Cooool Girl Scout Badges!!

I have 2 Girl Scouts this year and I think it is great that they are part of the Farthest North Girl Scout Council. Besides the badges/try-its that are nationwide, each council usually has a couple of their own that they offer that are specific to their area. I think that ours are SO COOL!! Or maybe should I say SO COLD?? I think it would be neat if the girls earned these badges in the next couple of years while we're living here :)

Arctic Survival Skills
Do six of the following activities, including the starred requirements.
1. * Find out what hypothermia and frostbite are. Know the steps to prevent them in different weather and water conditions. Know the procedures to take if either of these occur. Demonstrate them.
2. Know basic compass and map skills, and demonstrate them by following an orienteering course.
3. * Invite a Wildlife Specialist to a meeting to inform you about such things as bear protection and wildlife awareness (as appropriate to each area).
4. What is stress? How can stress interfere with survival? Discuss feelings such as fear and loneliness. How do you deal with tensions like thirst, hunger, and pain?
5. Shelter, food, water, warmth, and clothing are basic survival necessities. Show how you can provide these for yourself and consider their order of importance.
6. Arctic wilderness provides its own challenges. Think about and discuss characteristics of water, plant life, geographic conditions, and weather of the arctic that would help or hinder you.
7. Make a basic survival kit. Know how to use each item properly.
8. Plan and carry out an overnight camping trip to implement the survival skills you have learned. (Remember to turn in your troop trip application and a list of what your survival kit consists of.)

Dog Mushing
Complete 6 activities, including the two starred (*) requirements:
1. * Interview a dog musher. Learn how sled dogs are trained, which dogs are best for each type of mushing, how and when they are disciplined and when they are retired. Learn what happens on the train: What dogs eat, what the musher wears, what is carried on the sled and what first aid might be needed by the dogs.
2. * Visit a kennel. Learn what is involved in the upkeep of a kennel, what the dogs eat, how they are housed, what it costs to keep a sled dog. Learn how to act around dogs, how to harness a dog, how to ride a sled. Learn the commands. If possible, drive the sled yourself.
3. Find out about groups in your community who share an interest in mushing.
4. Learn the parts of the sled and mushing vocabulary.
5. Make a model of a dog sled.
6. Make an illustrated booklet of mushing dog breeds. Describe their distinctive features and uses.
7. Read a book about mushing (Examples: Dogsong by Gary Paulsen or Call of the Wild by Jack London) or watch a movie about mushing.
8. Learn about the Iditarod, Yukon Quest or other local sled dog races.
9. Draw a map of the Yukon Quest train, label the check points.
10. Research and map the Serum Race to Nome, Alaska.
11. Watch a sled dog race. Cheer for your favorite team.
12. Sponsor a dog team entered in the Yukon Quest or do a service project for the Yukon Quest. (Make posters and have them displayed, etc.)

Traditional Food Badge
Complete 6 of the following activities.
1. Think of ways that you could use technology to gather traditional foods. Write down the methods that you come up with and share them with your family and community. How does technology make gathering food easier? Could it make it harder?
2. Write down all the traditional foods you gather or eat, then find out the scientific name, common name, and any names in other languages in your region.
3. Using a G.P.S. (Global Positioning system) unit, map places in your community focusing on traditional food gathering places and the traditional name of that place.
4. Estimate how much traditional food you or your family eats in a week. Then go to the grocery store and find out how much it would cost to buy similar foods in a grocery store.
5. Learn a dance or song about traditional foods.
6. Plan a menu using only traditional foods.
7. Organize a potluck with your troop; have everyone bring a traditional food dish to share, make a pretty label for your dish.
8. Use a traditional food to make an art supply. Do an art project using the new supply.
9. Pick another country or culture. Find out what food this culture eats and why it is a traditional food for that culture. Now pick out a recipe from that culture and prepare it in a traditional method.
10. Challenge your troop or family to have a “pick your own” picnic. Spend time picking or catching your food. Prepare it and have a tasty picnic.
11. Contact a local food preservation expert and ask them to help you learn how to preserve your traditional foods.