Conservation Awards
BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award
The BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award (DCSA) is the BSA’s highest conservation award available. Developed to encourage learning by the participants and to increase public awareness about natural resource conservation through sound stewardship.
Visit Scouting America’s DCSA webpage for program overview, application, and workbook. The requirement overview document is also available here.
Your first step: contact the Atlanta Area Council office to be connected with the Advancement Program Director who help you identify a DCSA Advisor
Atlanta Area Council Conservation Gold Award
The Atlanta Area Council Conservation Gold award recognizes Scouts who lead a significant conservation project that educates the public about one of Scouting’s key missions: preserving our natural resources. The award honors the effort that goes into leading a significant conservation project, as well as provides encouragement for those who decide to go ahead and complete the two projects needed to receive the National Distinguished Conservation Service Award. An Eagle Project may count for this award, but approval for the Atlanta Area Council Conservation Gold Award must be completed before starting work for a project to be eligible.
Your first step: contact the Atlanta Area Council office to be connected with the Advancement Program Director who help you identify a DCSA Advisor
The council Conservation Committee provides guidance and to identify qualified advisers. The role of the conservation adviser is to guide the young person into selecting significant conservation projects and to coach the youth into preparing, researching, consulting others, designing, planning, and giving leadership to others in carrying out the projects. The adviser must approve the application, indicating that the applicant’s activities have been monitored and ensuring that the projects meet local needs. The applicant’s unit leader must also approve the conservation project.
If you would like to help as a trained DCSA advisor take the online training course here:
The Atlanta Area Council Conservation Committee serves as a resource for conservation, environmental, ecology and sustainability-related topics. Our vision is guided by principles central to the BSA, including the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace, and by conservation management best-practices from national, regional, and local organizations.
As a member of the Atlanta Area Council Conservation Committee, your responsibilities will include:
- Supporting and coordinating conservation efforts in the council, including serving as the primary resource for conservation, environmental, and sustainability-related advancement and programming.
- Promoting conservation awards, including reviewing and approving Distinguished Conservation Service Awards projects and applications and promoting conservation-related training.
For more information on joining the AAC Conservation Committee, or helping as a conservation advisor, please contact Kent Watkins, Conservation Committee Chair, at kent.watkins@gmail.com.