# Choose Two Conservation Projects

Part of the Soil and Water Conservation Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/index.md)

*7. Conservation Projects*

> **7.** Do TWO of the following:

This requirement is where the badge becomes hands-on. You must choose exactly **two** options. Some options focus on visits and observation. Others focus on planting, mapping, restoration, or designing a project with your counselor.

## Your Options

- **[Req 7a — Visit Two Conservation Sites](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7a/)**: Tour real places such as treatment plants, managed forests, refuges, or research sites and write a report about the conservation practices you observe.
- **[Req 7b — Plant for a Purpose](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7b/)**: Plant 100 trees, bushes, and/or vines where they will actually improve habitat, stabilize soil, provide shade, or serve another conservation goal.
- **[Req 7c — Seed a Conservation Plot](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7c/)**: Restore a larger area by seeding grasses or legumes suited to erosion control, habitat improvement, or soil building.
- **[Req 7d — Map Soils with a Survey Report](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7d/)**: Use a soil survey to read mapped soils, trace an area with several soil types, and connect map symbols to real land characteristics.
- **[Req 7e — Find and Fix Local Problems](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7e/)**: Survey your neighborhood, camp, school, or park for erosion, sedimentation, or pollution problems and propose practical fixes.
- **[Req 7f — Design Your Own Conservation Project](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7f/)**: Create or carry out another approved project that clearly protects soil or water.

## How to Choose

**Choosing Your Two Projects** — Pick the pair that best fits your place, season, and available help

- [ ] **Time available**: Site visits and soil-map work can often be completed faster than planting or seeding projects, which may depend on season and follow-up care.
- [ ] **Space and permissions**: Planting and seeding require access to land and approval from whoever manages it. Visits and mapping may be easier if you do not control a site yourself.
- [ ] **Physical work**: Req 7b and 7c involve more labor. Req 7d and 7e lean more on observation, note-taking, and analysis.
- [ ] **What you will gain**: Req 7a builds field observation and report-writing skills; 7b and 7c build restoration experience; 7d builds map-reading and soil interpretation; 7e builds local problem-solving; 7f builds project design and initiative.

| Option | Best for Scouts who... | Main challenge |
|---|---|---|
| 7a | like tours, interviews, and report writing | arranging access to two sites |
| 7b | can organize volunteers and plant care | getting the right plants and location |
| 7c | have access to a restoration area | site prep, seed choice, and timing |
| 7d | enjoy maps and data | learning how soil surveys are organized |
| 7e | want to start close to home | identifying realistic fixes, not just complaints |
| 7f | have a strong original idea | getting counselor approval and setting clear goals |

> **Tip**
>
> A balanced pair often works well. For example, combine one observation-heavy option like 7a or 7d with one action-heavy option like 7b, 7c, or 7e. That gives you both field understanding and hands-on conservation work.

If you want to start with the broadest menu of choices, begin with Req 7a. It helps you compare nine different kinds of conservation-related sites before choosing two to visit.

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- Previous: [Water Pollution & Waste Treatment](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req6/index.md)
- Next: [Visit Two Conservation Sites](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/soil-and-water-conservation/guide/req7a/index.md)