The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. This prestigious award is earned through the creation and completion of a sustainable, measurable Take Action project that addresses an issue the Girl Scout is passionate about. Each project requires a minimum of 80 hours of work, typically completed over the course of three months to a year. To earn the award, the Girl Scout identifies a community issue, conducts research, develops and implements a solution, and measures the project’s impact. Finally, she shares her project with the broader community to educate and inspire others to take action.

Girl Scout Zoe Lander of Manatee County identified beach pollution as a pressing issue in her community and set out to make a difference.

“For my Gold Award I created a Beach Toy Borrow Bin, where anyone can leave or take toys. The bin is located on Holmes Beach at 68th street beach access. The main idea for this was so that travelers wouldn’t leave plastics on the beach when they can’t fly home with toys as well as allowing for toys to be played with again rather than thrown away.”

“This not only reduces pollution, but it prevents sea turtles from getting stuck when going to the water after hatching, or any animals from eating plastics.”

According to the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, beach toys can block nesting turtles, hinder hatchlings from reaching the ocean, become entangled or ingested by sea turtles, leading to injury or death.

According to the Environment Florida Research & Policy Center, 58% of Florida beaches tested last year had at least one day when bacteria levels exceeded the EPA’s safe swimming standard. Florida’s most contaminated beach was in Manatee County.

One possible contributor to bacterial contamination on beaches is plastic toys. Studies have shown that these toys can actually become breeding grounds for bacteria when left behind in the sand or water. Not only can that pose a risk to people enjoying the beach — it can also affect marine life like sea turtles.

“In order to create my bin, I had many people help me research locations, materials, and building plans. This research was very essential to finding locations that are heavily used so the bin could be successful. Researching also led me to use wood and flex seal paint to create the box, allowing it to be weatherproof.”

Zoe’s Beach Toy Borrow Bin is a shining example of how one Girl Scout’s vision and dedication can lead to meaningful environmental change. By addressing a local issue with global implications, Zoe not only helped reduce plastic waste and protect vulnerable sea turtle populations, but also educated her community about sustainable practices. Her Gold Award project demonstrates the power of youth-led solutions and serves as an inspiration for others to take small, impactful steps toward a cleaner, safer planet—for beachgoers, marine life, and future generations alike.