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Local Microhabitat Study

Webelos – 4th Grade

Champions for Nature Webelos

Elective

Requirement 1

Local Microhabitat Study

Webelos – 4th Grade

Champions for Nature Webelos

Elective

Requirement 1

Local Microhabitat Study

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts learn about microhabitats.

Outdoor

If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.

Supply List

Local Microhabitat Study Observation worksheet found in Additional Resources
Printer
Clipboard for each Cub Scout
Stick or spoon for each Cub Scout
Pencil or pen for each Cub Scout
Magnifying glass for each group of Cub Scouts

Directions

Before the meeting:

Print a copy of the Microhabitat Study Observation worksheet for each Cub Scout.
Familiarize yourself with the four basic elements of a habitat found in the Webelos handbook.
- Food- All living things need food for survival. The availability of food is a crucial part of a habitat’s arrangement. Too little food may cause animals to die off or move away from their habitat. Too much food can also be disruptive. Freshwater algae blooms may absorb oxygen, destroying fish and plants.
- Water- Safe access to clean water is not just important for humans; it’s important to all living things.
- Shelter- Wildlife may not build houses or apartments like humans, but they do have places where they live. Some wildlife builds their shelter. Others use naturally occurring elements like trees, holes, or caves. They may use their shelter to give birth to and nurture their young or for protection from other wildlife and weather.
- Space- All animals need adequate space in a suitable environment to provide access to sufficient food and water, as well as enough territory for mating and nesting and cover or shelter from weather and predators.
Walk along the property near your meeting location and look for different types of microhabitats. Look around trees, rocks, water faucets, shady areas, and close to buildings. Check for potential hazards such as stinging insects or dangerous debris. Identify three or four safe areas.

During the meeting:

Tell Cub Scouts that they are going to study a microhabitat outside. Remind them not to disturb organisms or destroy their homes.
Divide Cub Scouts into three or four groups and hand out their supplies.
Ask Cub Scouts to walk around the outside of your meeting location and point out various areas that may be good microhabitats for exploring. Have each group select a microhabitat for exploring.
Encourage Cub Scouts to sit quietly near the chosen microhabitat and use their senses to observe for a short period. Ask what clues they can find by looking, listening, smelling, and touching.
Tell Cub Scouts to write down everything they see and make a detailed sketch of the area. On the observation sheet have them describe the area in detail, including light (e.g., shady or sunny), moisture (e.g., wet, dry, or moist area), and soil (e.g., compact or loose; sandy or mostly clay).
Ask Cub Scouts to use their magnifying glass to explore their chosen microhabitat. Remind them that their observations will require patience because they are not only looking for plants and animals but for evidence of life as well (e.g., nests or holes in the ground, chewed leaves, tracks, droppings, etc.)
Remind Cub Scouts not to place their hands anywhere they can’t see, such as under rocks.
Ask Cub Scouts to use the sticks or spoons to gently move soil, rocks, etc. to observe more closely in an area but to take care not to damage the habitat. After examining the soil, they should return it to its original place.