May 10, 20215 min read

How Sustainable Are the Scouts?

We all know scouting as an organization that has a mission to educate our youth about the great outdoors. But how much do we really know about their environmental footprint or sustainability practices? As a former Girl Scout and one of the 3.7 million children in the U.S to be a part of scouting, I was able to see just how environmentally conscious they really are.

Here are some of the ways that scouting organizations teach sustainability, environmental advocacy, and outdoor education to the future generations.

What is scouting?

There are several different types of scouting that have been represented in TV and film for over 100 years. From TV shows like Phinies and Ferb, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Kim Possible, NCIS, and South Park, to movies like despicable me, Indiana Jones, Troop Zero, Up, and many Disney short films. Scouts have not been left out of the media we have consumed growing up in America. It has even made notable appearances in comics like Calvin and Hobbs and the Peanuts. In addition to Boy Scouts (BSA), and Girl Scouts, there are co-ed groups such as the Venture Scouts and Sea Scouts that have very similar missions. All of these organizations are volunteer-run leadership groups for children ages 5 to 18. With a heavy emphasis on outdoor education, these associations have a goal to teach personal health, life skills, and leadership to children through environmental education, volunteerism, and community service.

What do scouts do?

You may know scouts for selling cookies and popcorn, but there is a whole lot more to scouting that most people don’t see. There are a series of ranks that each scout climbs until they reach the top, or until they age out. To move up the ranks, each child has to complete a series of courses that teach them something, like a skill or a project. They then receive a “Merit Badge” or “Patch” to mark their completion of said activity. These activities include things like cooking, archery, sewing, swimming, first aid, and, of course, camping. Although there are over 135 different badges to earn, whenever we think of scouting, we always think of the wilderness. This is because so much of these organizations are focused around protecting the environment that they spend so much time in.

Environmental Practices:

In addition to volunteering in their communities at food banks, senior homes, schools, churches, shelters, etc. Scouts are also known for their volunteer and conservation work with national parks, lakes, and sanctuaries for wildlife.

On each scouting organization's website, there is a section just for the purpose of sharing their environmental impact information. For example, the Boy Scouts sustainability statement says, “For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America has been a leader in conservation. In the next 100 years, Scouting is taking the initiative to a new level — from stewardship to sustainability, and from ‘leave no trace’ to leaving the world a better place”.

As you can see “Leave No Trace” is a central idea, not just for the Boy Scouts but, for all of scouting. The concept of leave no trace was first introduced in 1990 through a collective program with the Boy Scouts of America and the Bureau of Land Management. It was originally created by the United States Forest Service in conjunction with the National Outdoor Leadership School to help protect and preserve the national parks and public land. It is now at the core of every scouting association's teachings and values.

In addition to teaching the famous motto “Leave No Trace,” there are many other ways that scouts and other organizations have implemented and standardized care for the environment.

On the same website they have listed the following sustainability practices:

Demonstrating practices consistent with BSA organizational values of thrift and resourcefulness by reducing the energy and water our activities require
Practicing good stewardship of human communities by providing healthy and attractive workplaces for our employees and volunteers
Practicing good stewardship of the natural communities in which the BSA operates by enhancing natural system function and biodiversity
Expanding the principles of Leave No Trace camping by carefully considering how the BSA uses materials and reduces waste within its operations
Respecting the generosity of donors through the design of facilities that reduce or eliminate long-term operating costs to the organization
Demonstrating leadership in sustainability through measurements and verification of their efforts, communication of their practices, and continual improvement

Similarly to the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts sustainability statement reads, “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our lifetime, and today’s youth, including our girls, will bear the brunt of it. We recognize that tackling climate change must be a priority for us; it is, after all, ingrained in our values as an organization. At Girl Scouts, our philosophy includes using resources wisely and leaving a place better than we found it—both key tenets of sustainability.”

In addition to a clear message of environmental advocacy printed all over the Scout websites, there are sustainability-conscious principles intertwined in every merit badge and rank available. There is also an active expectation to improve scouting's ecological footprint in any and every way possible. From creating badges specifically meant for climate education to projects centered around ocean clean up and wildlife preservation, there is a cautious effort to make sure history does not keep repeating itself.

Although we see a lot of obvious emphasis on taking care of the environment, there is a blatant disregard for the packaging waste that products like Girl Scout cookies create. Packaging varies depending on where in the U.S. you are located, but usually the cookies come in plastic sleeves inside cardboard boxes. The cardboard can be recycled, but the plastic cannot. Despite the fact that the money raised from these beloved cookies will go to many hours of volunteering, youth education, and community projects, there is still an active plea to switch to a more sustainable option. After reading this article go ahead and contribute a signature to this petition and share this link: http://chng.it/VTXq6FxYnb. It is important to continue your support for scouting of all kinds while also using your voice to advocate to improve their efforts.

Closing:

As we know, every institution has areas to improve, whether it be through their company's production practices and waste protocols, or their internal motivations and economic intentions. However, the positive impact and environmental activism that these organizations are able to expose our future generations to is truly an amazing thing. If you have ever thought about supporting these organizations, please do so, and take a look at their websites to learn more.