Troop 673 cleans up trail for fairy houses
May 20, 2023
Everybody loves a good fairy house, but what happens when mother nature decides to throw a bit of rain, wind, and stormy weather at some of Maine’s quaint trails? Troop 673 steps in, that’s what!
Junior Troop 673 from Gardiner decided to get their spring cleaning on last weekend after noticing the toll that recent poor weather had taken on one of their favorite places to take a stroll: the fairy village trail at the Gardiner Waterfront.
The cleanup idea came just in time seeing as the troop happened to be on the lookout for a location for their “Kindness Rocks” garden as part of their Take Action project. The garden is a place for colorful hand-painted rocks, covered in encouraging words and images that are sure to brighten any passerby’s day.
“The fairy village trail is a treasured spot, not just by our girls, but by the community. It only seemed natural to want to clean the trail leading to the village and around the fairy village itself,” says Troop Leader Mariah Adams.
With rakes, trash bags, and gloves in-hand, nine Girl Scouts and a handful of adults got to work, clearing the path and rebuilding the village.
“We actually had quite the job […] due to recent flooding, about half the fairy village was swept away and it was littered with debris and leaves,” says Mariah.
Although the day was filled with hard work and messy conditions, Mariah says the girls enjoyed getting their hands a little dirty.
“Part of the area is like a little beach, except that day it was more mud than anything […] Some girls wanted to make sure they cleaned up the beach but went a little too far and got stuck in the mud,” says Mariah, who also noted that any white shoes worn that day, certainly didn’t stay so bright.
Overall, the troop put in two hours of labor, and by the end of their cleanup, the trail looked better than ever.
“We made a really big impact just by picking up trash and cleaning up […] everyone who passed us, thanked us for the work we were doing and the girls were so proud of themselves,” says Mariah.
