Category Archives: Programs & Patches

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month. What Can YOU do to Help?

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

The challenges of today’s world don’t only affect grownups. Young people—especially girls—are facing a mental health crisis of their own. Supporting them as they grow and face life’s complexities is a top priority.

According to new CDC data released in Feb. 2023, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.

According to the report, youth mental health has continued to worsen—with particularly stark increases in widespread reports of harmful experiences among teen girls:

  • Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) seriously considered attempting suicide—up nearly 60% from a decade ago.
  • 1 in 5 (18%) experienced sexual violence in the past year—up 20% since 2017, when CDC started monitoring this measure.
  • More than 1 in 10 (14%) had been forced to have sex—up 27% since 2019 and the first increase since CDC began monitoring this measure.
  • More than half (52%) of LGBQ+ students had recently experienced poor mental health and, concerningly, more than 1 in 5 (22%) attempted suicide in the past year.

After reading this, you may be asking: what can I do to help?

Girl Scouts plus their families, caregivers, and volunteers now have access to these mental wellness resources from Girl Scouts of the USA and trusted partners. From new activities to trainings, you’ll find what you need to get started.

Troop 701 practices positive affirmations for mental health during a troop meeting in April.

Activities you can do

From developing social-emotional skills by showing kindness to their family and friends to celebrating differences and making others feel included, Girl Scout Daisies learn what it means to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, and how they can apply the Girl Scout Law to their lives. Get started with the following activities today and see your Daisy grow into their strongest, most resilient self.

Create a Bag of Kindness

Practice emotional skills and social competence by making a bag of positive notes for your family.

Make a Respect Myself Checklist

Make a checklist of ways you can take care of yourself, inside and out.

Activities have been adapted from Girl Scout programming. For certain grade levels, these activities may be part of a badge program.

Patches you can earn

Complete the Resilient, Ready, Strong Activity Guide

You already know Girl Scouts is fun. Guess what? It’s also a great way to build your inner strength so that you’re ready for anything!

Scientists have found that certain activities may lift your mood, calm you down when you’re stressed, and help you face challenges—and you can do many of these activities in Girl Scouts.

The “Complete the Resilient, Ready, Strong Activity Guide” includes a chart with 10 skills that may help boost your resilience.  Each skill has two activity choices, pulled from Girl Scout programming. Choose the ones that interest you, and give them a try!

Daisy Petal Set: Mental Wellness & Inclusion

Cultivate curiosity with the Daisy Promise Center and Learning Petal badges! This set of badges will introduce Girl Scout values to Daisies through engaging, hands-on activities from one or more of the Girl Scout pillars: STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors, and Entrepreneurship. Each petal badge focuses on a different line of the Girl Scout Law.

Resources you can learn from

Hey grownups!

Want to learn more about girls’ mental wellbeing but not sure where to start? These trainings and resources from our mental health partners will give you the tools you need to begin your journey.

Being inclusive really matters

Practice using inclusive and equitable language to support girls. Volunteers: Take this 15 minute training by logging into myGS>gsLearn.

Understanding mental wellness

Coming soon: special workshops for Girl Scouts to build mental health skills, created in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Managed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, adult volunteers will learn how to identify and respond to youth mental health challenges.

Articles you can read

Here is a list of articles on the GSUSA blog you can read about mental health awareness.

Girls Are Having a Mental Health Crisis—Some Solutions, Though, Are Simple

Yes, Your Daughter Just Called Herself Fat

Bad Day? Tell Your Daughter About It!

One in Four Teen Girls Self-Harm. Here’s How You Can Help.

Girl Scouts Meet State Legislators and Observe Sessions at State Capitol

by Jessica Miano

GIRL SCOUTS MEET STATE LEGISLATORS, OBSERVE SESSIONS AT STATE CAPITOL

The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida took 23 Girl Scouts to the Florida state capitol for a “Day at the Capitol” on April 20.

Girl Scouts, volunteers, and staff members from each of Florida’s six Councils attended, coming together to advocate on behalf of their four key pillars of leadership: STEM, Outdoors, Entrepreneurship, and Life Skills. A total of 126 Girl Scouts from councils across the state of Florida attended the day.

