Task · part of 2. Observe an ecosystem over two days
2(a). Watch, listen to and smell an approved area for two days
Required Often forgotten
An area your counselor approves, observed across a two-day period rather than in one visit.
Notes and warnings
Warning. Two things make this the requirement to start first. It needs your counselor to approve the area before you begin, and it needs a two-day period rather than a single visit. Everybody does this one (it is not behind any of the six choices), so it is on every Scout's path to the badge.
Where this step comes from
- Environmental Science Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2026-05-12), Requirement 2(a) · Sets the two-day observation period and the counselor's approval of the area.