Scouting for Success - The Texas A&M Agronomy Society.

Developing interest and appreciation for soil, crop and environmental sciences can never start too early in life. The Boy Scouts of America is an organization that promotes leadership and character through educational programs and activities often focused on our natural environment. The connection between the Texas A&M Agronomy Society and a local scouting program seemed logical. Members of our club developed teaching modules that involved scouts learning about textures of soil, seed and plant identification, the process of planting and germinating seeds, and DNA extraction. These modules were taught by members of our club at Cub Scout pack meetings. Both the parents and the boys were excited about learning where their food comes and how we protect our environment. We also hosted ‘go-see-it’ den meetings at the Texas A&M University Research Farm. During these meetings, we showed the scouts how we harvested crops like corn, cotton, and grain sorghum. We even let them pick a little cotton to keep for themselves. The interaction between our club members and the scouts was a rewarding experience for both parties.