Scouts work on merit badges at Nature Center

Indoors and out, Girl Scout troops and Boy Scout packs connected with the land Saturday at the Cape Girardeau County Nature Center. Two hundred sixty-five Scouts and 156 adults attended.

Missouri Department of Conservation education specialist Sara Scheper said badge requirements for first- to sixth-grade Scouts are fulfilled through activities focusing on animal characteristics. "The last Scoutin' Around event, held in November, focused on outdoor skills," she said.

Scheper worked for five years as a program director at the Girl Scouts office in Cape Girardeau.

Brownies, for example, could fulfill 12 requirements if they attended all the available stations, touching on requirements for animals, careers, earth and sky, eco-explorer, outdoor adventurer, watching wildlife and water everywhere badges.

Earning extra points

But the Scouts weren't the only group benefiting from the event. Twenty-two Southeast Missouri State University recreation students, 12 Nature Center volunteers and nine full-time staff members kept the stations running smoothly. Recreation students received bonus points for their volunteer effort, plus the hands-on experience in a parks and recreation environment.

Recreation major Rodney Sadler wasn't sure how many bonus points he'd receive but was enthusiastic about working the career station. "It's fun to come out here and talk to the children about careers," he said.

Live snakes placed near the entrance were an attraction most groups found hard to pass up. Volunteer Charlie Wilson, a local dentist, captivated Scouts with the lively speckled king snake he held -- warmed up for the crowd from a morning of handling and attention.

Shelby Rhodes, a Junior Girl Scout of Troop 208 in Scott City, said she is fascinated with snakes. "They're cute, and I like how they feel." She learned to spot poisonous snakes from her parents. Attending the Scouting event gave Shelby the chance to brush up on her snake savviness.

About 50 Bears, Brownies, Tigers and accompanying adults took to the trail looking for snakes and bears but were informed by their guide, Paul Williams, a natural history biologist for the Department of Conservation, that the snakes were either hiding or sleeping.

The half-mile hike focused on safety skills Scouts could use when winter was over and chances for seeing snakes or other wildlife increased.

cpagano@semissiourian.com

335-6611 extension 133