Green Star Activities - The Outdoors

The Green Star provides a variety of basic and simple introductory activities for children who have only limited experience with outdoor pursuits like camping, hiking and canoeing. Safety, and being prepared, from two key elements when building Cub self-confidence in outdoor activities. The Green Star deals with first aid kits, how to avoid getting lost, how to dress for the outdoors and other skills.

Green Star

To earn the Green Star, choose and do any five (5) of the A Requirements and any three (3) of the B Requirements. These activities can be done by yourself, or with your six, pack, family or friends.

A Requirements

1. Estimate three distances and measuring things by using your body, such as the length your foot, your pace or the top of your thumb.
2. Tie and show a practical use for any five knots such as reef, sheet bend, taut-line, bowline, fisherman's knot, round turn and two half hitches, clove hitch.
3. Make a Cub First Aid/Survival kit .
4. Make or put together a camp gadget for outdoor use.
5. Know what to do if lost.
6. Recognize or describe the signs for different types of weather.
7. Lay, light and safely put out a fire in the outdoors.
8. Show how to use a road or topographical map.
9. Tell or demonstrate how to dress for different weather conditions to reduce the risk of hypothermia and reduce your exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
10. Know and explain some rules for protecting nature while on an outing.

B Requirements

1. Take part in three pack hikes.
2. Help prepare and cook a hot meal on a family, six or pack outing.
3. Tell or show how the sun, moon and North Star can help you find directions.
4. Make or follow a trail of not more than 300 meters using clues, trail signs, a map, compass directions or any combination of these.
5. Draw a simple sketch map of a campsite or your Cub meeting place using compass and paces.
6. Without harming nature, put up and take down an emergency shelter of your own design.

Camping Badge

To earn the Camping Badge, complete the following requirements

1. Do one (1) of the following:
   1. Complete 4 days of family camping (they don't need to be all together)
   2. Take part in two Cub camps
2. Make a list of some safety and hygiene rules for camping and discuss these with your leader.
3. Make a list of personal camping gear needed for sleeping, eating, clothing and first aid at an overnight camp. Discuss this list with your leader.
4. Describe what to do if lost.
5. In any season, do any five (5) of the following:
   1. Put up and take down a simple shelter or tent
   2. Cook a simple meal over an open fire or portable stove
   3. Show how to use a compass
   4. Help in doing two different camp chores or duties
   5. Show how to properly dispose of camp garbage or waste while camping
   6. Show how to purify drinking water at camp
   7. Using appropriate knots , erect a pole or line on which hang your gear
   8. Show how to keep food safe from insects and animals
   9. Show how to safely handle a pocket knife or camp saw
6. Be aware of and explain no-trace camping.

Cooking Badge

To earn the Cooking Badge, with the help of an adult, describe some safety rules for cooking on a stove, microwave, or around an open fire. Then, do any five of the following:

1. Make some hot oatmeal.
2. Cook a hotdog or hamburger.
3. Use a tinfoil cup or orange half and bake, a muffin in it.
4. Wrap a potato in tinfoil and bake it in a fire.
5. Boil water and cook some pasta of your choice.
6. Make pancakes or French toast.
7. Make biscuit or bannock dough and cook it on a stick or in a cup.
8. Cook a baked apple, banana, or a tinfoil dessert of your choice.
9. Make a campfire treat, such as SMOR's or popcorn.
10. Cook a meal of your choice while at camp .
11. Make a shish-ka-bob of meat and vegetables and cook over a fire.
12. Cook an egg.

Fishing Badge

To earn the Fishing Badge, complete the following requirements:

1. Describe some safety rules for being in or around water; and know how to prevent and treat injuries caused by fish hooks and fish knives.
2. Show how to put together and toe an angling outfit, a handline outfit, or an ice fishing outfit.
3. Name and identify some major sport fish in your area.
4. Describe the most suitable way to catch one sport fish of your choice.
5. Discuss the rules and regulations for fishing in your area, how to unhook and release a fish with-out harming it, and the benefits of using barbless hooks.
6. Do one of:
   1. Without help (except for the actual landing), catch three separate species of local fish. Name them correctly and describe what family they belong to and their place in fishing (game fish, minnow, coarse, etc.)
   2. Discuss water pollution in your area - how it can affect fishing and what can be done to reduce or eliminate pollution

Hiking Badge

To earn the Hiking Badge, complete the following requirements:

1. Know how to take care of your feet for everyday walking, through washing, toenail clipping, wearing clean, dry socks and having proper fitting shoes.
2. Know how to treat a blister on the foot, insect bites, hypothermia, overheating and discuss the importance of getting adequate rest while hiking.
3. Discuss some safety rules for hiking, such as:
   1. staying with the group and using a buddy system
   2. keeping to designated trails
   3. keeping the group together
   4. having enough drinking water and food
   5. carrying a first aid kit, whistle and spare clothes
4. Describe what to do if lost.
5. Know some rules for protecting nature when hiking.
6. Go on four hikes of one to two hours long, some of which could be in a conservation area or park, around your camp, around your community, or at night.
7. Prepare a nutritional trail mix to eat and share.