A welcome address kicked off the event in a courtyard ceremony that featured an interactive display of the organization’s leadership experience and time-honored traditions. Girls had the opportunity to meet and greet legislators and staffers at the exposition.

Girl Scout Cadette Krysalea met with Robin Bartleman (D), legislator of District 103 of the Florida State House of Representatives.

Later, girls had the opportunity to observe a Congressional session via the gallery, participate in a historic capitol scavenger hunt, and visit the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. The Girl Scouts were also recognized on the Senate and House floors during session.

“Participating in Girl Scouts Day at the Capitol was truly an amazing experience,” said Ashley Gill, Product Program Manager at GSGCF. “The girls from GSGCF enjoyed a day of conversation with legislators, learning the history of our state capital, and watching The House of Representatives while they were in session. They got to understand what drives a bill to the house and how it is brought to the floor. This trip was an experience many of them will think back on as they are looking forward to their futures.”

Girls earned a fun patch for participating in the day.

Camp Corner, Spring 2020 (Part 2)

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

By Madeline Jackson

chipmunk-429699_1920Chippy is back with Part 2 of Camp Corner for Spring 2020! Here are projects that council staff has been overseeing at Camp Caloosa.

A complete property tree trim was completed to lift canopies, widen the back trails, eliminate dead landscape, and, most importantly, clear additional area for parking at the camp entrance. You won’t believe the big difference!

Parking lot clearing

Crushed shell has since been installed on the newly cleared additional parking area. We are hopeful that this will provide a drier parking area if the property floods in the summer, where cars can safely park without getting stuck. If you’ve visited Caloosa during the rainy season, you know how important this is!

Because it was in disrepair and presented a potential safety hazard, the old fishing dock was demolished and removed. Handrails were installed so the space can now serve as an observation area. Caloosa’s Volunteer Caretaker, Jason, repaired the ramp bridge that leads to the back trails.

Bridge stabalized

All touchpoint areas at camp, including bunk beds and camp mattresses, have been disinfected. And, the Chalet house has been equipped with a new water heater.

If you missed it, be sure to read Part 1 of the spring camp blog to catch up on happenings at Camp Honi Hanta.

CALOOSA CHAMP 2

Don’t forget, there is a Honi Hanta Hero and a Caloosa Champion patch that the girls can earn for doing a service project at each respective camp. We have painting projects, cleaning projects, signage projects, trail trimming, etc. There is always something to do to improve camp and leave it better than we found it. Contact Madeline Jackson (madelinej@gsgcf.org) to learn more!

Camp Reminders

  • VERIFICATION OF OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING— To ensure your troop/service unit will be meeting all the requirements of your desired camp experience, we are verifying certifications for all reservations made in the Double Knot system.
  • If you borrow a piece of equipment from another campsite, please return it to its original location so all of our equipment can be accounted for.
  • If for any reason, you are planning to visit one of our camps without a reservation, you must first get prior authorization. Please contact Kimberly at kimberlya@gsgcf.org, or 800-232-4475, so we can inform our volunteer caretakers that you will be visiting the property.

Madeline Jackson is the Property Manager for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

Camp Corner, Spring 2020 (Part 1)

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

By Madeline Jackson

Chippy has been lonely during our stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 and hopes she will see you all very soon! While you’ve been away from camp, the property staff and volunteers have still been working hard to make camp improvements for you to enjoy once you can safely return. In Part 1 of Camp Corner for Spring 2020, Chippy will share the many developments at Camp Honi Hanta.

Troop 17 Completed Bronze Project - Honi Hanta Directional Signage

Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown of camp, Troop 17 completed their Bronze Award project. They designed and installed directional signage by the Lodge to assist first responders in locating campsites in case of emergencies. They were truly thankful for their business partners Gulfshore Landscaping and Violetto Customs for assisting with the completion of their project. In addition, Troop 614 painted the floor of the Eagles Bathhouse. Thanks so much, girls!

