Pond Gap Land Scouts

Cutting greens at Pond Gap Elementary School, Knoxville, TN

This is the second year of Land Scouts at Pond Gap Elementary School in Knoxville, TN. I've had the pleasure of working first with Matt Callo and now with Elias Attea, both AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers through Pellissippi State Community College's Service Learning program. Both have given good feedback on how the Scouts work and can be improved to serve Pond Gap's after school program. Below are badges now en route to Attea's troop.

From back to front: Decomposition, Digestion,
Collection, Observation, and Propagation

If you're interested in hosting a troop or using the Land Scouts with an existing group I want to help that happen. In addition to the newly launched Land Scout Guide Book, there's a curricular outline of all ten core values and how to teach them with young people. You can download a free copy of the Guide Book here. It explains how to get started hosting a troop and earning the Observation badge. The rest of the badges and activities are spelled out in the aforementioned outline. It's still a rough draft and not yet published, please email me if you'd like a copy of it.

Liz - Level 3

Look what Liz grew from a seed ball in her yard! In the fall, Liz can save some of the seeds from the pumpkin to earn her Level 7 badge. Way to go.

The Urban Land Scouts' Absurdist Challenge

Dear Land Scouts,

I hope you are all getting outdoors often and staying cool. From now until first frost we are issuing an Absurdist Challenge. Should you accept and complete the challenge and send in documentation of your efforts, you will earn the newest addition to the Urban Land Scouts badges: the dark blue one.

Below is a schedule collage together by Chatham Monk and Justin Rice (both land scouts and makers at Oxide Pottery). It comes to us by way of Warrior's Path State Park. You challenge is host, enact, or stage any one of the scheduled events listed here and to document your experience well. Specific locations like the Main Bath House or Open Air Chapel will have to be interpreted symbolically.

I recommend "ACT LIKE AN ANIMAL" as it meets at the Boundless Playground. Click on the image to see it larger.