Stellar - Literature - 300

Objective:

Choose and read an "out of this world" book from our reading list.

Details:

1) Choose and read a space themed book from the list provided.

Quest Scouts “Galactic” Reading List:

Non-Fiction

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetteryly

Apollo in the Age of Aquarius by Neil M. Maher

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

Fiction

Foundation by Issac Asimov

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Saga: Book 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Notes: (1) WARNING: These graphic novels contain depictions of sex and drugs. While highly acclaimed, please take care of yourself and choose something else if those topics don’t appeal to you. (2) Don’t confuse the “book” with the “trade paperbacks.” Book 1 is #1-18 of the trade paperbacks and totals over 500 pages. Read whatever form, just make sure to read them all.

2) Check out the book from you local library, buy it at your local bookstore or get it on Amazon.

3) Read the book! (Listening to the audio version is ok too!)

4) Write a short book review and post it in the comments below. Include the title, author, and things that you liked or disliked about the book. If you read a non-fiction book, also include 3 things you learned while reading. 

Stellar - Media - 150

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Objective:

Watch one of the space themed documentaries from the list provided.

Details:

1) Watch one of the space themed movies or documentaries listed below.

2) Let us know which you watched and what you thought of it in the comments below.

Hidden Figures (Ok, ok… Even though this isn’t a “documentary,” we think it’s worth adding to the list anyway!)

Fowl Play Micro Objective - Art - 50

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Quest Scouts inspires your to squeeze the most out of life while collecting real-life, physical badges. 

Objective:

Create "Index Card Art" inspired by the provided prompt.

Details:

This micro objective is part of our ongoing series, "index card art." We chose index cards for two reasons. First, index cards are inexpensive cheap and readily available. We don't expect that it will be difficult for any of you to procure an index card. Second, many who don't consider themselves "artists" tend to stress about creating or sharing art. Using an index card instead of a sketch book lends itself to silliness. Have fun with the prompt! We're not looking for perfection, just a good time. You can save your index cards and look back at them over time, or throw them away. The choice is up to you!

1) Gather your supplies. You'll need an index card (4x6 or 5x7) and something to draw with. (Pencil, pen, markers... you get the point!)

2) Interpret the prompt below to make your index card art.

Ruffled Feathers

 

3) Take a photo of your Index Card Art and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #NotecardArt. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.

 

Fowl Play Micro Objective - Media - 50

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Quest Scouts inspires your to squeeze the most out of life while collecting real-life, physical badges. 

Objective:

Listen to Do Scarecrows Scare Crows from Every Little Thing.

Details:

1) Head over to Every Little Thing and listen to Do Scarecrows Scare Crows?

2) In the comments below, answer the following questions:

-What did you think of Do Scarecrows Scare Crows? Was it interesting? Entertaining? Thought provoking? Why? 

-Imagine you’re an inventor with unlimited resources. What features would you add to (or subtract from) the traditional scarecrow to make it more effective.

 

Fowl Play Micro Objective- Research - 50

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Quest Scouts inspires your to squeeze the most out of life while collecting real-life, physical badges. 

Objective:

Check out the Audubon Society. Which chapter most accessible to you? What events are scheduled in the coming months?

Details:

1) Like Fowl Play’s travel objective, this micro objective asks you to check out your local Audubon Society chapter.

2) Some chapters have their own websites, while others have only a Facebook page. Find out what events, if any, your chapter offers. If you don’t see a list of events readily available, ask!

Why are we doing this? Our hope is that in learning what events are available to you, you’ll in turn know whether or not attending such an event appeals to you.

3) In the comments below, share with us what you learned.

Fowl Play Micro Objective - Media - 50

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Quest Scouts inspires your to squeeze the most out of life while collecting real-life, physical badges. 

Objective:

Listen to The Feather Heist from This American Life.

Details:

1) Head over to This American Life and listen to The Feather Heist.

Note: Make sure you listen to all seven acts.

2) In the comments below, answer the following questions:

-What did you think of The Feather Heist? Was it interesting? Entertaining? Thought provoking? Why? 

-If you were in charge, what punishment, if any, would Edwin Rist face for his crime?

 

Up In Flames Micro Objective - Research - 50

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Quest Scouts inspires your to squeeze the most out of life while collecting real-life, physical badges. 