Eagles Perch Bathhouse Floor Paint 1 - troop 614

With volunteer assistance, staff installed a five-hole disk golf course near the Manatee House, thanks to funding from the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation and the Junior League of Sarasota. What a new fun activity for everyone to enjoy! Honi’s Volunteer Caretaker, Lance, was able to repair wood and screen issues at the Roundhouse. In addition, the Bathhouse flooring at Armadillo Alley was pressure washed and freshly re-painted with a second coat of paint.

Disk Golf Basket #1 leading to Hole #2

Council staff oversaw a number of important projects, including:

  • New decks and stairways were installed at Eagles Perch campsite for increased stability and safety.
  • The old plywood partitions were removed, and new toilet partitions installed in the Eagles Perch bathhouse.
  • Our friends at Modern Air were kind enough to donate a used iced machine that we desperately needed. Service units and troops alike no longer need to worry about bringing ice to camp.
  • Fans were installed in all of the treetop cabins and bathhouses for added breeze and comfort. In addition, new floodlighting was installed to light up the stairs, so they are more safely utilized in the evenings.
  • New storm doors and window A/C units were installed in the Armadillo Alley cabins. YES, I said air conditioning in ALL of those units!!!! Can I get a Yippppeeee??
  • Mulch landscaped beds were cleaned out and prepped for crushed shell installation, so mulch won’t stream into the pool.
  • Several leaky roof locations at the Roundhouse, the Lodge Kitchen, and the Eagles Perch screen room were repaired.
  • All touchpoint areas at camp, including bunk beds and camp mattresses, were disinfected.

chipmunk-429699_1920

Next week, Chippy will share projects from Camp Caloosa, along with general camp reminders and information about how girls can earn a badge for helping around camp. Be sure to check it out!

Madeline Jackson is the Property Manager for Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.

Camp Corner—Winter 2020, Part 2

by loritomlinson

By Madeline Jackson, GSGCF Property Manager, and Lori Tomlinson, Grants and Communications Manager

chipmunk-429699_1920Chippy’s back with more camp updates, this time from Camp Honi Hanta.  She also has a few important camp reminders. Read on to learn more!

Highlights at Camp Honi Hanta

Let’s start by thanking our sister troops for their hard work. Troop 42 painted some of the exterior walls of the Armadillo Alley bathhouse. Three girls from Troop 149 earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award by refurbishing the fire circle at the Round House. Troop 696 also has a Bronze Award project underway. They worked with Troop 248 to create an enhanced seating area using paver stones brought up from the Venice Girl Scout House. Talk about using resources wisely!

Honi Hanta Bronze Project Roundhouse Fire Circle (3)

Members of Troop 149 aren’t afraid of a little hard lifting!

Our adult volunteers tackled some much-appreciated projects, as well. Screen repairs have been completed in the Weaver’s Nest unit screen house, and rotted wood was repaired at the Rain Forest. Several tree-top cabin window shades were re-made or replaced. The archery shed got a much-needed clean out and reorganization, and some of the bathhouse sidewalks and unit house exteriors were pressure-washed. And, United Way Suncoast Day of Caring Volunteers completed a full interior repaint of the Lodge.

Hoin Hanta Service Project TAP - Troop 42 painting Armadillo Bathhouse

The Armadillo Alley bathhouse looks wonderful, thanks to Troop 42!

Your council staff is always looking for ways to enhance your camp experience, and has marked quite a few items off the to-do list, including:

  • A complete property tree trim to lift canopies, widen trails, and eliminate dead landscape
  • The addition of plastic bins for each unit’s screen house to organize miscellaneous items on the equipment shelves
  • Fabrication and installation of the belay benches for the climbing wall, and wood preservation coating applied to more than half of the structure
  • Installation of eye wash solution stations installed in each of the bathhouses
  • Equipping each screen house with a coffee maker, new dishwashing bins, and a new Coleman stove
  • Replacing the air conditioner in the Manatee House

If you’ve visited camp in the past couple weeks, you probably noticed the installation of a beautiful shade canopy for the archery range, thanks to funding from the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation and Junior League of Sarasota. This grant project is still underway with even more great additions in process, including a new ice maker for the lodge and a fully equipped disc golf course (coming soon!).

