Investiture Achievement/Companion/Nature Study

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Strip invest companion.jpg
Companion/Nature Study



Requirement 1a

Read pages 1-13 from the booklet A 6 Day Creation Week?


A 6 Day Creation Week is available from AdventSource.

The creation booklet is no longer available. You may want to review these Kids articles for source material from Creation.com. Creation Kids Articles

Requirement 1b

Keep a 7-day outdoor log of your personal observations from nature in which each day focuses on those things that were created on that day.



Page 32 of the Companion Record Journal has space for logging observations. Encourage the kids to begin recording their observations on a Sunday (call them on Sunday morning if necessary).

If your Pathfinders miss a day or forget, remind them that there is no requirement that the seven days be consecutive. It may be necessary to call them each day to remind them to make and record their observations.

Ideas for observation are listed below.

Day One, Light
See how a magnifying glass bends light, experiment with a prism. Observe shadows.
Day Two, Air
Feel the breeze. Inflate a balloon and release it. Make a pinwheel
Day Three, Land and Sea separated
Observe soil and rocks.
Day Four, Sun and Moon
Look at the moon. Make a pinhole observatory for viewing the sun indirectly. Find a constellation or a planet.
Day Five, Fish and Birds
Listen for bird songs. Find a nest. Look for pigeon tracks and feathers under a bridge.
Day Six, Animals and Man
Look for insects, frogs, squirrels, or deer. Watch a cat while it's hunting (outdoors remember).
Day Seven, Sabbath
Even the plants rest when they are finished with their work. Find one that has already gone to seed. Does it go dormant and wait for spring, die, or continue to produce fruit several times in one season? Find a sleeping animal and watch it (but do not disturb it). How does it protect itself while it sleeps? How does it stay warm (or cool)?

Requirement 2

Animal Tracking
Make plaster casts of three different animal tracks



Basic Casting Techniques

To do this, you will need to bring dry plaster of Paris, water, a mixing container, a mixing stick (a paint stirrer will do nicely), and something to make rings out of. Plaster of Paris can be bought either dry, or ready-mixed. It is probably better to get the dry type so that you can mix it on site. It will need to be soupy to make a detailed cast. When you find a suitable track, place a ring around it. The ring can be made from almost anything - a large tin can with the bottom cut out, a paper cup with the bottom removed, a strip of poster board 4 cm1.5 inches wide and taped together at the ends to form a circle, etc. You can also cut one from a water bottle (for small tracks), a two-liter soda bottle, or a milk jug (the ring does not have to be round). Make sure the ring is larger than the track, and note that some tracks are 15 cm6 inches long or more. What a pity it would be to find a huge bear or moose track and not have a large enough ring to cast it! You can also make the cast without a ring, but it is much better if you use one. Once the ring is in place, mix just enough plaster and water to fill the ring up to 2.5 cm1 inch deep. It sets quickly, so you will not want to mix up too much at a time. Mix water with the dry plaster and stir it until it is smooth. It should be about the same consistency as pancake batter or apple sauce. Pour it into the ring. Once this is done, you can set out in search of more tracks, or you can wait until the plaster sets. If you set out for more, be sure to come back to collect your cast.

One good way to complete this requirement is by heading to a river right after flooding has receded. There will likely be plenty of easily identifiable kinds of tracks, and the smooth mud makes for excellent casting.

Here is a more detailed guide with illustrations.


If you can manage to cast tracks from two more animals, you will be well on your way to earning the Animal Tracking honor.

Trail Companion Companion Ribbon.jpeg

Requirement 3

Complete Companion requirements



You must complete the requirements listed above this one on the current page.

Requirement 4

Trees, Shrubs & Cacti
Collect and identify the leaves of 15 different trees and seven shrubs.
OR
Photograph and observe at least five different types of cacti.


Trees and Shrubs

Unless you live in a place that it warm year-round, this requirement will be very difficult to manage from late fall through early spring. Since the Pathfinder year usually begins in September, you should get on this one right away. Otherwise you will have to wait for spring.

If you are not familiar with identifying trees and shrubs, you will need to either recruit someone who is, or get a good field guide. Be sure the the field guide covers the area where you will be collecting.

You should also take a look at the Trees honor and the Shrubs honor.

Cacti

If you live in an area where cacti are abundant, this requirement can best be met outdoors.

If not, you can bring potted cacti to a Pathfinder meeting. If you do not own five, ask members of your church. Someone may be willing to loan you some and even come to the meeting to talk about them.

For more information, see the Cacti honor.

Requirement 5

Complete a nature honor not previously earned. (Skill level 1)


Lists of honors sorted by Category and Skill Level can be found in the AY Honors.


Good choices for the Companion class include

Cacti

Shrubs

Trees

Animal Tracking as the previous requirements will already have set you down the path to completing these honors.


Honor Patch Category Approval Skill Level Year
Amphibians
Amphibians AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1945
Animal Camouflage
Animal Camouflage AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2015
Animal Tracking
Animal Tracking AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 1976
Antelopes
Antelopes AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2001
Ants
Ants AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Bats
Bats AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2004
Bird Pets
Bird Pets AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1945
Birds
Birds AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1928
Cacti
Cacti AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1944
Carnivorous Plants
Carnivorous Plants AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Cats
Cats AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1945
Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2018
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2012
Dogs
Dogs AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1950
Estuaries
Estuaries AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Eucalypts
Eucalypts AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 Unknown
Geology
Geology AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1975
Harmful Animals
Harmful Animals AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Herbs
Herbs AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2001
Insects
Insects AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1933
Macaws, Parrots and Parakeets
Macaws, Parrots and Parakeets AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Mammals
Mammals AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1937
Maple Sugar
Maple Sugar AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1989
Marine Fauna
Marine Fauna AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2014
Migration
Migration AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2021
Mountains
Mountains AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2012
Nocturnal Animals
Nocturnal Animals AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Odonates
Odonates (SAD) AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Orchids
Orchids AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1964
Preservation of Water Resources
Preservation of Water Resources AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Rainforests
Rainforests AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2016
Raptors
Raptors AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2015
Recycling
Recycling AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2012
Reptiles
Reptiles AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1937
Sand
Sand AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1956
Seeds
Seeds AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1961
Sharks
Sharks AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2013
Shrubs
Shrubs AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1945
Soils
Soils AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2006
Taiga
Taiga Honor AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2014
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Temperate Deciduous Forests AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2016
Temperate Grasslands
Temperate Grasslands AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2023
Trees
Trees AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1928
Venomous Animals
Venomous Animals AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Water Science
Water Science AY Honor.png
Nature NAD tiny.png 1 2015
Waterfalls
Waterfalls AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2011
Waterfalls
Waterfalls (SAD) AY Honor.png
Nature SAD tiny.png 1 2012
Wattles
Wattles AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2001
Weather
Weather AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 1944
Worms
Worms AY Honor.png
Nature GC tiny.png 1 2006