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November
2007
Girl Scouts Go Green
by
Maureen Traxler
 Founded
by Juliette Gordon Low on March 12, 1912, the Girl Scouts
of the USA is celebrating its 95th birthday this year.
To mark this milestone, Girl Scouts across the country
will plant up to 30,000 trees, making a significant impact
on the environment. The Girl Scouts tree-planting
initiative is a community service project designed to promote
environmental awareness and civic responsibility. To carry
this project forward, the Girl Scout organization is collaborating
with The Future of Life Inc., an environmental nonprofit
that encourages young people to take a leadership role
in improving their communities and to discover and appreciate
the Earth and its natural elements.
This
March 12, scouts from the New York area, including girls
from Nassau County, held a ceremonial tree-planting to
launch the service project. The event took place at the
Girl Scouts’Edith Macy Conference Center, a training
and leadership institute in Westchester County. Juliette
Low had also participated in a tree planting ceremony at
the same natural setting when “Camp”Edith Macy
opened in 1926.
More
locally, some 40 Nassau County Girl Scouts planted 95 trees
in celebration of their 95th year at the C.W. Post campus
of Long Island University in May. The college horticulturalist
showed the girls the proper technique for planting trees
and explained the benefits to the environment of tree planting.
C.W. Post was chosen as the home for these "special" trees
because, as part of Post's Community Arboretum, the
trees will be nurtured by experienced staff members and
because the girls and their families can visit them conveniently.
"It
was fun to get down in the dirt and get messy without getting
in trouble,"said Meryl, a Junior Girl Scout who participated
in the tree-planting project. "It made me feel good
about myself because I was helping the environment,"added
Junior Scout Sarah, who confessed that she's also "a
tree hugger."
Twenty
of the trees will grow in a "Girl Scout Grove" and
become part of a pre-existing walking tour on campus. The
remainder was planted in a "nursery," and once
grown, the trees will be distributed throughout C.W. Post's
307-acre campus.
"I
had fun and enjoyed being on such a pretty campus with
beautiful scenery," Annemarie, a Cadette Scout remarked.
"The trees will be a nice reminder of the work Girl Scouts
do
in helping to make the world a better place."
The Nassau
County Scouts hope to return on the 100th birthday of Girl
Scouts in 2012 to visit the seedlings, which will then
be five-years taller and healthier.
From
late May through early June, Suffolk County Girl Scout
troops take advantage of "Getaway Weekends" at
the Council's Camp Edey in Bayport, a 102-acre natural
preserve on a chain of freshwater lakes. In addition to
games, activities and a chance to kick-back and relax,
this year the girls—on average, 60 scouts each weekend
mostly ranging in age from 7 to 12 years of age—participated
in an anniversary event that saw the planting of 95 pine
trees donated through the Girl Scouts of the USA and The
Future of Life.
"The
girls enjoyed the hands-on aspect of planting the trees,"says
Laura Donlon, Volunteer Coordinator for Girl Scouts of
Suffolk County. "They learned how their efforts in
environmental preservation will have tremendous impact
on both the camp grounds and the greater environment."
Throughout
the year, Suffolk Girl Scout troops adopt sections of land
in their communities and plant flowers and clean debris
and weeds. Participants in these environmental awareness
projects range from the youngest Brownies to Senior Scouts
preparing to receive the Gold Award, the highest award
presented to a Girl Scout.
© 2008
NETWORKING® MAGAZINE
2020 GUIDE TO GOING GREEN
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