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William T. Hornaday Awards for Distinguished Service
to Natural Resource Conservation

Think of It as an Olympic Medal Bestowed by the Earth

Conservation and the Boy Scouts of America have been partners for a long time. Camping, hiking, and respect for the outdoors are a part of the Scouting heritage. Many of the requirements for advancement from Tenderfoot through Eagle Scout rank call for an increasing awareness and understanding of the natural sciences. Many former Scouts have become leaders in conserving our environment and protecting it from abuse. Right now Scouts are involved in learning about environmental problems and actively working to make a difference.

This awards program was created to recognize those that have made significant contributions to conservation. It was begun in 1914 by Dr. William T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park and founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hornaday was an active and outspoken champion of natural resource conservation and a leader in saving the American bison from extinction. He named the award the Wildlife Protection Medal. Its purpose was to challenge Americans to work constructively for wildlife conservation and habitat protection. After his death in 1937, the award was renamed in Dr. Hornaday's honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award.

In the early 1970s, the present awards program was established with funding from the DuPont Company. At that time, the late Dr. Hornaday's idea of conservation was broadened to include environmental awareness.

The Hornaday Awards are highly prized by those who have received them: Approximately 1,100 medals have been awarded over the past 80 years. These awards represent a substantial commitment of time and energy by individuals who have learned the meaning of a conservation/environmental ethic. Any Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer willing to devote the time and energy to work on a project based on sound scientific principles and guided by a conservation professional or a well-versed layperson can qualify for one of the Hornaday Awards. The awards often take months to complete, so activities should be planned well in advance.

The fundamental purpose of the Hornaday Awards program is to encourage learning by the participants and to increase public awareness about natural resource conservation. Understanding and practicing sound stewardship of natural resources and environmental protection strengthens Scouting's emphasis on respecting the outdoors. The goal of this awards program is to encourage and recognize truly outstanding efforts undertaken by Scouting units, Scouts and Venturers, adult Scouters, and other individuals, corporations, and institutions that have contributed significantly to natural resource conservation and environmental protection.

How Do I Earn a Hornaday Medal?

Since 1917, about 1,100 Hornaday medals have been awarded. The Wildlife Protection Medal was a forerunner to the Hornaday Awards. Dr. William T. Hornaday, an ardent conservationist, established this awards program to recognize Scouts who undertook and completed truly exceptional conservation projects. Earning one is hard work—it is supposed to be—but it's worth it.

A good idea is to start with the badge and then work up to the bronze or silver medal. You must be a First Class Scout or a Venturer, and you must have a conservation adviser. Then you do your homework to fulfill the advancement requirements and conservation projects you want to complete.

The following merit badges and project categories are the building blocks for a Scout to earn a Hornaday Award. See the Hornaday application for the Venturing requirements.

*FOR THE HORNADAY BADGE, Scouts earn three of the merit badges listed above in boldface, plus any two others. Then plan, lead, and carry out a significant project in natural resource conservation, from one of the project categories listed.

*FOR THE HORNADAY BRONZE MEDAL, Scouts earn the Environmental Science merit badge and at least three additional merit badges listed above in boldface, plus any two others. Then plan, lead, and carry out three significant projects from three separate categories listed.

*FOR THE HORNADAY SILVER MEDAL, Scouts earn all the merit badges listed above in boldface, plus any three others. Then plan, lead, and carry out four significant projects in natural resource conservation or environmental improvements, one each from four of the eight project categories listed.

• Energy conservation
• Soil and water conservation
• Fish and wildlife management
• Forestry and range management
• Air and water pollution control
• Resource recovery (recycling)
• Hazardous material disposal and management
• Invasive species control

An "Olympics of Conservation"

There are several different Hornaday awards. (The gold badge and gold medal are for adults.) Think of them as an "olympics of conservation," with an ever-increasing scale of challenge.

The award is given in one of seven forms.

• The local council may present the William T. Hornaday unit certificate for a conservation project by a pack, troop, team, or crew.
• The council may award the Hornaday badge to individual Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers for outstanding service in conservation.
• The council may award the Hornaday gold badge to adult Scouters who have given significant leadership to conservation at a council or district level.

All other Hornaday Awards are conferred by the National Council:

• Scouts and Venturers may apply for the bronze and silver medals.
• Adult Scouters may be nominated for the gold medal.
• Organizations unaffiliated with Scouting may be nominated for the gold certificate.

A Hornaday unit certificate, No. 21-110, is awarded to a pack, troop, team, or crew of five or more Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, or Venturers for a unique, substantial conservation project. At least 60 percent of registered unit members must participate. At least 60 percent of the registered unit members must participate. These units may be nominated, or they may apply to their BSA local council for recognition.

The Hornaday badge is awarded, upon approval of the local council, to a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer for outstanding service to conservation and environmental improvement. Applicants meeting all requirements receive a certificate, No. 21-111, and the William T. Hornaday badge.

These individual awards are granted by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer for exceptional and distinguished service to conservation and environmental improvement.

The silver medal, the most distinguished in Scouting for exceptional conservation service, will be awarded for clearly outstanding efforts in planning, leadership, execution of plans, involvement of others, and opportunities taken to help others learn about natural resource conservation and environmental improvement. The distinction between the bronze and silver medals is based primarily on the number and quality of the projects and their impact on the local community. The William T. Hornaday Awards Committee may award a bronze medal if the application does not meet the standard of exceptional service required for the silver medal. There is no limit on the number of bronze medals that may be awarded each year. Both awards include the medal (bronze or silver), a certificate, and an embroidered square knot.

