Conservation for Cubs

As a Pack Scouter you will need to assist the Cubs with ideas of what natural resources there are to conserve. Some Cubs will know exactly what to do, but others will require some assistance to get started. You can incorporate these ideas into your programmes.

The Cubs do this in abundance at school, so make this a fun and exciting activity for them.

What is Conservation?

At Silver Wolf level, Cubs should be able to explain what conservation means.

Conservation sounds like such a big word, doesn't it. Do you know what it means? It means saving our beautiful surrounds - mountains, rivers, beaches, plants, flowers, trees - from being destroyed by carelessness or untidiness

Throughout history, people have been damaging the earth. Today, it is being destroyed even faster. As Cubs, we are teaching ourselves and others how to prevent disaster by conserving the world's natural resources - the soil, water, air, plants and the nature around us.

Think about how you affect your environment:

• Where does your food come from?
• What happens to your rubbish?
• What animals and plants live around you?

Anything you do to your environment will have an effect on you, as well as on any other living thing sharing the environment with you.

Sometimes the environment gets into a mess because it is not looked after properly. Sometimes it gets into a mess because people have been careless or thoughtless.

Water wise

Saving water is very important.

• Always remember to turn off the tap tightly when you have finished.
• Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth.
• Take short showers instead of long baths.
• Don't pollute the water.
• Don't waste water.
• When doing washing, use the dirty water to water plants instead of it running in the drain.
• Scrape leftovers off the dishes instead of rinsing them.
• Wash the dishes soon after meals.

Energy wise

When you turn on the light, watch TV, buy something at the shop, or travel from place to place, you are using energy. Do you use this energy carefully? Careful users of energy have a smaller impact on the environment. Learn about how you use energy in your daily life, and how you can become a careful user of energy resources.

• Turn off lights, heaters, TVs, computers, and other electrical appliances when you aren't using them.
• Replace regular light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs.
• Don't leave the refrigerator door open. Cold air escapes and this wastes a lot of electricity.
• Use solar heating for your geyser instead of electrical if possible.
• Avoid using heaters by dressing warmly and keeping doors and windows closed to keep the heat in.
• If you use heaters, only heat only the rooms that need it, and keep the doors closed.

(See also Saving Energy in the Home)

Saving the soil

Saving soil is important! Trees and plants need good soil to grow.

Polluting the air

• Choose locally grown food. Transporting food long distances wastes fuel and creates extra CO₂.
• When getting around town, walk, ride a bike or take public transportation instead of driving. Cutting down on one car trip will conserve fossil fuels.

From the Pack Scouter's Working Kit and The Cub Trail