Girl Scouts are Outdoor Explorers

Guest Post: Girl Scouts are Outdoor Explorers

Guest Post from Vicki Wright, GSUSA Outdoor Initiative Lead, Lifetime Girl Scout, Former CEO of multiple Girl Scout Councils

Girl Scouts Launches Inaugural Badge Series Chosen by Girls

This year, on its 103^rd Anniversary, Girl Scouts is celebrating our commitment to providing fun and beneficial outdoor experiences for girls with the launch of a new series of outdoor badges, chosen by Girl Scouts themselves.

Outdoor experiences are an integral part of Girl Scouts and are woven into Girl Scout program in such a way that girls feel comfortable trying new things and testing their limits, and gain confidence and acquire new skills in a safe and supportive all-girl environment. From a relaxed nature hike through the forests to teaming up on a wildlife conservation project to high-adventure rock-climbing, Girl Scouts offers girls a variety of opportunities to learn and grow inside and out.

My first experience with Girl Scouts was in an outdoor setting where I learned to become comfortable in the outdoors and with myself.  I did not understand at the time all that I was learning while having so much fun.  I can honestly say that my love for the outdoors came from those experiences and truly molded the person I became.

In the month of November, GSUSA began the polling process for the Girls’ Choice Outdoor Badges by inviting girls to vote on a diverse option of outdoor badge themes. Outdoor Explorer emerged as the overall theme, with five age specific Badge offerings: Outdoor Adventurer, Horseback Riding, Archery, Paddling and Ultimate Recreation Challenge.

But why is this so important to us?

According to our research (Girl Scout Research Institute’s study, More Than S’mores), girls benefit immensely from time outdoors. Girls who spend time outdoors eclipse their peers in environmental stewardship, more readily seek challenges, and are better problem solvers, all of which are traits needed for 21st century leadership.

Outdoor experiences through Girl Scouting, such as camp, are beneficial to girl leadership development across ethnicities. Latina (38 percent) and African American (40 percent) girls are more likely than their peers (28 percent) to say they overcame a fear of the outdoors through Girl Scouting; seventy-nine percent of Latina girls say they first tried an outdoor activity in Girl Scouts, and an overwhelming 59 percent of Latina girls say Girl Scouts has offered them outdoor activities they would not have otherwise had access to.

Simply put, this is important to us because it is important to girls. Once exposed to the outdoors, girls love it.  And, now more than ever, research shows us that getting outdoors is so important to the physical, social and psychological development of our girls and the health of our planet.

We want to get more girls outdoors, more often and in varied ways. Please join us in this effort.

Pledge to Go Green

Are you committed to going green? Are you passionate about recycling? Are you ready to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

Girl Scouts of Central Texas has the project just for you!

Commit to the Forever Green Take Action initiative! It's your chance to take action with Girl Scouts around the country to honor strong traditions of Girl Scouting.

I want to learn more about Forever Green. What is it? 
In conjunction with the Year of the Girl, the Forever Green Take Action projects invites girls to take action on one or more projects including Reducing Waste, Earth Hour and Rain Gardens. These projects can lead to sustainable behavioral change and environmental impact within our communities. As we kick off this initiative, we ask that girls take an online pledge stating their year long commitment to the efforts and get their friends and family to join in as well!

These projects coincides with Girl Scouts of the USA's 100th Anniversary so what better gift to the movement than measurable results; real proof that girl can change the world.

I'm almost convinced. Why else should I get involved?
The goal of this initiative is to engage approximately 800,000 Girl Scouts (25% of our membership nationally). If this goal is achieved, it will made substantial contributions, not only to girls' leadership development, but also to their surrounding environment. Girl Scouts will be seen as leaders of the healthy and green movement and others are sure to follow their lead.

I'm ready to commit. What can I do?
Your local council is focusing our efforts on the Reducing Waste project and will do so across our 46-county jurisdiction.

You can start small! 

• Encourage your friends and family to recycle.
• Make an effort to use reusable water bottles and bags.
• Volunteer to handle all recycling efforts at a school or church event. 

You can go big!

• Start a recycling program at your school.
• Work with your city to raise awareness on the importance of recycling.
• Work with your local stores to offer only reusable bags. 
• Tell your friends at lunch why they should use reusable water bottles.