Objective:

Spend some time researching fire starting techniques.

Details:

1) Spend 15+ minutes researching fire starting techniques. You could research survivalist fire starting, or simply the most efficient way to start a campfire.

2) When you’re through with your research, post something you learned from your research in the comments below.

Fowl Play - Travel - 300

“I think the most important quality in a birdwatcher is a willingness to stand quietly and see what comes. Our everyday lives obscure a truth about existence - that at the heart of everything there lies a stillness and a light.” 

-Lynn Thomson

Objective:

Set off for a day of birding.

Details:

1) Watch Birdwatching for Beginners with Barbara Hannah Gufferman and Two Tips for Beginner Birdwatchers from Stefano Ianiro.

2) (Optional) If you feel that you’d like a more thorough introduction, watch The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America.

3) Find the Audubon Society chapter closest to you. Some chapters have their own websites, while others have only a Facebook page.

4) With help of the Audubon Society, learn about the “Birding Hotspots” in your area. Note: Please do not skip this step.

5) From this list you gathered with the help of the Audubon Society, choose an area to go birding in.

6) Gather your supplies. At the least, you’ll need a bird field guide for your area and a method for recording information.

7) Go birding! Head out for an afternoon (at least one hour) of birding. Do your best to identify and record each bird that you see. (At a minimum, make sure to identify at least one bird with your guide.)

8) Create and share a field report!
Please make sure to mention the following in your report:

-Your local Audubon Chapter
-Where you went birding
-A description of the day (Who you were with, the weather…)
-A list of birds you saw (At least one, and hopefully more, identified with your guide.)
-What you like(d) about birding
-What you found challenging about birding

Post your field report in the comments below.

9) Take a photo while out birding and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.

 

Fowl Play - Visit - 300

Objective:

Head to a natural history museum and search for their bird collection.

Details:

1) Identify a natural history museum you’d like to visit. Make sure to do a bit of research and make sure the museum you choose has a collection of birds on display.

2) Visit the natural history museum and head to their bird collection. Spend more time with the bird collection than you normally might, focusing on the birds in detail. If there is information available about these birds, make sure to read it!

3) While in the museum, collect three interesting facts or observations. Report your facts/observations in the comments below.

5) Take a photo of yourself in front of the bird collection to document your experience. (Note: If, and only if, photography isn’t permitted, choose an alternative photo opportunity.) Post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.

Fowl Play - Visit - 300

Objective:

Check out an aviary or feed/hold a bird at a zoo.

Details:

1) Identify an aviary OR a zoo with an aviary. An aviary is a large enclosure. For the purposes of this objective, the aviary should allow the public to enter the aviary, leaving no fencing between you and the birds. (There may be areas where you cannot walk, but there should be no cage between you and the birds.) While some aviaries stand alone, many are attached to zoos.

2) Travel to and enter the aviary! If the aviary allows you to feed or hold the birds, do it!

3) Take a photo of yourself while inside the aviary and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.

4) In the comments below, describe your experience. Where did you go? Who did you go with? Describe the bird habitat within the aviary. What type of birds existed within the aviary? How close were you to the birds? Did you feed or hold the birds?

Fowl Play - Research - 200

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Objective:

Dissect an owl pellet.

Details:

1) Watch How Bird Vomit Helps Us Understand History from The Brain Scoop and The Amazing Owls: Pellet Dissection from The Audubon Society.

2) (Optional) If you’re interested in a more detailed dissection tutorial, check out How to Dissect an Owl Pellet from Scott Brooks.

3) Aquire your supplies. At a minimum, you’ll need an owl pellet and an identification sheet. You can get them at Pellets.com, Amazon, or, ya know, somewhere else. There are a ton of identification sheets available online, but if you don’t want to search for your favorite this one from Nature Watch seems solid.

4) Dissect your owl pellet.

5) Sort and identify the bones you found using your identification sheet.

6) Take a photo to document your experience and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.
Note: Owl pellet dissection won’t be everyone’s jam, as while interesting it’s also kinda gross. Some scouts will choose not to do this objective for that reason. Out of respect, let’s try to share photos that won’t make the more squeamish scouts queasy.

7) In the comments below, describe your experience. Where did you get your pellet? What was the process of dissection like for you? What bones did you identify? Could you tell what animal they were from?

