The Scouter Digest Staff

As the Distinguished Conservation Service Award (DCSA) program gains traction in the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) and as youth become interested in pursuing Boy Scouts of America’s most prestigious conservation award, we thought the following examples from NCAC would help youth, their DCSA Advisors, their Conservation Advisors, and their unit leaders better understand the DCSA program and requirements.

DCSA project categories

• Energy conservation
• Soil and water conservation
• Fish and wildlife management
• Forestry and range management
• Air and water pollution control
• Resource recovery (recycling)
• Hazardous material disposal and management
• Invasive species control
• Pollinator Habitat Conservation

To date, NCAC youth have not identified a conservation issue or need in all nine of these categories, so we do not have NCAC examples in every category. As the DCSA program becomes more popular in our council, we hope to have examples in all nine categories. Some blogs below refer to the Hornaday Award, which predates the current DCSA program.

Soil & Water Conservation
Scout Restores Ravine in Potomac Overlook Park 

Forestry and Range Management
DCSA Forest Restoration for Tomorrow

Fish & Wildlife Conservation
Distinguished Conservation Service Award Projects 

Resource Recovery (recycling)
Match Point for Sustainability 
Reel-In and Recycle!

Invasive Species Control
Hornaday Project Earns Eagle Scout the County’s Most Prestigious Environmental Award 
Hornaday/Eagle Project: Stopping the Invasive Plant Invasion 
Hornaday Badge Project “Evicting the Invaders”
Boo Berry Yay Fern: A project to save our native plants 

Pollinator Habitat Conservation
Life Scout Builds Half-Acre Monarch Pollinator Habitat in Poolesville, MD 
Poolesville Scout Awarded a National Conservation Medal 

Some helpful reminders:

• Identify a DCSA Advisor
• The young person must follow the scientific approach by beginning with the identification of a conservation issue or need in the local area. Do not start with a project idea, start with a problem or need.
• The young person will compile or collect data and/or observations to better understand the conservation issue or need
• The young person will research the issue to identify ‘alternatives’, one of which will become the project
• Projects must be based on sound scientific principles and practices
• Projects must contribute to sound conservation and environmental improvement
• The young person will provide comprehensive observations showing the effect of the project on the identified conservation issue.
• The young person will demonstrate clearly outstanding efforts in planning, leadership, execution of plans, and involvement of others beyond the BSA unit
• The young person must provide opportunities to help others learn about natural resource conservation and environmental improvement
• In most cases, implementation of a traditional service project will not meet the requirements for the DCSA program
• The BSA training for a DCSA adviser is a great resource for interested youth, leaders and parents to get a better idea of the size, scope and time required for a single DCSA project

DCSA resources:
BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Program 
BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Project Workbook
Executive Summary Template
Complete list of award requirements

Every Scout learns and practices serving others as a core part of the ethos of Scouting BSA. The Cub Scouts and adult leaders of Pack 197 of Aquia District lived this spirit of community service in two events last November. They serve as a great example for the rest of us!

Four Cub Scouts and two adult leaders from Pack 197, sponsored by Ferry Farms Baptist Church, honored our Nation’s Veterans by performing a flag ceremony during an annual Veterans Day breakfast celebration at Ferry Farm Elementary School on November 9, 2023. This was a great example of what Scouts mean when the say in the BSA Scout’s Promise: “On my Honor, I will Do My Best, to do my Duty to God & my Country…”

After the flags were clipped to the halyards (the ropes used to hoist flags), Eli, a Wolf Scout, presented the American flag, while Bear Scout, John, presented the Virginia state flag to those assembled around the flagpoles. Bear Scout Gabriel then hoisted the American and Virginia flags up the flagpole while LeRoy led the Scouts and assembled Veterans in the Pledge of Allegiance. Joining their Scouts were Mr. John Ridout – Bear Den Leader – and Mr. Adrian West – Pack Treasurer and a U.S. Army Veteran who served in Afghanistan.

The Cub Scouts and their leaders were proud and humbled to participate in a ceremony honoring our Veterans for their service to our Nation.

The next mid-November event demonstrated that Scouting is for the whole Family!

Ferry Farm Baptist Church, the chartering organization of Pack 197, participates in a program called “Operations Christmas Child” that gathers and sends boxes of supplies to children in need in foreign countries. The Church leaders asked the Pack to participate.

Pack 197 Scouts, Scouting families and adult leaders eagerly gathered donations to buy and fill 11 shoebox size containers with toys, school supplies, hygiene supplies, and clothing as a part of Operation Christmas Child. What they did made a difference for children they’ll never meet – this is the Scout Spirit of selfless service in action!

Time for your family to join in the fun and spirit of Scouting? To join BSA, please go to www.beascout.org to find a BSA Scout unit near you – Cub Scouting serves families with children in Kindergarten through 5th Grade; Scouts BSA serves families with children ages 11-18. There are BSA programs for families with older Youths, ages 14 – 20, including Venturing, Exploring or Sea Scouting.

The mission of the BSA is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Aquia District includes Stafford County and Marine Corps Base Quantico. For more information on Scouting in Stafford/Fredericksburg area, including how to donate, join or volunteer, contact Kristy Freeman, Aquia District Executive, at Kristy.Freeman@Scouting.org or (540)287-3866