FIRST CLASS SCOUT

6. Identify or show evidence of at least ten lands of native plants found in your community. From grasses pushing through cracks in a city street to ancient forests covering the sides of a mountain, vegetation is a vital part of our world:

Plants purify the air and pump oxygen into the atmosphere. Roots keep soil from washing away, and leaves [on branches and on the ground) slow the rain SB that it can seep into the earth. Fallen trees, grasses, and leaves enrich the soil as they decay. Vegetation provides shelter and food for wildlife. Even a dead tree can be important to animals as a roosting site, a place to build nests, and a source of nutrition.

Plants are used in many ways by people, too. Fields feed us and forests give us lumber to use in our buildings. Paper, rubber, many medicines, and thousands of other products are possible only because of plants. Shaded yards and city parks offer us places I dose to home where we can relax and play. Forests and wilderness areas provide us varied and challenging settings for hiking camping, and exploring nature.