Honi Archery Canopy Shade installation - 1

With the installation of this shade canopy, archery at Honi Hanta is even “cooler” than before!

Don’t forget, there is a Honi Hanta Hero patch that girls can earn for doing a service project at camp. We have painting projects, signage projects, trimming trails, and more. There are many ways to improve camp and leave it better than we found it.

Camp Reminders

Please remember, the rules we have set up for camp are for everyone’s safety, protection, and consideration.  We expect all our adult leaders to set the example for their troops by observing all the Safety Activity Checkpoints and being a sister to every Girl Scout.

  • GOLF CART USAGE–The golf cart may be used by service unit managers for service unit events only. Individual troops may not use the golf cart.
  • VERIFICATION OF OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING–To ensure your troop or service unit will meet all the requirements of your desired program, we are now verifying certifications when a camp reservation is made through the Double Knot system.
  • NO DRIVING AT CAMP–You may drive only ONE vehicle to your campsite to drop off your supplies. Vehicles may not be used to transport girls and their belongings to your campsite and/or to activity areas. There are wheelbarrows available for this use. Of course, there are exceptions for emergencies and those with physical limitations.
  • NO SMOKING AT CAMP–Aside from the obvious fire hazard, our council does not permit smoking at our campsite locations. Smoking may only occur outside the gate of each camp and NEVER in the presence of any girls.
  • MEN ARE ALLOWED TO BE AT CAMP–However, there are strict rules about their presence at a campout.  Please review our Camp Rules.
  • TRASH REMOVAL IS ESSENTIAL–In addition to removing your own campsite trash, please have the girls walk the grounds around your campsite and pick up any stray items.  Make sure you are throwing only garbage in the dumpsters and recyclables in their respective bins.

Honi Hanta Bronze Project Archery Field Area - 1

Great teamwork, Troop 696!

SAVE THE DATE

We will be hosting Girl Scout Open Houses at all our council facilities, including Camp Honi Hanta, on Sunday, April 26 from 2-4pm.  Please plan to visit camp and see all our improvements yourself.  It will be a family-friendly event where volunteers and staff host activities on-site for everyone to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you then!

Camp Corner—Winter 2020, Part 1

by loritomlinson
By Madeline Jackson, GSGCF Property Manager, and Lori Tomlinson, Grants and Communications chipmunk-429699_1920Manager 

Chippy has been watching all the new developments at camp since October, and she is so excited to share what has been happening for the last few months!  She also has a few camp reminders. Today, we’ll focus on Camp  Caloosa. Read on to learn more! 

Highlights at Camp Caloosa 

Your Girl Scout Sisters from the Lee 11 service unit painted the bridge leading to Donut Island, along with the floor of the cabin bathhouse. Members of Troop 352 painted the floor of the Chalet bathhouse. Thanks for your hard work, ladies! It all looks wonderful. 

Thanks to a little paint and a lot of hard work, the Chalet Bathhouse floor looks great!

Adult volunteers from the southern region have completed a variety of projects. You’ll notice that the archery shed has been reorganized with color-coded bow and arrows, and measured rope markers for range set-up. The path leading to the cabin bathhouse has been enhanced with additional shell and stone base materials to cover the tree roots. Not only does it look better, but it’s safer, too! 

Have you met our new camp caretaker, Joshua Quaintance? He recently repaired the golf cart so it can be reserved by the service unit managers for use at any service unit event. Please say hello and give him a big “thank you” next time you’re there! 

Council staff has been hard at work, too! A replacement refrigerator was  installed at the Quail Run tent unit house. There are additional tables, chairs, and a microwave at the lodge, all of which were relocated from the Sebring House. And thanks to a grant from the Claiborne and Ned Foulds Foundation, you’ll soon enjoy a beautiful shade canopy on the archery range. 

The archery shed has never been so organized! Please do your part and return all items to their proper place. Your sister troops will thank you!

Don’t forget, there is a Caloosa Champion patch that girls can earn for doing a service project at camp. We have painting projects, signage projects, trimming trails, and more. There are many ways to improve camp and leave it better than we found it. 