Trailcraft Badge

To earn the Trailcraft Badge, complete the following requirements:

1. In preparing for a trip, know how to do the following:
   1. Tell an adult where you are going and include arrival time, route and any phone numbers
   2. Wear clothes and shoes suitable for where you will be and the weather
   3. Make a "footprint" by placing a sheet of tinfoil on a towel and then stepping on it with your shoes on. Mark the foil with your name and leave with an adult so searchers can identify your footprint if needed
   4. Understand and use the buddy system when on trips
   5. List some rules for preventing getting lost, such as staying on trails and with your group
2. Discuss and demonstrate how to do the following if lost:
   1. Stay calm and slow down to save energy and body heat
   2. Keep your head and body warm and dry to avoid hypothermia
   3. Find a friendly place near a clearing and stay put to help searchers find you
   4. Make a survival shelter or bed to keep off the cold ground and stay dry
   5. Avoid eating strange berries and drinking unpurified water
   6. Put out something bright for people to see
   7. Make a pattern of three signals
   8. Look big to airplanes by lying down in a clearing and wearing bright clothing or a coloured garbage bag
   9. How to be careful around bodies of water
   10. Yell back at any scary night noises
3. Make a survival/first aid kit that includes among the items a high energy snack, several brightly coloured garbage bags, reflector or hand mirror and a whistle.

Watercraft Badge

To earn the Watercraft Badge, complete the following requirements:

1. Describe six different types of watercraft.
2. Correctly name and point out six different parts of a watercraft.
3. Explain and show the correct way to choose and wear a lifejacket or Personal Flotation Device.
4. Demonstrate how to safely enter, change places in and exit a boat, showing how to move calmly and keep your weight low and centered. Know how to behave in a boat.
5. Describe the signs of dangerous weather and water conditions for boating, and what to do when you see them.
6. Demonstrate the following:
   1. Identify three examples of good throwing assists.
   2. Be able to throw a throwing assist (without a line) to a person at least two meters away.
7. Demonstrate the following:
   1. While wearing your PFD, curl up in a ball to form the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) to stay warm in the water.
   2. With a small group who are all wearing PFDs, huddle together to make the HUDDLE position to keep you and others warm in the water.
8. Know the importance of staying with your boat if you fall out or tip over.
9. With a buddy or adult, launch a boat and row, paddle or sail in a straight line for 50 meters; turn and come back.

Winter Cubbing Badge

To earn the Winter Cubbing Badge, complete the following requirements:

1. Describe how to prevent and treat:
   1. Frost-bite
   2. Skin on cold metal
   3. Snow blindness
   4. Breaking through ice
   5. Hypothermia
2. Show that you are properly dressed for a winter outing or describe how to dress for winter weather. Know the importance of staying dry.
3. Recognize and identify in winter conditions three common birds and three common trees or shrubs.
4. Point out the North Star and three night sky features, such as stars, constellations, and planets.
5. Take part in two of the following:
   1. a winter camp
   2. a winter hike
   3. two winter outdoor meetings
   4. lighting a fire and cooking a simple meal under winter conditions
   5. a hike on snowshoes or skis
   6. an ice fishing trip

Canadian Camper Award

To earn the Canadian Camper Award, complete the following requirements:

1. Earn the Green Star .
2. Earn the First Aider Badge .
3. Earn the Camping Badge .
4. Participate in at least three Cub camps.
5. With a buddy and help from your leader, choose a campsite and complete the following:
   1. Set up a shelter of your own design or a tent. Weather permitting, spend a whole night sleeping in your shelter
   2. Where permitted, build a fire and boil a cup of water
   3. Scout the area and discover what you can about the terrain, kinds of plants and habits of local wildlife
   4. Locate the direction of North and predict possible changes in weather
6. Help show other Cubs how to do a camping skill of your choice.
7. Where possible, visit a Scout troop camp and learn about their camping program.

Canadian Heritage Trails Award

To earn the Canadian Heritage Trails Award, complete the following requirements:

1. Earn the Green Star .
2. Earn the Hiking or Watercraft Badge.
3. Locate a trail or waterway and learn about its heritage importance.
4. Travel on this route, and list some of the significant natural or heritage features along the way.
5. While traveling on this route, participate in a project that helps restore, clean or preserve the section you are on.