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Troop 81 Loves the Outdoors
June is Great Outdoors Month and we want to celebrate the many benefits spending time outdoors holds for girls. Members of Troop 81 from Portsmouth are advocates for the environment and love doing activities and events that involve Girl Scouts’ outdoor programming!
The troop leadership know from their Girl Scout training that one of the biggest advantages of spending time outside is the opportunity to build resilience—the learned and developed emotional and mental skill to rebound from setbacks and challenges. Why is resilience important? Having the tools to learn from challenges and setbacks is vital in growing confidence, courage, and character—Girl Scout essentials.
This spring, the troop did a number of activities including some that built up to attending the It’s Your Planet, Love It! Journey day at Virginia Wesleyan College hosted by Gold Award Girl Scout alum Wendy Scott. The girls took part in experiences that guided them on discovering their relationship to nature and how they can protect the environment. They joined other Girl Scouts in creating butterfly art that included images of how they personally connect with nature. They also took a nature hike and created Take Action projects on helping make a better world through environmental stewardship. They were very well prepared for this Journey day, since they focused on nature education starting in March with activities to earn their Girl Scout Eco Friend and Design with Nature badges, which included building bird feeders and discussing the importance of pollinators.
The troop also attended “Project Impact: Defenders of the Sea” hosted by GSCCC which was held at the Virginia Beach oceanfront in April. There, they learned what makes up marine trash and debris, and how it impacts our environment. They took a pledge to be part of the solution and learned steps to take for the prevention of this problem. They then took to the shore to join in a Beach Clean-up, the event’s Take Action project, and enjoyed walking the boardwalk and being advocates by sharing their experience with others and encouraging them to also take the pledge!
Also in April, the troop headed to Mt. Trashmore Park for the Earth Day Celebration and talked to different vendors about electrical vehicles, compost and other earth-saving tips. They ended the day making crafts using recyclable materials.
“The Journey event really reinforced the importance of prevention while learning ways to help be more eco-friendly,” said Josefa Ceruto, a troop volunteer and Girl Scout mom. “From the tour and discussions of the Greer Building and its sustainable energy use to the group project allowing girls to work with other Brownies and Daisies on common environmental goals, they are becoming true champions of the environment and having so much fun doing it! The girls will continue learning about nature and their responsibility to protect it as we close out the year. We’ll be including some Leave No Trace activities and nature scavenger hunts at our June service unit encampment. We are definitely benefiting from the Girl Scout experience!”
Experiences in nature, whether it’s a stroll in your local park or an overnight camping trip, provide an incredible opportunity to learn about yourself, your troop, and your surroundings. Take the Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors Challenge this summer to build skills, lift your mood, and make some great memories, just like the Girl Scouts of Troop 81.