Camp Reminders 

Please remember, the rules we have set up for camp are for everyone’s safety, protection, and consideration.  We expect all our adult leaders to set the example for their troops by observing all the Safety Activity Checkpoints and being a sister to every Girl Scout. 

  • GOLF CART USAGE–The golf cart may be used by service unit managers for service unit events only. Individual troops may not use the golf cart. 
  • VERIFICATION OF OUTDOOR SKILLS TRAINING–To ensure your troop or service unit will meet all the requirements of your desired program, we are now verifying certifications when a camp reservation is made through the Double Knot system. 
  • NO DRIVING AT CAMP–You may drive only ONE vehicle to your campsite to drop off your supplies. Vehicles may not be used to transport girls and their belongings to your campsite and/or to activity areas. There are wheelbarrows available for this use. Of course, there are exceptions for emergencies and those with physical limitations.  
  • NO SMOKING AT CAMP–Aside from the obvious fire hazard, our council does not permit smoking at our campsite locations. Smoking may only occur outside the gate of each camp and NEVER in the presence of any girls. 
  • MEN ARE ALLOWED TO BE AT CAMP–However, there are strict rules about their presence at a campout.  Please review our Camp Rules. 
  • TRASH REMOVAL IS ESSENTIAL–In addition to removing your own campsite trash, please have the girls walk the grounds around your campsite and pick up any stray items.  Make sure you are throwing only garbage in the dumpsters and recyclables in their respective bins. 
CALOOSA CHAMP 2
If your troop is interested in earning the Caloosa Champion patch, contact property manager Madeline Jackson at madelinej@gsgcf.org.

SAVE THE DATE:  We will be hosting Girl Scout Open Houses at all of our council facilities,  including Camp Caloosa, on Sunday, April 26 from 2-4pm.  Please plan to visit camp and see all our improvements yourself.  It will be a family-friendly event where volunteers and staff host activities on-site for everyone to enjoy. 

Check back next week for updates from Camp Honi Hanta! 

What’s New at Camp? (Fall 2019, Part 2)

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

By Madeline Jackson, GSGCF Property Manager

Image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Chippy, our new GSGCF camp mascot, is back with more camp updates! Last week, we shared a list of improvements made to Camp Caloosa. This week, we’re highlighting what’s new at Camp Honi Hanta. Chippy also has a few general tips and reminders for all campers. Let’s get started!

A number of Girl Scout troops and individual girl members worked with adult volunteers on a wide variety of service and highest award projects, including:

  • Painting picnic tables in the screen houses 
  • Painting G.I.R.L.-themed benches
  • Painting the Equipment Depot exterior (Troop 267)
  • Painting the Eagles Nest Bathhouse exterior (Troop 408)
  • Painting the Weavers Nest Bathhouse exterior, deep cleaning and organizing the Manatee House kitchen cabinets, deep cleaning the carpeting, and trimming the front entrance (Troop 149)
  • Painting the Weavers Nest Bathhouse flooring (Troop 489)
  • Weeding fire circles and adding crushed shell to raise them
  • Designing and constructing an elevated fire pit with benches for large-group campfires (Mia Haynes)
  • Decorating the Manatee House leader bedroom and bathroom (Troop 361)
  • Installing a pollinator garden and eliminating some of the invasive Brazilian pepper trees (Troop 140)
  • Assembling and installing bat houses with informational flyers in the screen rooms (Troop 86)
  • Designing, assembling, and installing campfire wood sheds for three of the fire circles (Troop 607)
honi-hanta-troop-lanscape-project-at-manatee-house

Have you noticed how amazing the Manatee House exterior looks?

