Sierra Club, Girl Scouts Team Up in Kentucky
For the last four years, the Kentucky Sierra Club has collaborated with the Girl Scouts on environmental education projects for girl scouts of all ages in western Kentucky.
This year, the Club's Water Sentinels Program and Pennyrile Group teamed up with the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana to sponsor a Forever Green event in Owensboro, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.
Pennyrile Group volunteers led workshops on wood and trees, water testing, gardening, bees, and recycling—including electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. That's Terry Connors, above, conducting a session on wood and trees, and Carol Mark, below, leading a bees and gardening workshop.
"Three years ago, we had two volunteers plus me doing presentations," says Kentucky Sierra Club organizer and Water Sentinel Aloma Dew. "Since then we've built up a solid contingent of volunteers and done workshops with the Girl Scouts on sustainable agriculture and food, recycling, and water-quality testing. We've also hosted fishing derbies where the Water Sentinels provided the Girl Scouts with 50 fishing rods & reels and Sierra Club backpacks."
Dew planned this year's Forever Green event with Kristi Harrison, Project Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. That's Harrison, below at left, and Dew in photo at right.
"We're incredibly grateful for our relationship with the Sierra Club," says Harrison. "The quality of volunteers and well thought-out program they provide continues to educate and prepare our girl scouts for the future."
At left below, Jo Ann Palmer of Kentucky Water Watch with the state Division of Water, and Pennyrile Group volunteer Donna Hanley, at right, lead a session on recycling at Forever Green.
Also involved in this year's event were volunteers from the Ursuline Sisters of St. Joseph in nearby Maple Mount, who work closely with the Sierra Club on issues like climate change, sustainable agriculture, and water-quality monitoring. Some 80 girl scouts participated in this year's Forever Green event. Below, Carol Mark shares gardening tips.
"We feel that working with the Girl Scouts is part of our mission for education and youth outreach," says Dew. "We'll be continuing our work with them this summer with another fishing derby, and we're writing letters of support for their It's Your Planet—Love It! environmental education program for which they're seeking funding."
"We also work with local Boy Scout troops," Dew says. "Last year we did a Water Explorers Day overseen by Sierra Club volunteer Dennis Millay, and we're going to do another one this August." That's Millay below at last year's Water Explorers Day.
Learn more about the Kentucky Sierra Club and the Water Sentinels Program.