ask about ranger talks, bird walks, or a staff member who could meet your patrol.
A zoo or nature center
You can watch animals up close for a long time, and keepers can answer questions about behavior.
How: Have your adult check the schedule for keeper talks and go during a quieter weekday time if you can.
Talk about it together
- What did your animal do that surprised you?
- How do you think your animal would describe its neighbors?
- What's one way people help your animal and one way they make life harder?
- How has this adventure changed how you look at wildlife near home?
- What animal would you like to study next?
Helpful reads
- Cub Scouts: a guide for families, How Cub Scout ranks and adventures work from kindergarten through fifth grade, what an adult partner does, and how to keep it fun at meetings and at home., Families · Leaders · 4 min read
- From Arrow of Light to a troop, What changes when you join a Scouts BSA troop, how to visit and choose one, good questions to ask, and how to make your first year a great one., Youth · Families · 4 min read
For leaders & parents
- Plan a visit to a zoo or nature center where staff can answer questions.
- Bring binoculars and notebooks so scouts can observe quietly.
People & places that can help
- State fish and wildlife agency — Information on local wildlife and how it's managed.
- Local zoo or nature center — See animals and talk with experts.
- National Park Service (opens in a new tab) — Wildlife facts and parks to visit.
- National Wildlife Refuge System (opens in a new tab) — Find a wildlife refuge near you and what lives there.
- National Wildlife Federation Kids and Family (opens in a new tab) — Ideas for watching and helping wildlife.
- Watching Wildlife in National Parks (opens in a new tab) — Tips for watching animals safely and respectfully.
Pairs well with
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Into this? Explore more
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.