The Bronze Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can earn. The journey starts with community observations and as the middle schoolers in Girl Scouts Decatur Troop 16307 explored areas they saw in need of improvement and something they could tackle, their shared love of animals and the outdoors led them to Frazier-Rowe Park.
In meeting with lead garden volunteer Brenda Busby the troop voiced their interest and inquired about the park’s needs. The project also needed to contribute to the community and be sustainable. “Brenda brought up the idea of the zoo garden and the troop liked the idea because it was geared towards kids and they are kids,” troop leader Kristi Richardson said. “In keeping with the regulations that the Girl Scouts had in place to keep the girls safe, it was also something they could do while masked.”
The troop of eight girls committed to seeing the project through to completion. The girls created an action plan of all the steps needed to take the idea from paper to planting the garden and open to the public, she stated.
“The girls researched plants with animal names, which plants grow in our zone, the light requirements. That was one of the learning parts of this project,” the leader said. “So you say you’re going to plant a garden, but there’s a lot of work you have to do before you actually put your hands in the dirt.”
They posted on NextDoor and the park’s Facebook page in hopes that gardeners would have plants they would share. Within two days, the troop had “donors” for every plant they wanted.
Borrowing tools from home the fourth and fifth graders cleared the overgrown area and amended the soil before planting. The three summer workdays resulted in what Girl Scout Junior Hannah Hughes said “ ... was truly a labor of love!”
“Working on this project helped our troop improve our time management and communication skills. We split up assignments and then came together to make decisions and complete the tasks,” said GS Junior Samantha Hill.
Planted across from the playground, the permanent zoo garden hosts groupings of 10 different perennials that include elephant’s ear, toad lily, spider wart and bee balm. Each is referenced by signage that includes three facts (size, color, and how the plant name relates to the animal).
“The project to put in a Zoo Garden was a large undertaking to complete. I was impressed with the amount of details the scouts developed/accomplished to complete their project on time. Their focus was to have a Zoo Garden that children would get a ‘giggle’ out of and enjoy,” wrote Busby in an email to the AJC.
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, send to ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
