Animal Habitats (Junior badge)

The Animal Habitats badge is part of the “It's Your Story - Tell It!” badge set introduced in 2011. It replaces the retired Wildlife badge.

When a Girl Scout Junior has earned this badge, she will know more about wild animals and how to protect their homes.

Activity #1: Find out about wild animals
Wild animals may seem very different from your pets at home, but at one time, all animals were wild!

CHOICES – DO ONE: OR
 *  Observe a pet or tame animal for at least 15 minutes. Write at least three things about how it behaves. Then watch a show about an animal related to the one you observed.  (If you watched a dog, you might watch a show about wolves.)  Which behaviors do the wild and tame animal share?  Which are different?
 * List wild animals near your home meeting place, or school. Survey the area with an adult and your Junior friends.  Then pick three animals you saw and learn more about each one. Why do they live here?  Do they interact with humans?

Activity #2: Investigate an animal habitat
'''One habitat can contain lots of different animals – you might think of it as a city in the wild kingdom. Team up with an adult to visit one.'''

CHOICES – DO ONE:

'''Visit a zoo or animal sanctuary. '''When there, choose a particular habitat, like a beach, jungle, or desert. With help from the staff answer these questions for each of five animals that live in that habitat. OR
 * In what country is the animal naturally found?
 * How does its fur or skin help the animal live in this habitat?
 * How does it stay clean?
 * How does it get around in this habitat?
 * What kind of food can it find in this habitat?

'''Explore an animal habitat near where you live. '''It could be part of a park, forest, beach, or desert. Figure out what the animals you see have in common. First, make a list of each one’s features. Circle the things the animals share, then, trade ideas about why they have each feature with your friends. Some features you might list: type of fur or skin, paw, tail, coloring, kinds of legs, mouth, and ears.

Activity #3: Create an animal house
'''You’ve watched how animals use their habitats and thought about why they live in that area – now take a look at the houses they build in their habitats. Each habitat has unique challenges for animal builders!'''

CHOICES – DO ONE:

'''Check out baby-animal habitats. '''Find out how different animal parents care for their babies and make “homes” for them. You could read about how Emperor penguins hold a chick under a special flap in chilly Antarctic temperatures or how an orangutan mother builds new nests for her and her baby every day. Draw or paint a picture of your favorite animal pair.

OR

'''Make your own animal house. '''Meerkats live in large underground burrows with several entrances. Beavers make dome-shaped homes called lodges with branches and mud – and they usually have an underwater entrance. Research these animal homes and try sketching your own meerkat burrow or building your own beaver lodge from sticks and mud. Share your “home” with others and explain how and why it works.

Activity #4: Explore endangered habitats
'''When the animals no longer have their habitat, they have to adapt to a new place to live. Some animals can’t change, and end up becoming endangered. Answer these questions about one of the endangered animal habitats below.''' CHOICES – DO ONE:
 * Why is it in danger?
 * What is happening to the animals?
 * What are people doing to help the habitat?
 * Are the animals able to adapt?

'''The Arctic Circle. '''

OR

The Gulf of Mexico

OR

The Amazon rain forest  

Activity #5: Help protect animal habitats
You can take steps to help protect animals’ homes and prevent them from becoming endangered.

CHOICES – DO ONE:

''' Wildlife awareness party. '''Choose an endangered animal. Dress up like the animal or draw a picture of your animal and tell your story: where you live, why your home is endangered, and how others can help. If there’s an organization that protects your habitat, share its name and mission.

OR

'''Re-create an oil spill. ''' Oil spills have affected both the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic Circle. Find out how hard they can be to clean up by creating your own. Fill a pan or bowl with water and add cooking oil. Try different ways of cleaning up the oil: gathering it into one place using string, skimming it off with a spoon, or soaking it up with paper towels or cotton balls. What else could you use? What works best? How do scientists try to clean up real oil spills?