William T. Hornaday Awards

The William T. Hornaday Awards are a series of awards presented by the Boy Scouts of America for service in conservation and ecology. The program is designed to encourage learning about natural resource conservation and the environment, teach sound stewardship of the natural resources and the environment, and recognize those who are outstanding in this field.

Awards

Recipients of the Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal may wear the corresponding square knot insignia, with a blue, green and white knot on a tan background, on the BSA uniform. The Hornaday Gold Medal for adults serving at least 20 years in conservation has only been awarded about 40 times since its establishment in 1975.^[1]

Since the original Hornaday medals and badges were established in 1914, slightly more than 1,000 bronze medals and 2,200 youth badges have been awarded. About 114 silver medals have been awarded since its establishment in 1975 and 357 adult gold badges since its establishment in 2000. About 200 Hornaday Awards of all types (medals, badges, and certificates) are made nationally per year.

Recipients of the Badge or Gold Badge may wear the corresponding badge on their uniform.

Program

The awards are presented at several levels:^[2]

• The Unit Award is a certificate presented at the council level to a BSA unit that completes a significant conservation service project.
• The William T. Hornaday Badge is a council level award that can be earned by Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers by completing certain advancement requirements and performing at least one substantial project.
• The William T. Hornaday Gold Badge is a council level award presented to adult Scouters who have provided significant leadership in conservation at the council or district level over a period of at least three years.
• The William T. Hornaday Bronze Medal is a national level award that can be earned by Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers by completing certain advancement requirements and performing at least three bronze substantial projects.
• The William T. Hornaday Silver Medal is a national level award that can be earned by Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers by completing certain advancement requirements and performing at least four silver substantial projects.
• The William T. Hornaday Gold Medal is a national level award presented to adult Scouters who have provided significant leadership in conservation on a national or regional basis over a period of at least twenty years.
• The William T. Hornaday Gold Certificate is a national level award presented to corporations or organizations who have provided outstanding contribution to youth conservation education for at least three years.

Origins

This awards program was created to recognize those that have made significant contributions to conservation. It was begun in 1914 by Dr. William T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park and founder of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hornaday was an active and outspoken champion of natural resource conservation and a leader in saving the American bison from extinction. He named the award the Wildlife Protection Medal.^[3] After his death in 1937, the award was renamed in Dr. Hornaday's honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award.

In the early 1970s, the present awards program was established with funding help from DuPont. At that time, the late Dr. Hornaday's idea of conservation was broadened to include environmental awareness.

Approximately 1,100 medals have been awarded over the past 80 years. These awards represent a substantial commitment of time and energy by individuals who have learned the meaning of a conservation/environmental ethic. Any Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer willing to devote the time and energy to work on a project based on sound scientific principles and guided by a conservation professional or a well-versed layperson can qualify for one of the Hornaday Awards.

References