Earth is Our Home (Brownie Try-it)

Please add ways to customize the Earth is Our Home Try-it activities here, and include useful resources below.

As with all Brownie Try-its, scouts need to complete 4 activities to earn the badge.

The earth is your home. Living things like people, plants, and animals make their home on our planet. How can you make your home a better place?

Clean and Green
Some of the chemical in household products can harm people, animals and plants. They pollute the air, water and soil when they are sprayed, go down the drain or are thrown away. How can you keep your home clean without harming the environment? Make natural cleaning products! Here are some you can try.

Glass Cleaner


 * 1/2 cup white vinegar
 * 1 quart (4 cups) water
 * Spray bottle

Mix the vinegar and water in the spray bottle. Spray glass with the mixture and then wipe off with a rag or newspaper.

 Bathroom Cleanser 


 * Baking soda
 * Water

Sprinkle baking soda on the sink, bathtub or in the toilet bowl. Use a wet rag or brush to scour away dirt and stains.

Warning: Don't use this cleanser on things that scratch easily.

 Furniture Polish 


 * 1 ounce of lemon juice
 * 2 ounces of cooking oil
 * Plastic bottle

Mix the lemon juice and the oil in a plastic bottle. Pour a little bit on the furniture and polish with a clean soft cloth.

Project Recycle
Start a recycling center in your home or Girl Scout meeting place. You will need:


 * 4 big boxes, baskets or containers. 1 will be for aluminum/metal, 1 for paper, 1 for plastic, and 1 for glass.
 * A sign for each container. Attach the signs to your containers.

Check with an adult to get a list of items that are recycled in your area. Here is a checklist to help you get started:

 METAL 


 * Soda cans
 * Aluminum foil
 * Pie plates
 * Pet food cans
 * Soup, fruit, vegetable, bean, tuna, chicken, etc cans

 PLASTIC 


 * Milk and juice containers
 * Butter, margarine, sour cream, yogurt, etc containers
 * Water bottles
 * Vitamin bottles
 * Condiment bottles
 * Produce containers
 * Frozen food trays

 PAPER 


 * Newspaper
 * Junk mail
 * Magazines
 * Grocery/delivery paper bags
 * Old school papers/notebooks

 GLASS 


 * Tomato/pasta sauce jars
 * Jelly or jam jars
 * Juice bottles
 * Condiment jars
 * Pickle, olive, etc jars

Can you find other items to add to these lists? Remember to clean and rinse out each container before placing it in the correct box or basket. Take the caps or rings off the cans, bottle and jars. You can leave the paper labels on the recyclable items.

Stop a Draft
Help seal up your house or meeting place. Keep cold air out and warm air inside by making draft stoppers. Draft stoppers help to close up the spaces and cracks under doors and long windowsills so energy is saved. You will need:


 * A few large pieces of cloth (like old t-shirts), or old towels
 * Yarn or twine
 * Buttons, ribbons, lace, bells, etc.


 * 1) Twist the cloth or towel in a tube like shape. Tie it with the yarn or twine.
 * 2) You can make your draft stopper look like an animal. Use buttons for the eyes or even for a nose, or just decorate it.
 * 3) Place your draft stopper against a crack in the bottom of the door or against a windowsill. You have become an energy saver.

Cooking With the Sun
You can use the sun's energy to cook your food in the outdoors. By doing this, you are saving wood or fuel. In some places in the United States, there is very little dead wood left on the forest floor.

Try making the solar bowl cooker below so you can toast some marshmallows the next time you go on a camping trip. You will need:


 * A large mixing bowl
 * A roll of aluminum foil
 * Marshmallows
 * Long, pointed stick or long fork


 * 1) Line the inside of the bowl with aluminum foil. The foil should cover the inside of the bowl with the shiny side facing up.
 * 2) Put your solar cooker in a bright, sunny place outside.
 * 3) Now you must look for the hottest spot in your cooker. Place your hand over the bowl until you feel heat. This is where you should cook your marshmallows.
 * 4) Put a marshmallow at the end of your long, pointed stick or fork. Happy roasting.

Recipe For a Miniworld
A terrarium is a small enclosed world made of living things, soil, water and air. Its covering lets in light.

The earth we live on is like a huge terrarium. Plants and animals need soil, water, air, and light in order to survive in both a terrarium and on earth. If any of these things are missing or are damaged by pollution. the plants and animals will suffer.

Make your own terrarium. You will need:


 * A clear wide mouthed jar
 * A few handfuls of rocks or sand
 * A few handfuls of soil
 * A handful of dead leaves
 * Some moss
 * Small ferns or plants


 * 1) Cover the bottom of the jar with the sand or rocks. Then evenly cover the sand/rocks with the same amount of soil. Next place the dead leaves on top of the soil.
 * 2) Using a pencil, stick or chopstick, make holes int he soil mixture. Place your plants in the holes and use the moss to fill in around the plan
 * 3) Water your miniworld with a squeeze or spray bottle, or sprinkle water with your hands. Don't put too much water. The covering should be damp but not soaked.
 * 4) Place the lid on your jar. Keep the lid closed. Your miniworld should now have everything it needs. Place the jar in a location that is well lit, but not in direct sunlight.

Each day, watch for changes in your terrarium.

Earth's Caretakers
Adopt a special outdoor place in your are for a few months. Pick a place where there are always people around. Make sure you have permission to work in the are you have chose. Remember to wear work gloves and have the right tools for the job. Hare are some ideas:

 HELP THE TREES ON YOUR BLOCK 

Loosen the soil in each tree pit (the space where the tree is planted). This will allow more water an air to get to the roots. Do this a few times during the Spring, Summer and Fall.

 PLANT FLOWERS 

The Spring is a great time to grow flowers in your neighborhood for everyone to enjoy. Plant them around street trees, at a school, or at a nursing home. Go back to water them and pull out any weeds every week or two.