Meeting plan

Lion / Champions for Nature Lion

Champions for Nature Lion Den Meeting Plan

Scouts explore natural resources, recycling, and conservation through a native pollinator planting service project. The planting directions and supplies were not verified, so leaders must confirm the activity with the site and a local gardening expert before proceeding.

Supported requirements

1, 2, 3, 4

Adventure: Champions for Nature Lion
Rank: Lion (kindergarten)
Status: Elective
Selected activities: Natural and human-made item sort; five-category waste sort; recycling conversation with a local expert; pollinator planting service project
Suggested meeting duration: 60 minutes, with planting completed at a permitted site during or immediately after the meeting
Estimated leader preparation: 45-90 minutes, plus any plant sourcing, for confirming a native plant and approved site, arranging a recycling guest or verified local information, collecting safe sample items, and coordinating adult partners; allow 10-15 minutes for cleanup. Assumes up to six Scouts with adult partners. Reassess effort if plants or soil require a separate shopping trip or if the service site is off-site.

About this adventure

Scouts distinguish natural resources from human-made items, recognize organic, paper, plastic, metal, and glass waste, explore recycling, and participate in conservation service. The chosen service activity is planting a locally appropriate native pollinator plant at a site where planting is permitted. The detailed directions and supplies for the selected activity were not verified in these notes; the local planting plan below is an adaptation and must be checked with the site and an appropriate local gardening expert. See the adventure page for approved plans and handouts..

Safety and respect

• Use only clean, safe demonstration materials. Do not handle sharp, contaminated, or broken waste; use pictures or clean packaging instead. Glass is identified with a picture or adult-held clean item only.
• Confirm local recycling rules before discussing what can be recycled. Acceptance differs by community.
• Get permission before planting. Confirm the plant is native and suitable for the site with a local gardening expert; do not collect plants from the wild.
• Use child-safe garden tools with direct adult supervision. Check allergies and sensitivities privately; offer a no-touch role such as choosing a spot or watering.
• Keep Scouts away from roads, waterways, and unknown plants. Review the SAFE Checklist and Guide to Safe Scouting.

Meeting preparation

Overall preparation effort: High because the service activity depends on native-plant verification, site permission, sourcing, adult supervision, and aftercare. The sorting and recycling stations are Low to Medium depending on whether safe examples and a knowledgeable guest are already available. Combined workload is not an average of the parts.

• Confirm a permitted planting area and identify one appropriate native pollinator plant with a local gardening expert or site manager. Do not proceed with planting until both are confirmed.
• Invite a recycling coordinator or prepare verified local recycling information. If no guest is available, use current local guidance and state its source.
• Prepare five labeled waste groups and use clean picture cards or washed packaging. Do not use actual glass, sharp metal, food waste, or contaminated items.
• Send families the planting location, clothing suggestion, access information, and allergy check. Do not require families to purchase materials.

Supplies

• Clean picture cards or washed examples of natural and human-made items
• Five category labels: organic, paper, plastic, metal, glass
• Verified local recycling information or a confirmed guest
• Native pollinator plant or seedling approved for the site, child-safe hand tools if needed, and water
• Gloves only if recommended by the site; no plant, soil, or tool is assumed to be available

Pre and post meeting activities for scouts

Before

Bring an adult partner and clothing suitable for the confirmed activity. No plant or materials need to be purchased by families. Tell the leader privately about relevant access or allergy needs.

After

Follow any care instructions from the site manager for the planted area. The den leader confirms the planting step occurred and records completion from observed participation. If the site or native plant is not approved, do not claim the service requirement complete; reschedule a verified project.

Completion checklist

• Requirement 1: Scout distinguished natural resources from human-made items.
• Requirement 2: Scout recognized organic, paper, plastic, metal, and glass waste.
• Requirement 3: Scout explored how recycling works using verified local information or a knowledgeable guest.
• Requirement 4: Scout participated in conservation service. Planting remains incomplete unless the approved native pollinator planting takes place.

Sample Agenda

Leader notes and talking points

Welcome and opening (0:00-0:05)

• Set up: Keep sample cards on a table and identify the planting boundary.
• Say: “Today we will notice what comes from nature, sort waste, learn about recycling, and help a pollinator garden.”
• Ask: “What is something outside that you noticed on the way here?”
• Do: Explain that no one should pick plants or touch materials without an adult.

Natural or human-made sort (0:05-0:15)

• Say: “Some things come from nature, and some are made by people. Let’s sort these pictures.”
• Do: Use clean pictures or safe, washed examples. Let each Scout place or point to an item; adults can help explain.
• Ask: “Did this come from nature, or did people make it?”
• Check: Confirm the Scout can distinguish the categories; do not collect natural items from habitat.

Movement break and reset (0:15-0:20)

• Do: Lead gentle in-place movements, then clear the sorting station.
• Say: “Let’s reset our space before we sort waste.”
• Ask: “Are our hands and the table ready for the next activity?”

Five kinds of waste (0:20-0:30)

• Say: “We will match examples to organic, paper, plastic, metal, and glass.”
• Do: Name each category and use picture cards or clean packaging. Include all five, even though the official activity summary’s visible card mentions only three.
• Ask: “Which group would this clean can picture belong in?”
• Safety: No broken glass, sharp metal, food scraps, or unwashed containers. Avoid saying every item in a material category is accepted locally.

Local recycling (0:30-0:40)

• Set up: Introduce the confirmed guest, or show the current local recycling guidance and its source.
• Say: “Recycling rules can be different from place to place. We’ll learn what our local program accepts.”
• Ask: “What happens to something after it is put in the recycling bin?”
• Do: Let Scouts ask short questions. Do not claim a material is locally recyclable unless verified.

Transition to planting (0:40-0:45)

• Do: Move as a group to the permitted planting spot. Keep tools with adults until instructions are given.
• Say: “We will stay inside the marked area and follow the garden expert’s instructions.”
• Ask: “What should we do if we find a plant or insect we do not recognize?”
• Safety: Stop if the site permission or plant identification is unresolved.

Native pollinator planting (0:45-0:55)

• Say: “We are helping local pollinators by planting a species chosen for this place.”
• Do: Follow the site manager’s directions. Assign each Scout a safe, meaningful role such as placing soil, watering, or choosing the planting spot. Adults handle any task beyond a Scout’s ability.
• Ask: “Who might visit this plant?”
• Check: Record participation only if the conservation service actually happens. Do not substitute making a seed craft for planting or another verified service action.

Closing and cleanup (0:55-1:00)

• Do: Return tools, wash hands, dispose of waste as directed, and close with a den cheer.
• Ask: “What is one way we helped nature today?”
• Check: If planting could not proceed, tell families and leave requirement 4 incomplete until an approved service project occurs.