The World Conservation Award helps you see how caring for the environment connects people around the world. You'll earn three merit badges and work on a conservation issue that crosses borders. It's a chance to think globally and act locally.
Why it's worth it
Birds that nest near your home may spend the winter in another country, and trash dropped in a creek can end up in the ocean. The World Conservation Award connects three merit badges with hands-on work on a problem that crosses borders. You'll see how your own neighborhood fits into the whole planet, and you'll do something about it that matters far beyond your town.
Start this week
- Check which of the merit badges in requirements 1 to 3 you've already earned or started.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for a Citizenship in the World counselor and send them a message with a parent copied.
- Pick a cross-border issue you care about, like migrating birds, ocean plastic, or a river shared with another country.
- Look for a local project on that issue, like a habitat planting or a creek cleanup, and ask an adult to help you sign up.
Requirements · 4
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2019).
Note: Work for this award must be done in addition to any similar work used for rank.
- Requirement 1
Earn the Environmental Science or Sustainability merit badge
Tip: Pick Environmental Science or Sustainability, whichever interests you more. Contact a counselor early.
For example: Choose by interest: Environmental Science leans toward ecosystems and experiments, while Sustainability looks at water, food, energy, and the things your household uses every day.
- Requirement 2
Earn the Fish and Wildlife Management or Soil and Water Conservation merit badge
Tip: Choose Soil and Water Conservation or Fish and Wildlife Management. Both get you outside learning about nature.
For example: Soil and Water Conservation suits Scouts who like rivers, erosion, and how land is cared for. Fish and Wildlife Management fits if you want to study habitat and help a species. Either can lead right into your requirement 4 project.
- Requirement 3
Earn the Citizenship in the World merit badge
Tip: Citizenship in the World helps you understand how countries work together on shared problems like the environment.
For example: When you study international agreements in Citizenship in the World, look for one tied to your conservation issue, like the treaties that protect migratory birds shared by several countries.
- Requirement 4
As part of an approved Scouting program, do at least 3 hours of conservation project work on a need shared by more than one country
Tip: Pick an issue like migrating birds, ocean plastic, or river pollution. Find a local project that helps, like a cleanup or habitat planting.
For example: Three hours could be building and putting up nest boxes for migrating songbirds, a creek or storm-drain cleanup that keeps plastic out of rivers and the ocean, or pulling invasive plants. Explain which countries share the issue.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A national wildlife refuge or nature center
Staff can explain how migrating animals use local habitat and which projects need help.
How: Have an adult check the website for volunteer days, or call and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Go with your patrol or family.
Where it can lead
- Wildlife biologistStudies animals and their habitats, often tracking species that migrate across borders.
- Environmental scientistTests water, soil, and air and helps solve pollution problems.
- Park or refuge technicianMaintains habitat, trails, and facilities on public lands; many start as seasonal workers.
Ask yourself
- Which environmental problem do you care about most, and why?
- How does something you do at home connect to people in another country?
- What did your conservation work actually change, and how could you tell?
- What would it take to keep working on this issue after the award is done?
Good questions to ask a wildlife biologist or conservation professional
- Which local species or waterways are connected to other countries?
- How do countries work together on conservation, and where does it get hard?
- What kind of volunteer work makes the biggest difference on this issue?
- How did you get into this career?
Helpful reads
For leaders & parents
- Help Scouts find conservation projects tied to global issues, like habitat restoration for migratory species.
- Encourage Scouts to work on the merit badges together as a patrol.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselors — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) — Information on wildlife and habitats that cross borders.
- Local nature center or conservation group — Can suggest projects that help with global issues.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Migratory Birds (opens in a new tab) — How the U.S. and other countries protect birds that cross borders.
- NOAA Marine Debris Program (opens in a new tab) — Where ocean trash comes from and how cleanups help.
- EPA International Cooperation (opens in a new tab) — How the U.S. works with other countries on environmental problems.
- National Audubon Society (opens in a new tab) — Bird conservation, local chapters, and community science projects.
Pairs well with
Named in these requirements
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.