Adult volunteers also did a wonderful job with projects including:

  • Clearing paths for additional camp exploration and back roadways for emergency egress and first responder access
  • Scraping camp roadways and installing new shell for greater stability
  • Building a climbing wall mulch containment area to prepare for belay bench installation
  • Repairing nozzles in the Rain Forest and repainting the wood frame
  • Chopping wood left from Hurricane Irma for use in fire circles (stored at ranger garage)
  • Replacing stairs and ramps at Armadillo Alley Cabin #2 and painting the interior walls of all campsite bathhouses (thank you, Publix/United Way Suncoast volunteers!)
  • Installing two standard beds in Armadillo Alley Cabin #2 for campers with disabilities
  • Building and installing new archery stands
honi-hanta-united-way-armadillo-cabin-ramp-rebuild.jpg

Publix volunteers rebuilt the ramp at Armadillo Alley cabin #2 as part of the 2018 United Way Day of Caring.

In addition, our council staff has been hard at work to provide the following:

  • A coffee maker, new dishwashing bin, and new Coleman stove for each screen house, and a broom for each cabin
  • Organized storage with added shelving in the lodge kitchen
  • A “Rainy Day” room in the Lodge with board games
  • New keypad front-gate entry access for a higher degree of safety
  • Deadbolt locks in the majority of the bathhouses, to serve as true “lock-down” areas
  • New PFD vests at the boathouse (some in larger sizes) for kayaking and canoeing (thanks to a grant from the Norman and Phyllis Siskel Donor Advised Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County)
  • Additional kayaks and paddles so larger groups can kayak together
  • New lifeguard board, portable pool umbrellas, and chairs
  • Refurbished “Spider Web” low ropes course element
  • Lightweight plastic tables and chairs in the Roundhouse
  • New, low-maintenance, reinforced benches and tables, thanks to a generous grant from the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation
  • New stairs and decks for the Weaver’s Nest cabins
honi-hanta-new-firewood-boxes.jpg

The new firewood stations are so handy!

A few camp reminders:

  • Please turn over all your ash buckets once you’ve cleaned your fire circle. We don’t want them to collect water, which helps breed mosquitos and rust out the buckets.
  • Check for all your belongings. There is a lost and found bin in each camp’s Lodge.
  • Don’t forget to leave a fresh 35 gallon+ trash bag in all the garbage cans in your campsite.
  • Each lodge has the following supplies available: wasp spray, D batteries for smoke detectors, and extra light bulbs.
  • Nobody should wear sandals or flip flops. ONLY closed-toe shoes are proper footwear for camp.

If you worked on a project not listed here, please let us know so we can give you a shout out next time! Don’t forget, there is a Honi Hanta Hero patch that the girls can earn for doing a service project at camp. There is always something to do to improve camp and leave it better than we found it.

Subscribe to the GSGCF blog and watch for quarterly camp updates. There will also be tips for troops to make their camp stays fun and safe, along with some potential service project ideas.

What’s New at Camp? (Fall 2019, part 1)

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

By Madeline Jackson, GSGCF Property Manager

Image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay
Chippy has some exciting updates to share!

Chippy, our new GSGCF camp mascot, has been all a chatter wanting to inform everyone about what’s been happening at our camps over the last few years, so she is going to give you quarterly updates to make sure you are in the know. These updates will include projects completed by council staff and volunteers, Girl Scout troops performing service projects, and Girl Scout members working on highest award projects. There will also be tips for troops to make their camp stays fun and safe, along with some potential service project ideas. Let’s start with a review of highlights from Camp Caloosa.

A number of Girl Scout troops and individual girl members worked with adult volunteers on a wide variety of needed projects, including:

  • Painting screen house picnic tables and fire circle stones
  • Building stable benches for fire circles at Pelican Perch and Flamingo Flats (Troops 133 & 153)
  • Assembling and placing new outdoor picnic tables and benches throughout the camp, thanks to a generous grant from the Claiborne and Ned Foulds Foundation (Troop 664)
  • Installing a solar light for the flag pole (Troop 495)
  • Deep cleaning and disinfecting the refrigerators
  • Cleaning and organizing the Equipment Depot (Troops 657, 658, & 659)
The Equipment Depot is looking awesome!
The Equipment Depot is looking awesome!
  • Painting the upstairs sleeping quarters in the Chalet (Troop 405)
  • Researching, creating, and installing informational posters about local plant and animal life in the unit screen houses (Troop 374)
  • Installing a sign at the Equipment Depot and creating a portable outdoor activity kit (Troop 427)
  • Installing owl boxes with informative literature (Troop 756)
  • Installing back trail signage with educational boards (Troop 354)
  • Clearing back paths for additional camp exploration
Our new outdoor furniture is low-maintence and will save on repair time and expenses for years to come.
Our new outdoor furniture is low-maintence and will save on repair time and expenses for years to come.

