Budding Knowledge with Native Plants
Have you heard of the Plant Native patch? This exciting program created by Silver Award Girl Scout Molly Gerding offers other Girl Scouts the opportunity to learn about the importance of Maine’s native plant species while exploring the woods around them.
In an effort to spread awareness and earn the patch, Troop 1466 put together a 22 Carat Service Unit educational event this past summer at the Fields Pond Audubon Center. With 26 Girl Scouts in attendance representing four different troops and one Juliette, the turnout was a major success!
Thanks to help from Johanna Libby, Troop 5 Leader, and Melissa Gallagher, an Education Manager at the Maine Audubon, the day was filled with hands-on learning and smooth organization.
“We started with a discussion on what native plants are why they are important […] then we split into groups, one of which went with Melissa to identify native plants while the other made seed balls using locally harvest native seeds,” says Troop 1466 Leader Kirstien Davidson.
After their interactive plant-based activities, the groups came back together to create posters for their local schools with facts about native plants that were learned throughout the day. Participants each took a poster home to present to classmates during the last week of school.
“It was great to see the connections click for the girls that it’s not just about having pretty flowers, but plants that are more beneficial for the animals and insects in their ecosystems,” says Kirstien
Check out the Plant Native patch program on our website to learn more!
