Task · part of 3. Field work, or a life history. Do ONE, and they are not equal
3(b). One area of at least 4 acres: three hours on five different days
Optional May not apply Often forgotten
Fifteen hours in total, and the badge fixes the number of days at five. About the size of three football fields. List the species identified by sight or sign. This is the longest single commitment on the badge.
Notes and warnings
Note. The current page asks for an area of at least FOUR acres, about the size of three football fields. The 2025 requirements book asks for TWENTY-FIVE acres and calls that three and a half football fields, which cannot both be true, since a field with its end zones is about 1.3 acres. The page is the version whose two halves agree, and it is the newer document, so it governs. If you are working from a printed book here, check the page.
Where this step comes from
- Mammal Study Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31), Requirement 3(b) · The current page asks for at least a 4-acre area, about the size of three football fields. The 2025 requirements book asks for 25 acres and describes it as 3½ football fields.