Fowl Play - Art - 200

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“After a thousand watercolors you
will find you have fallen in love
with paper and paint.”

-Rex Brandt

Objective:

Find a feather then create a watercolor painting of it.

Details:

1) Gather your art materials. You’ll need:

  • Watercolor Paints (This objective requires watercoloring. Please don’t substitute another medium)

  • A Brush

  • Watercolor Paper (Not 100% necessary, but makes for a better experience)

2) (Optional) If you are new to watercolors, consider tackling our H20 art objective before continuing on with this one.

3) Aquire a feather. You can find one yourself or buy one. Finding one yourself might take a while, but will be an interesting experience in itself. You’ll be seeing feathers for months after your concerted effort to find one. If you do buy one, do your best to buy a genuine feather.

4) Make a watercolor of your feather. This may be a learning process, so feel free to give this a try several times. Remember that while you’ll be doing your best to reproduce your feather on the page, it won’t look exactly the same. (And that’s not a bad thing!)

If you’re not sure where to get started, check out “A Feather” from Kateri Ewing as she shows you her artistic process.

5) Take a photo of your best watercolor feather next to the original feather. Share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your art in our Facebook group.

Fowl Play - Photography - 150

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Objective:

Take a photo that includes birds in flight.

Details:

1) Stay alert. You’ll increase the likelihood of grabbing the perfect shot by keeping this objective top of mind.

2) Keep your standards high! Your goal is not just to get a photo of a bird in flight, but to get a photo whose subject and composition you feel proud of. This might mean pursuing this objective over a long period of time. Remember, while the subject of your photo may be the birds themselves, it’s also ok to have the birds play a supporting role. Just make sure you feel the birds help tell the story of the photo.

3) When you’ve taken the perfect shot, post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.
 

Fowl Play - Find - 300

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Objective:

Search for or hide a geocache or letterbox honoring our feathered friends.

Details:

1) Choose an avian related theme that appeals to you.

Need some inspiration? What about…

  • Highlighting a specific bird species

  • Creating a puzzle about migration patterns

  • Encouraging your finders to do some birding on the way to the hide and report what they saw in their log

  • Providing a feather quill for the purposes of log signing

  • Hiding your cache/box inside a fake birdhouse

2) Create a geocache or letterbox that highlights your feathered friends theme.

IMPORTANT! Make sure that as you create your hide, it truly is an homage to birds.

Your hide should utilize AT LEAST TWO of the following:

  • A name that alludes to your theme

  • An in theme logbook

  • An in theme container

  • A stamp relevant to your theme (Letterboxes, Letterbox Hybrids)

  • Written information about your theme (Teach them something!)

  • Be hidden at a relevant location

3) Hide, submit and have your hide approved.

4) Take a photo of your hide (either at its resting place or in progress) and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your hide in our Facebook group.

5) Give us a link to your hide in the comments below. Additionally, tell us which of the two hide requirements listed about you included.

*A "find/hide" can be either a geocache or letterbox. Not familiar with either? Watch this video by Groundspeak, the #1 lister of geocaches or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest. However, if you've never geocached or letterboxed, we highly suggest you start with a different find objective. It's best to make 100+ finds before you hide.

 

Fowl Play - DIY - 300

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Objective:

Taste a less conventionally eaten bird egg.

Details:

1) Choose a bird egg that is not commonly consumed in your country. For those who live in the US, this means any bird egg that is not from a chicken or duck. You are also highly encouraged to choose an egg type you haven’t previously eaten.

Edible bird eggs include:

Turkey
Goose
Quail
Pheasant
Emu
Ostrich

2) Do your research and figure out where you can acquire your “exotic” egg. Then go get one!

3) If you eat the egg at a restaurant, this step is already done for you. For our home chefs, you’ll need to research how to prepare your egg, and then cook it.

4) Great, you’ve got a cooked egg in front of you. Now give it a try!

5) Take a photo to document your culinary adventure and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your photo in our Facebook group.

6) In the comments below, describe your egg tasting journey. What egg did you try? Where did you get it? How was it prepared. And, most importantly, did it taste like chicken?!

Note: If (and only if) you have a dietary restriction that makes eating eggs a problem, please do the alternative Fowl Play DIY objective instead.

 

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