Kansas
Bird Study Merit Badge
The fourth state on our western journey was Kansas. This was the first time on this trip that I had the opportunity to join other scouts to work on a badge! I went to the Kansas Wetlands Education Center to earn my Bird Study Merit badge. Ms. Mandy met me early so we could do my bird watching before the other scouts arrived. They were planning to do the bird watching after lunch while they were working on another badge in the center.
I was able to see many of the same birds I see in Michigan. Some like the Canada Goose, the Wood Duck or the Mallard. (Mr. Ziegler would have loved it. He likes to duck hunt LOL.) I was also able to see some birds I had not seen before Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet and the Upland Sandpiper. I saw not only a bunch of different birds, but lots of other animals like squirrels, rabbits and bugs… lots of bugs.
I learned a lot about the birds and the impacts humans have on them. I learned about their environment, their songs, and their habits. Their food and their families. I never really thought much about birds before. They are pretty interesting.
The last thing we did before I left as look at bird homes (not just houses like we think of them). After learning about the different materials used by birds and why, we had the chance to build a bird house. I had a good time and appreciated spending the morning at the center.
They did an article on me which can be found at this link. https://www.gbtribune.com/news/local-news/scout-aims-earn-merit-badges-50-states/