The gold badge is by nomination only and is awarded by the local council to an adult Scouter. The nominee should have demonstrated leadership and a commitment to the education of youth on a council or district level for significant conservation efforts for a period of at least three years. Nominations are made to the local council. The award includes the gold badge.

The gold medal is by nomination only and is awarded to an adult Scouter. It recognizes unusual and distinguished service in natural resource conservation and environmental improvement at the regional, national, or international level. Nominations must be approved by the Hornaday Awards Committee and by the Conservation Committee of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America. Any recognized conservation/environmental organization may submit a nomination. The award includes the gold medal, a certificate, and an embroidered square knot. Six gold medals may be awarded annually.

This award is by nomination only and is granted to an individual, corporation, or organization not affiliated with Scouting. The nominee should have made an outstanding contribution to youth conservation education and demonstrated commitment to the education of youth on a national or international level, reflecting the natural resource conservation and environmental awareness mission of the Boy Scouts of America. Candidates may be nominated by any recognized conservation/environmental organization. Up to six awards may be granted annually. Each nomination must be approved by the Hornaday Awards Committee and by the Conservation Committee of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America, in consultation with the Chief Scout Executive.

Awards Presentation

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America supplies certificates, medals, and badges at no charge to local councils. Certificates are printed with the recipient's name.

Information packages containing a history of the award and pictures of Dr. Hornaday are available from the national office upon request. Councils are encouraged to maximize press coverage on the occasion of the award presentation—this distinguished honor reflects favorably on the Scouting program.

Hornaday Projects and Youth Awards

The Hornaday Awards program encourages and recognizes units, Scouts, and Venturers who design, lead, and carry out conservation projects that are based on sound scientific principles and practices. The projects should contribute to sound conservation and environmental improvement in the local community, the region, or the nation. The applicant is expected to research potential projects and to choose, with guidance from a Hornaday adviser, a worthy project.

Because the badge, the bronze medal, and the silver medal are individual awards, two or more individuals cannot claim credit for the same project. However, a project may be a part of a larger conservation effort, with different applicants carrying out different aspects of the same project. An Eagle Scout leadership service project may be used as a Hornaday project if it meets the aims and objectives of the William T. Hornaday program as listed below. Projects that have already been used to earn the William T. Hornaday badge may be used as one of the projects for a medal. Applicants are encouraged to involve their unit members in project work and demonstrate Scout leadership, thereby making their unit eligible for the unit award.

What Qualifies As a Hornaday Project?

First and foremost, the project must be a conservation project—it must be designed to address a conservation issue or need in the local area, and it must benefit the environment or the creatures that live there. Making an area more accessible for people is rarely for the benefit of the environment.

How big a project should be and how long it should last are commonly asked questions. Collecting aluminum cans over a weekend along with many other Scouts is a fine public service, but since little learning took place and there was no lasting impact on the community, the project would not qualify for a Hornaday Award. Similarly, a simple, one-time tree planting effort would not qualify.

However, a reforestation project in cooperation with a professional forester or park planner, learning which trees are appropriate to the area, ensuring proper spacing for best growth, following proper planting methods, and caring for the trees after planting might well qualify. Starting a community-wide recycling project and encouraging people to recycle might also qualify. Size of the project is not necessarily the important element. Rather, the results, the learning that took place, the applicant's demonstrated leadership, and the significance of the contribution to the community, park, or other lands are what count.

As to time, past recipients of the medals have indicated it takes no less than 18 months to complete the required merit badges and projects. So it's a good idea to start early in your Scouting career. You will find the Conservation Handbook, No. 33570, to be an invaluable source of ideas and assistance. It is available in both Trading Posts at the Horseshoe Scout Reservation (717-548-3352) or the council service center in West Chester (610-696-2900).

Required Projects

Applicants for the Hornaday badge must plan, lead, and carry out at least one project from one category of conservation. Bronze medal applicants must complete at least three significant projects in three different categories. Silver medal applicants must complete four significant projects in four categories. Each project is to be equivalent in scope to an Eagle Scout leadership service project. One project could be the applicant's Eagle Scout leadership service project, if it is suitable, and one could be performed on BSA property. The others must benefit a school, community, religious organization, or fulfill some other public service purpose.

The conservation categories are designed, in part, to make Hornaday Awards available to Scouts living in suburban and urban areas as well as those in rural settings, and to acknowledge the growing interest among Scouts and their leaders in actively improving the natural environment within their own communities. These categories also focus on the relationship between environmental abuses in urban centers and their impact in relatively unpopulated, sometimes distant, areas.

Project Examples

• Energy conservation
• Soil and water conservation
• Fish and wildlife management
• Forestry and range management
• Air and water pollution control
• Resource recovery (recycling)
• Hazardous material disposal and management
• Invasive species control

Other good ideas for projects may be found in the publications and pamphlets of groups such as the National Audubon Society, the Izaak Walton League, the National Wildlife Federation, or governmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, state natural resource conservation agencies, and your state cooperative extension service. The best way to identify a project is to discuss the options with a Hornaday adviser.

There must be clear written evidence in your application that you did indeed plan, lead, and carry out long-term, substantial projects in the different conservation categories. Past winners have indicated that it takes at least 18 months to complete all the requirements. Judges check to see that all necessary signatures are on the applications; that the applicant (except for Venturer applicants) was not yet 18 when all requirements were completed; that all merit badge requirements have been completed; and that the projects are substantial and well-documented.

Additional written supporting material relating to the applicant's conservation work (newspaper articles, letters of commendation, photos of completed projects) is considered by the judges. Evidence of leadership in researching, planning, leading, and carrying out the projects, and of how this influenced other people, must be clearly documented.

For more information, contact the Council Service Center (610-696-2900) or the Horseshoe Scout Reservation Ranger's Office (717-548-3352).