Earth Day 2005

     The weather cooperated, the troops turned out (close to 400 participants!) and everyone learned something new at Earth Day 2005 held at Camp Camwood. The Girl Scouts rotated between six different sessions (weather, geology, service/craft, forest, water, and recycling) where volunteer presenters shared programs related to conservation. One leader said “This was our first “camp” and we really had a great time! Thanks!” Written by a Brownie: “I love this place. I love all the fun things that we get to do.” One Junior’s favorite was the “water session because it told you how to check healthy water.” The grocery bag service project and the recycled bottle bird feeder craft were very popular. Special thanks to presenters Sharon Nevins, Peggy Rios, Jennifer Burton, Dave Lee, Evelyn Vittone, Jeff Boyd, Tom Carpenter, and John Warner. Appreciation must also be extended to Event Chair Jimmie Malone for coordinating, in one Brownie’s words, an “awesome, fantastic event.”

Winners of the Earth Day Contest were recognized at the closing ceremony. They include: Aspen , Victoria, Kona, Sarah, Alyssa, and Brianna. Congratulations to these Earth conscious Girl Scouts who met all four requirements of the contest: 1) attended Earth Day; 2) earned both Brownie Science Try-its or one Junior Science Badge; 3) completed a service project; and 4) wrote a one page article on rocks and minerals, the water cycle or animals and trees in San Jacinto Council.      The first place winner was Brownie Didi who wrote about plants. Here is part of her essay: “There are even plants that grow in Texas and are used for things we need. Like one plant we grow very well here in Texas that we use for clothing and other stuff is cotton. We use cotton for stuff like socks for your feet can’t be cold and you won’t get sick. And pants for your legs can’t be cold and other stuff. The plants that grow here represent Texas beauty and the things that grow very well here…You would find different plants here in Texas in different places in Texas. Like you wouldn’t find Bluebonnets in a city. You would find them in farms and clear areas that hasn’t been bought or destroyed. You would also find plants in different parts of Texas because of the Temp. in different parts of Texas. Like you wouldn’t find cotton in the north of Texas. You would find them in a hot place in Texas. You wouldn’t find them in the north because it is very cold in the winter and it’s not that hot…”      Way to go Didi! Thanks for sharing what you learned about Texas plants.

Experiences In Earth Pact
by Krista and Lisa, Senior Girl Scouts

     Earth Pact gave us a fun opportunity to volunteer at the Houston Zoo. We volunteer there once a month to teach badge workshops for Brownies and Juniors. Our volunteer work at the zoo isn’t just service – it’s a leadership experience! The hours from Earth Pact can help you earn badges and can go for the Cadette and Senior leadership awards, which are necessary for the Silver Award and Gold Award.
     With any responsibility comes a sense of a greater freedom and the pride of being in charge, sort of like having a job. Earth Pact requires training for volunteering, but it’s volunteering that is worth it. In Earth Pact, us girls (Cadettes and Seniors) run the show. There is no standing around passing out brochures or wondering aimlessly from copy machine to supervisor in a herd of overstaffed draftee volunteers. You have the excitement of taking on tasks with 3-4 other Earth Pact volunteers and making decisions along the way. Each Earth Pact site has its own perks. For example, part of the zoo training is learning how to use the staff walkie-talkies and interpret the codes and channels. Nowhere else in Houston can you say you saw a wild okapi eat a paper that a Brownie Girl Scout dropped.
     At the Houston Zoo we teach the Animal Try-it to Brownies and the Wildlife Badge to Juniors. We always start off with discussions about animals and then we do crafts and games before taking the girls on a tour of the zoo. Each Earth Pact girl gets a turn to present information to the younger girls – you can’t just stand off to the side and not do any speaking! We determine the schedule for each badge workshop at the zoo and all of the Earth Pact girls are allowed to make suggestions about activities and the organization of the workshop.
     Being a member of Earth Pact is cool and exciting! The younger girls you teach look up to you and you are their encouragement to stay in Girl Scouting when they are older. Earth Pact is the ideal way to fulfill your leadership hours while having a blast.