Scout BSA Program at RWPZ!

Come explore the zoo and earn badge requirements towards the Conservation Award with a zoo educator. Through the Scouting America Conservation Award Program, the scout will complete most of the necessary requirements for the Fish and Wildlife Badge, Mammal Study Badge, and Bird Study Badge signed off on by our Zoo Badge Counselor. Each badge will be completed on Zoo grounds with one of our Zoo educators! Badge requirements not met will be listed below and started at the zoo.

Badge Programs:

Fish and Wildlife Badge: 

• Availability:
  • Saturday, February 28th: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Saturday, April 18th: 1 PM - 3 PM 
• Member Pricing: $36/per person (badge not included in cost)
• Non-member Pricing: $40/per person (badge not included in cost)
• Continuing badge requirement that will not be completed during the badge course:
  • Badge Requirement # 5: Do one of the following:
  • Construct, erect, and check regularly at least two artificial nest boxes (wood duck, bluebird, squirrel, etc.) and keep written records for one nesting season.
  • Construct, erect, and check regularly bird feeds and keep written records daily over a two -week period of the kinds of birds visiting the feeders.
  • Develop and implement a fishery improvement project of a backyard wildlife habitat improvement project. Share the results with your counselor.
  • Design and construct a wildlife blind near a game trail, water hole, salt lick, bird feeder, or birdbath and take good photographs or make sketches from the blind of any combination of 10 wild birds, mammals, reptiles, or amphibians.

Bird Study: 

• Availability:
  • Sunday, March 22nd: 1 PM - 3 PM  
  • Sunday, April 12th: 1 PM - 3 PM 
• Member Pricing: $36/per person (badge not included in cost)
• Non-member Pricing: $40/per person (badge not included in cost) 
• Continuing badge requirement that may not be completed during the badge course:
  • Badge Requirement #5: Observe and be able to identify 20 species of wild birds. Prepare a field notebook, make a separate entry for each species, and record the following information from your field observations and other references:
  • Not the date and time
  • Note the location and habitat
  • Describe the bird’s main feeding habitat and list two types of food that the bird is likely to eat.
  • Note whether the bird is a migrant or a summer, winter, or year-round resident of your area.

Mammal Study:  

• Availability:
  • Sunday, May 17th: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Sunday, June 21st: 1 PM - 3 PM 
• Member Pricing: $36/per person (badge not included in cost)
• Non-member Pricing: $40/per person (badge not included in cost)
• Continuing badge requirement that will not be completed at the zoo:
  • Badge requirement #5: Working with your counselor, select and carry out one project that will influence the numbers of one or more mammals. 

FAQ:

• Can I accompany my scout? This is a drop off program, if you wish to accompany your scout, please contact first for accommodations.
• Will there be behind the scenes components? Will my scout meet an animal? We may be able to go behind the scenes and meet an animal depending on the badge, but it is not guaranteed. All animal interactions and behind the scenes components are animal and keeper dependent.
• Who is signing off as a badge counselor? We have a trained badge counselor associated with the Narragansett Council that can assist us in signing of Merit Badges.
• Will my scout complete the full badge through this program? Each badge has a requirement may have a component that includes a project with a longer timeline. These longer projects will be started and planned within the course and then completed at home. Once the scout has completed that longer project, they can send back their information to the zoo to show the full badge completion.
• Can we tour the zoo before and after? If you would like to tour the zoo, you will need to come through the main entrance. Anyone coming through admissions, if they do not have membership, will need to pay zoo admission to come into the zoo. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult to walk the zoo.