Volunteer Jason Hodson did an amazing job with projects including:

  • Scraping camp roadways and installing new shell for more stability
  • Widening the camp entrance to provide better traffic flow for large events
  • Elevating fire circles with shell to prevent flooding after minor rains
  • Installing a keypad gate entry to replace the combination lock and chain to provide greater security
  • Assembling a pergola outside the lodge for outdoor movies, skits, and other performances

In addition, our council staff has been hard at work to provide the following:

  • Dishwashing bins for the screen houses
  • New PFD vests at the boathouse (including larger sizes) for kayaking and canoeing
  • Additional kayaks and kayak paddles
  • Additional archery supplies to update aged equipment (supported by a grant from The Daniel R. and Anne M. Harper Foundation)
  • A new refrigerator at the Timberford House and new carpet for the sleeping quarters in the Chalet (with grant funding from Claiborne and Ned Foulds Foundation)
The new solar lighting provides proper illumination for Old Glory.
The new solar lighting provides proper illumination for Old Glory.

If you worked on a project not listed here, please let us know so we can give you a shout out next time! And don’t forget, there is a Caloosa Champion patch that girls can earn for doing a service project at camp. We need help with painting and signage projects, trimming trails, etc. There is always something to do to improve camp and leave it better than we found it!

Guest Blog: A Silver Award with Wings

by Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida

Bradenton Girl Scouts Plant Butterfly Garden

by Olivia, guest blogger

Hi, I am Olivia, a member of Girl Scout Troop 16 in Bradenton.crowley4 crop

As our Girl Scout Silver Award project, my troop restored the butterfly garden at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center.

The Silver Award has very specific qualifications and is one of the highest honors a Cadette Troop can earn. One of the main qualifications is to pick a project that has a lasting impact on the community with a commitment of at least 50 hours of service time.

At one time or another, all my troop members assisted in the project. In December 2014, we began with a trip to Selby Gardens for a private tour. We met with the caretaker of their butterfly garden to learn the basics of maintaining a healthy butterfly garden, and to get an idea of what Florida native plants we could use. We learned to use plants that sustained the larvae population. Selby provided us with a list of butterflies and butterfly-friendly plants, and the list was very useful in deciding what plants we wanted to use and what was native to Florida.

We designated a portion of our cookie booth proceeds to fund the project and in March 2015, we started clearing the area with only gloves, a shovel, and two spades. With our modest amount, we purchased the few plants we could and planted them, but there was still much more work to be done. That is when I applied for a grant from the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Because of the generous grant we received, we were able to purchase more tools and many more plants so that we could complete the project before the heat of summer kicked in.

Some of the plants we planted were Prostrate Porter weed (Strachytarpheta jamaicentis), Tropical Sage (Salvia coccina), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Firebush (Hamelia patens), Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa), and Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea). We purchased our plants from both Florida Native Plants and Crowley nurseries.

Cadettes from Troop 16 (left to right): Olivia, Emily, Sydney, and Delaney.

Cadettes from Troop 16 (left to right): Olivia, Emily, Sydney, and Delaney.

We are proud of the work we accomplished and are committed to maintaining the butterfly garden throughout the years. We could not have accomplished this without the help of the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and all the people we met along the way who took the time to educate us. Most of all, we thank our parents and our leaders, Antoinette Yagy, Suzanne McLauchlin, and our mentors, Gerald Yagy and Mike Amado.

Be sure to check out all the pictures we posted on the Serenoa Chapter’s Facebook page! We encourage everyone to come out to Crowley Museum and Nature Center and enjoy the peacefulness of the gardens and the beauty of nature!

—————————–

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Sept. 2015 newsletter of the Serenoa Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, and is shared here with their permission.