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The Swamp Base Trek Award patch was created to recognize the achievements of Scouts and adult leaders that participate on a high adventure trek and "conquered the swamp" by completing a trek. The patch is designed to represent the Swamp Base experience. It cannot be bought, sold, or traded... only earned. The main dark gray portion of the patch is a cypress tree silhouette, the state tree of Louisiana and prominent tree of the swamp. The silhouette implies the mystery associated with the experience. At the top of the tree is a red fleur de lis. This symbol represents Swamp Base’s ties to the Boy Scouts of America and Louisiana. The red color stands for the blood, sweat, and tears that participants leave behind in the swamp. Hopefully just a little blood donated to mosquitoes, only tears of joy, but surely plenty of sweat! Below the fleur de lis is a cattle skull hanging from the heart of the cypress tree. The cattle skull or “Tête la Vache” in French, is seen on Day 1 of Trek 1's trail and represents the high water mark of the 1927 flood, an event that drastically impacted the swamp and region. Just below the skull and located on the trunk of the tree are the letters "EAC." The "ghosted" letters stand for the Evangeline Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, the home of Swamp Base in South Louisiana. Near the bottom of the patch and sitting at the base of cypress tree is the head of a lurking alligator. The "king" of the swamp and the mascot of Swamp Base, the alligator's eye is shown in red to represent the reflective color of an alligator’s eye when seen with a light at night. The bottom portion of the patch identifies the name of the Scouting program as "SWAMP BASE," and is shown in the official font, as well as the official green and tan colors of the program. The final piece of the trek award is the most unique and the what really separates a Swamp Base Trek Award patch from others in Scouting. Dangling from the patch is a real alligator tooth. Each tooth is different to show the unique experience each participant had while on their trek and represents the completion of the trek and conquering of the swamp!

We're excited to announce that the first ever Scouts from the State of Delaware will be conquering the swamp this summer! That just leaves us with four states that have yet to be represented on a high adventure trek. If you know anyone from Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, or South Dakota, make sure they register for an upcoming trek. They could be the first to conquer the swamp from their state! Swamp Base will operate its 12th summer of Scouting high adventure treks summer and it's amazing at how well received the program has been among Scouts and leaders. Though Scouting is all about traditions, it is also about opening one's eyes to the rest of the world, whether through merit badges and the Trail to Eagle, or attending camps and high adventure bases across the country. We're always excited to welcome new or returning Scouts to the swamps, because the more people that journey through the swamp's waters, the more stewards and champions we will grow across the country that support  these environments.