A merit badge was an award by the Boy Scouts for achievements in certain fields of study. A requirement of 21 merit badges was needed for a Boy Scout to become an Eagle Scout.
As a child, Captain Jonathan Archer gained his "Wilderness" merit badge in a rainforest in New Zealand, Earth.
In 2152, he compared the forest of Dakala to that in which he gained his badge, also mentioning that he had gained 26 badges in total, though Lieutenant Malcolm Reed replied he had gained 28. Later, startled by a strange creature, Archer remarked that they would earn their exobiology badges if they encountered any more. Reed replied that he already had earned this one. (ENT: "Rogue Planet")