Girl Scout Vernal Pond Patch Program

(Program may be adapted for Boy Scouts)

Starred (*) activities are required

I.       Brownie Patch  Program        Do at least 4 activities including the two starred

*1. Find out what a Vernal Pond is.

            *2. What animals live in a Vernal Pond.

                  What are they called and what do they look like.  Make a poster to show others.

 3.   Go to a  Vernal Pond.  What do you see, smell, hear, and feel?

      Make a list, do a drawing, or use some other way to show how you used all your senses at the pond area.

 4.   Do the “Food Chain” activity from the Eco-Explorer Try-It (page 104 of the Try-It book).   Use the types of animals that are found at a Vernal Pond.

 5.   Do the “Helping Wildlife” activity from the Eco-Explorer Try-It. 

      Make posters to bring attention  to Vernal Ponds, to share with others in your troop,    
      school, or to be shown at the library or other public place.

 6.   Find out what kind of careers are involved with Vernal Ponds

 7.  Have a Show and Tell with pictures of animals from Vernal Ponds

 8.   Do the “Water Explorer” activity from the Water Everywhere Try-It (page 142 - 143 in the Try-It book)*

 9.   Do the “Outdoor Shopping” activity on page 141 in the Watching Wildlife Try-It.  Do your list for  animals that live in or around a Vernal Pond.

II.    Junior Patch Program    Do at least 6 activities including the one starred

            *1.  Find out what a Vernal Pond is and why they are so valuable.

 2.   Visit the www.capeannvernalpond.org website and view the Vernal Ponds video tape (your troop can borrow it from Mrs. Parsons)

 3.  Find out where there is a Vernal Pond near your neighborhood. Visit the pond.

 4.  Find out what it takes to Certify a Vernal Pond.  Why is it important to certify these ponds?

5.  Investigate careers that are involved with Vernal Ponds.  Find out what talents, education, 
     or interests you need to do these careers.  Make a presentation to your troop, group or  
     class.

 6.  Learn about how the land around Vernal Ponds is used by the animals. 

      Go to a Vernal Pond and clean up the area around it. Be careful not to  interrupt areas  
      that animals are using.  Bring trash bags and take all trash with you.

 7.  Do the “Traveling Through Time” activity from the Earth Connections badge  (page 95 in
      the Badge book).  Make one of the areas a Vernal Pond. 

      Learn about the evolution of a Vernal Pond. 

      Find a way to show others and to teach how to protect the areas where Vernal Ponds are.

 8.    Do a Vernal Pond Food Web

 9.    Make a poster about Vernal Ponds.  Hang it in an public area to help create awareness.

III.  Cadette/ Senior Patch Program   Do at least 5 activities including the two starred

*1. What is a Vernal Pond?  Use the Internet, library, and resources available from  the Cape
       Ann Vernal Pond Team.

   Contact www.capeannvernalpond.org and make arrangements to meet with an  Outreach
   Educator.

   Use the information you collect for the rest of your patch activity requirements.

 2.    Find out why Vernal Ponds are so valuable and are a threatened resource.  What effect do humans have on these areas?

 3.    Make a study of a Vernal Pond.  Use photography, videography , and audio recordings to document the area.

     Use your recordings to make a presentation to display in a public place, to build awareness.

 4.   Using a field guide, find the animal migration distances used at the Vernal Pond. 

      Make signs and display them around the pond, to show how far the animals will travel to and from the pond during the year. 

 5.    Find out if Vernal Ponds are automatically protected in Massachusetts.

      Find out what it takes to document your Vernal Pond for certification by the 

      MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

 6. Using a certification sheet, go through the steps for certification. 

      If your pond is not certified, help to get it certified.

 7.  Learn how to use a GPS ( Global Positioning System) and map out your pond

 8.  Find out what careers are associated with Vernal Ponds?  Learn what talents,  education
      and working conditions are involved

*9. Using all the information you have learned, find a way to present it to a group of children.

Design a game, a puppet show, play, or other type of interactive display, and present it to at least one group of children.