Get creative! This is your project, your impact!

How do I sign up?
Visit the national Forever Green website to learn more and to take the national pledge. The head over to the GSCTX local pledge website to commit to the initiative.

Questions? Contact Kate Lipinski. 

-Kate Lipinski

Going Green with a Smile

“Thank you for helping us learn how to recycle. I will soon call my family in Minnesota and in Ecuador to start recycling. I admire you for helping the earth.”

– Cheryl, 3rd grade, Great Oaks Elementary

When I first began my Girl Scout Gold Award Project about going green, I did not anticipate that the culmination of my project would be to share my findings with younger children in my local community, but I now believe that it has become one of the most precious outcomes of my undertaking. My initial aspiration for my project was to raise environmental awareness in a unique way after witnessing the eye-rolling from my classmates that accompanied the usual leaflets, brochures, and packets about “Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling!” I wanted to educate people about ways to help the environment that would blend easily into everyday life, while interweaving my approach with another passion of mine – art.

I began by organizing an outdoor bazaar open to the Austin community that communicated the theme “Going Green…It’s Easy!” I collaborated with a variety of local and national organizations, such as Austin Water Utility, the National Wildlife Federation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, City of Austin Solid Waste Services, Keep Austin Beautiful, and Ecology Action to set up booths at the event to educate and provide information about their services to visitors. Guests loved the “Keep Austin Beautiful” bumper stickers and low-flow shower heads that these organizations distributed along with their environmental expertise.

To add my personal touch to the bazaar, I created interactive artistic booths that focused on the fresh concept of “upcycling,” a sustainability method in which waste materials are used to create new products. My art-centered upcycling booths displayed arts and crafts made out of recyclables and other miscellaneous objects, and provided the visitors a chance to exercise their own creative talents in fashioning new things from used items.

Through the great response I received for my upcycling ideas, I became conscious that hands-on involvement is an amazing way to introduce people to the creative nature of sustainability or “Going Green.” I then decided to take my project a step further and developed a brochure that provided instructions for crafts that can be made from used objects. I mailed this upcycling brochure to the art teachers at various public schools in my community as a way for them to foster environmental awareness in youth through art lessons. They were very enthusiastic about my idea of approaching environmentalism through art and many of the teachers incorporated the upcycled crafts into their curricula. Within weeks, I was invited to visit elementary school art classes and events. I discovered that the most fulfilling part of my Gold Project was interacting with these elementary school students. The opportunity to share my knowledge of the green movement and passion for art with children energized me to continue my involvement in this cause.

Though the environmental movement has many facets, I have found an aspect within it that has special significance to me. In order to continue reaching out to youth about environmental topics, I have become involved in the national Girl Scout “Forever Green” Community Action Project, a pilot project in which I will guide groups of girls to help them create and carry out their own environmental advocacy projects.

As I continue to educate children and other Girl Scouts about the benefits of being green, I realize that the many notes I receive illustrated with smiley-faces and renderings of the earth represent exactly what I strive for: to enrich environmental awareness for others by adding a smile and individuality to the process.

-Dipona, Girl Scout Ambassador

For her project, Dipona has been recognized as a 2009 Silver Service Award Winner by the Wildlife Conservation Society. 

The World Is Waiting

As the temperature cools and the leaves change, it is a wonderful time to be out in nature. It is a great way to educate your child or troop about the out-of-doors and to initiate conversation.

According to Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods,” many children today are suffering from nature-deficit disorder. As children spend more and more time indoors they suffer more with ADHD, childhood obesity and stress. How can we as adults help? By providing children with more opportunities to be outside. Our council has access to five wonderful campsites as well as city and state parks where children can explore while providing service.

Everyone today is concerned with the amount of litter we see and the amount of plastic that goes into our landfills. Any time that you take your girls on a walk or to a park or a campsite, carry bags to pick up trash and bottles that can be recycled. Remember that a Girl Scout always leaves a place cleaner that she finds it. This small act is a service project, as well as teaching girls to be responsible for the planet.

GSCTX is one of 36 pilot councils in the “Forever Green” Community Action Project. The program booklet is full of wonderful resources and ideas to use, even if you don’t decide to submit a project. It is full of ideas to help girls discover, connect and take action on environmental issues. This project will help girls, and adults, be more aware of our surroundings and develop ideas that can make a significant impact on our environment.

