Every year many people celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by taking impactful action to help to stop climate change. But for us Girl Scouts, we took it to the next level and celebrated all of April! All Girl Scouts are stewards of the environment: it’s in the Girl Scout promise! That’s why Earth Day is so important to us at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI): we make a commitment to making the world a better place, one tree at a time.
Keep reading to find out how staff and Girl Scouts from GCNWI made the most of Earth Month!
Planet Protectors in Action
Girl Scouts got together virtually and in-person to celebrate the completion of the It’s Your Planet, Love It Journeys over the weekend. Daisies made seed bombs with native plants, Brownies enjoyed a Cadette troop’s water presentation and worked on the challenge of removing oil from water, Juniors channeled solar energy, and Cadettes constructed windmills (pictured above)!
Thanks to our Save Our Energy patch volunteer, Ivy, who met with each group to talk about how they can save energy at home. And thanks to Exelon, who provided the funding to fuel these Journeys for the planet earth!
Troop 45420 decided to dedicate their Take Action project to a community cleanup!
Girl Scouts from Troop 46004 spent the whole month learning about Earth Day in multiple ways: virtual meetings about how to protect the planet from home, planting their own seeds to help air purification in their homes, and then, they decided to use some of the money from their cookie sales to plant a tree in their local park!
Planting flowers, pulling weeds, making space to welcome new plants in the fresh air and sun: that’s how Girl Scout Troop 55532 celebrated Earth Day!
Troop 75111 celebrated Earth Day with a guided hike along the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The weather held up perfectly for them to learn the history of Earth Day while being out in nature!
Girl Scout Troop 55355 completed their Bronze Award by installing bee hotels around their neighborhood! These bee hotels will serve as a home for different species of bees, bugs, and butterflies while helping to build the pollinator population.
Staff Day at Englewood Heritage Station
Girl Scouts weren’t the only ones celebrating Earth Day— our staff joined in on the action for a community service day at Englewood Heritage Station. They spent the day beautifying and rejuvenating this space together, and we have Laureen, Jakki, and Latoya, our planning committee, to thank for this awesome day out!
Take Earth Day to the Next Level
Today, millions of people around the world celebrate Earth Day by taking action, advocating, and learning how to help the Earth! We invite you to join in with the millions of other people and join in on the celebration–– and we have plenty for you to do.
For additional resources on planet protecting and eco-advocacy, visit our website.
Plant, Protect, and Honor 5 Million Trees by 2026
With support from the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, American Forests, and SciStarter, GSUSA is launching the Girl Scout Tree Promise, a national protection initiative to plant 5 million trees across the United States by 2026. Fueled by their passion for protecting and preserving our planet, Girl Scouts throughout the country will lead these efforts as well as educate the public about why trees are such an imperative piece of the climate change solution.