Brownies and Guides

This section links the Girlguiding organisation interest badges to specific activities or projects.

All points which form the eight point Rainbow Guide plan can be linked to environment and heritage activities.  

For example:

The natural world can be a great source of artistic inspiration from collecting materials such as leaves for making collages, prints and textured pictures to providing models for still life drawing. The Recording Naturally pack (PDF document 1.78mb) produced by the Community Heritage Initiative (CHI) contains lots of creative information on using natural materials in your art projects. Ideas include using digital cameras to make a collage of nature photographs, or using natural materials for printing or painting (e.g. a picture of a bird using a feather as a paint brush).The Open Museum has a selection of objects that can be borrowed.  By thinking around the subject, interesting effects can be achieved.  For example try looking up through trees to the sky, rather than straight at them, or putting a petal under a microscope and drawing what you see.

CHI has produced the Collecting and Connecting pack which offers useful advice for adults and young people on starting, maintaining and displaying collections.  There are several museums in Leicestershire and Rutland which can also be visited for ideas and inspiration. A visit to the Collections Resources Centre at Barrow Upon Soar can provide a unique insight into collections as well as a behind the scenes look at museums.

The Wild About pack available from CHI has excellent information about wildlife, including themed wildlife surveys, activities for different times of the year, ideas on how to record and document wildlife and details on how to make survey equipment to help with recording wildlife. Brownies could also take part in some of the CHI wildlife surveys. All of the survey forms come with comprehensive guidance and helpful hints on recording. Once completed, the records you collect can be sent to the Environment and Heritage Resources Centre where they will be used to help monitor local and national wildlife trends.

Instead of writing a personal diary, brownies could keep a nature diary which might also include a glossary of natural history/wildlife terms. Ideas for what to put in a nature diary can be found in the Wild About pack. Wildlife observation is also excellent for providing inspiration for poetry and creative writing.

You could help your local community by volunteering to do an environmental activity in your local area. Country parks are always looking for volunteers to help with practical conservation tasks. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers also work locally on conservation projects and provide opportunities for volunteering.

Inspiration for this badge can be gained from the Open Museum collections and the JunkIt recycled materials project.  Being outdoors is good, not only to gain ideas, but also for collecting natural materials to use in craft objects.

The CHI packs Wild About, Collecting and Connecting and Recording Naturally all have hints and tips on starting natural history related hobbies.

Country Parks are the ideal place to try some outdoor pursuits. Many have facilities such as orientering courses already laid out.  

Running an activity for your local community could include organising a Parish Countryside Survey or clearing a natural area by undertaking a conservation project. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers can offer help and advice on this. Country Parks are always looking for volunteers to help them with practical conservation tasks.

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