Ernest Thompson Seton Award
Conservation management and education have been an integral part of the program of the Boy Scouts of America since its establishment. Men such as BSA founders William D. Boyce, Daniel Carter Beard, Ernest
Thompson Seton, and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt were all active supporters of wildlife conservation and avid hunters.
Conservation was often viewed as linked to the sixth point of the Scout Law: A Scout is kind; “He is a friend to animals.” The requirements of the Conservation merit badge listed in the third edition of the Boy Scout Handbook summarized the ways in which Scouts actively practiced conservation: “Present evidence of having directly assisted conservation by some practical deed, such as fighting a forest fire, checking erosion; planting trees; helping restock streams with fish; posting or distributing conservation notices; planting wild rice or other duck feed; feeding birds in winter; stopping stream and river pollutions.”
Purpose of Award
The Ernest Thompson Seton Award is being developed to award an adult Scouter who has made an impact and demonstrated leadership in the commitment to conservation management and education while impacting
the lives of youth through service to Scouting.
About Ernest Thompson Seton - Born in Scotland, Ernest Thompson Seton immigrated to America as a youth in the 1880s. His fascination with the wilderness led him to become a naturalist, an artist, and an author, and
through his works he influenced both youth and adults. Seton established a youth organization called the Woodcraft Indians, and his background of outdoor skills and interest in youth led him to be one of the
founding pioneers of the Boy Scouts of America.
During his subsequent career as a naturalist, Seton wrote and illustrated hundreds of scholarly and popular articles, stories, and more than forty books about wild animals. The books include Wild Animals I Have Known
(1898), Animal Heroes (1905), The Biography of a Silver Fox (1909), Life Histories of Northern Animals (1909), Wild Animals at Home (1913), and Lives of Game Animals (1925-1928).
Outdoor Code
As an American, I will do my best to - Be clean in my outdoor manners. Be careful with fire. Be considerate in the outdoors. Be conservation minded.
Nomination forms are due July 31, 2016.