Tree Hugging
Split the group into pairs.
• One person is blindfolded while the other acts as the guide.
• The guide spins the blindfolded person around to disorientate them
and then leads them carefully to a tree.
• The blindfolded Scout explores the tree with his hands. Encourage
them to ask these sorts of questions: how wide is the tree, are
there branches, can you feel the roots, what is near the tree?
• After feeling the tree, the blindfolded Scout is led back to the
beginning, the blindfold is taken off and they must try and find their
tree. The pair then swap roles.
DO ECO ADVENTURE AT HOME
What is Nature Explorers?
• A forest based activity all about nature.
Sounds of the Forest
• There are several games and activities that explore nature in a variety of
different ways.
Ask the group to find a comfortable seat and hand out a piece of paper
and a pencil to each person.
Explain that we will sit for a couple of minutes in complete silence and
listen to the sounds that we can hear all around us. We are going to
make a sound map on our paper.
Draw yourself in the middle of the paper. When you hear a sound
draw on the paper what the sound was (for example, the wind, running
water, a bird) and the direction from which the sound came (relative to
your position). You can draw the thing that actually made the sound or
if that is a bit difficult you can just write the name. Or you can even
describe the sound.
After a couple of minutes discuss what everyone heard. For example,
did they hear natural or man made sounds or both? If they heard bird
song, how many different types did they hear? Were they surprised at
how many sounds they heard?
• We hope it will make your Scouts more aware of their natural
surroundings and interested in learning more about nature.
This leaflet provides all of the information needed to run
your own Nature Explorers at home with your Scout
group.
Where can you run Nature Explorers?
You are looking for a place with lots of trees, insects, plants, birds and no
humans!
A local woodland, forest or park will be perfect.
The Animal Name Game
What do I need to run Nature Explorers?
Give each Scout a piece of paper and a pen and ask them to think of
the animal that they feel they are most like.
They should draw a picture of the animal and write down three reasons
they are like this animal and pass the paper back to you.
You then read out the pieces of paper and the Scouts have to guess
who was which animal. Do this for yourself too and see if they figure
out who you are!?
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Glass Jars
Magnifying Glasses
Blindfolds
Pens
Paper
nature
explorers
Blindfold Walk
Creepy Crawlies
An excellent way to start Nature Explorers is to do a blindfold walk.
Choose a starting location out of the forest but not too far away.
Blindfold each member of the group and walk slowly to the forest.
During the walk encourage the Scouts to use their senses. What
sounds can they hear? What are they walking on? Once you are in
the forest take the blindfolds off. Their last image will be of where they
started and their new forest surroundings will be a big surprise.
Insects are the little creatures that run the world.
Insects are the principle pollinators of plants, and we would not have
many of the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy if it were not for
insects. Insects are food for many types of animals: birds, fish, small
mammals (mice, shrews, bats and others), reptiles and amphibians,
and spiders. Insects are also the original recyclers, and they keep our
planet clean by recycling natural wastes like leaves, tree stumps and
logs, animal carcasses, and manure. Our planet would be a very
different kind of place if it were not for all the activities of insects. The
bodies of insects are suited to their life styles. The legs, wings, and
mouthparts of insects come in many shapes and styles. There are legs
specially suited for running, jumping, crawling, digging or swimming.
There are wings for flying, or for protection. There are mouthparts for
chewing solids or for sucking liquids (plant juices or blood). There are
many kinds (species) of insects. In fact, there are over 1.5 million
different insects known to mankind. There are more species of insects
in the world than all other animal groups combined!
Nine out of every ten animals (90%) are insects.
Ice Breaker: What Do I Think Of Nature?
You can begin with a quick game to introduce everyone and get them
thinking about nature.
Get the Scouts to collect Stones, Leaves and Cones. (They may not
take leaves off trees, only from the ground) put them all in a pile and
ask the Scouts to choose some, they can take as many as they like.
Once they have all chosen their objects explain that for each object
they have to tell the group something.
Leaves = something about yourself
Fir cones = something you like about nature
Stones =something you don’t like about nature
Start with yourself and then go round the group. After everyone has
been you can have a quick discussion if anything in particular cropped
up (for example, someone might have been very negative about
nature).
Get the Scouts to return the objects to where they found them!
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Split the group into smaller groups and give each group a
collecting tub, recording sheet, pen and magnifying glass.
Start by holding a white sheet up underneath a tree. Shake the
tree and see what falls onto the sheet.
Explain that you want them to find as many different insects as
possible, describe them and see if they can identify them.
Before they start they should think about where they might find
insects. When they find an insect they can pick it up and place it
gently into the collecting tub, in order to look at it properly.
After they have looked at it and recorded it they must put it back
where they found it. Explain that they must be very gentle with the
insects they find.
Any really interesting insects can be shown to the whole group.
During the activity you can discuss insects with the groups. What do
they think of insects? Are they surprised at how many they have
found? Why do they think the insects live where they do? etc.
Discuss the variety of insects, get excited about rare ones!