So, if being outdoors is good for our mental and physical health and is good for the health of our communities, schools and the planet……what are we waiting for? Lets get to work, the world is waiting.

-Jan Cate 

Forever Green is part of Girls Go Green, one of four focus areas guiding GSCTX programs. By introducing girls to environmental awareness, GSCTX is providing a generation of girls with the tools necessary to positively impact our planet.

Blog Action Day: Climate Change

In 2008 two all Girl Scout robotics teams qualified for the FIRST LEGO League Central Texas Championship. Each team was required to research a particular environmental issue as part of their participation. The Techno-Girl Scouts researched drought conditions in Central Texas.

As part of Blog Action Day (a day when bloggers come together to discuss the same topic and create global buzz), GSCTX is pleased to share their findings, as recorded in early 2009. Through increased awareness, we can all lessen our impact on the environment and slow global climate change.

2008 Drought Facts

• Rainfall was well below normal during May and June, typically the first and second wettest months.
• Summer 2008 tied with 1998 for the hottest summer on record.
• Hot temperatures led to very high evaporation across the entire region this summer, with about twice the average evaporation rate in June and July.
• There were 50 days this year with temperatures at or over 100 degrees in Austin (including over 20 consecutive days in June).
• September was one of the driest on record.
• Most areas received less than half the normal October rain.
• 2008 is the sixth driest year on record for Austin.
• On Oct. 31, 2008 year-to-date inflows into the Highland Lakes were less than inflows over the same period in 2006, which were the lowest on record since 1942.

Top 10 Ways to Conserve Water

10. Don't water your lawn on windy days when most of the water blows away or evaporates.

9. Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car.

8. Direct water from rain gutters and AC systems toward water-loving plants in the landscape.

7. Use sprinklers that deliver big drops of water close to the ground. Smaller water drops and mist often and evaporate before they hit the ground.

6. Adjust your watering schedule each month to match seasonal weather conditions and landscape requirements.

5. Wash your pets outdoors in an area of your lawn that needs water.

4. Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants.

3. Save water and time by washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.

2. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered not the house, sidewalk or street.

1. Share water conservation tips with friends and neighbors.

Girl Scouts can positively impact our environment through the new Forever Green program, by attending a nature and outdoors related program, by completing an environmental service project or many other Mother Earth related activities.

If you are interested in the Girl Scout robotics teams, please contact the EDGE.

-Techno-Girl Scouts & Cheryl Lowe

Ladies & Gentlemen, allow me to introduce…

Girls today have instant access to a world wide pool of knowledge that must be filtered and used wisely.

GSCTX is assisting girls in navigating through this process by identifying four program focus areas. These focus areas ensure that our programs are the premier leadership experience for girls. The focus areas were selected based upon what we know girls need to succeed today and tomorrow as well as what the needs are of the local and global community. By discovering, connecting and taking action within these four areas, girls will be armed with the skills they need to navigate through life and positively impact the world around them.

The GSCTX’s four focus areas are…

Girls Go Tech

As technology flattens the world and connects us across the globe, Girl Scout programs equip girls to compete and win in school and in their future careers. Through fun, mentally-stimulating activities, girls learn practical skills, adaptability and problem-solving, key components to gain the competitive edge in this fast changing technology driven world.

Girls Go Creative

Self expression through the visual, performing and literary arts helps provide life balance, fosters creative thinking and strengthens problem solving abilities. The arts experience in Girl Scouts allows for innovation and personal reflection while providing fun and entertainment for others.

Girls Grow Strong

Activities related to personal responsibility, self sufficiency and courage empower girls to care for themselves and lead others. Girl Scouts learn about ethical leadership and community trusteeship through a variety of programs. By participating in leadership and community service activities, girls build strong minds, bodies and character. Girls learn that “to make the world a better place” is more than words; it is a commitment to a cause greater than one’s self.

Girls Go Green

We must be responsible stewards of our planet in order to live healthy and productive lives and to maintain that opportunity for future generations. Girl Scouting gives girls the platform to learn, practice and teach what it means to respect the environment and wisely use our limited resources. (Check out our new program, Forever Green, to get a glimpse of exactly how we’re going green.)

-Etta Moore