Last fall, members of Girl Scout Junior Troop 62798 from North Reading earned their Girl Scout Bronze Award after becoming concerned about the endangered status of bees given their critical role in our ecosystem. After visiting the Danvers Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources apiary where they explored a beehive to learn about the local bee population, they were inspired to take action by educating their community through a variety of creative activities intended to bring awareness to the declining bee population.

The Eco Warriors started their project by working together to make bee houses, then they hosted a community workshop where they shared their knowledge with the general public about the bee decline, played educational games with children, handed out packets of pollinator seeds, and gave away some of their handmade bee houses.

Earning the Bronze Award is an achievement that will be with these Girl Scout Juniors for the rest of their lives, making them stand out on applications for volunteer positions and first-time jobs like pet sitting. Girl Scouts are eligible to earn the Bronze Award in grades 4-5 after completing a Junior leadership Journey. To start, a Girl Scout or a group of Girl Scouts identify an issue in their community, draft a plan to address its root cause, and implement it. This requires a minimum of 20 hours of service. No matter the topic, when a Girl Scout troop’s Bronze Award project is complete, they will have made positive impact in their community.

Bronze Award Girl Scouts don’t wait for permission, they take immediate action and make change happen, on their own terms. Become a champion of change for Girl Scouts like the “Eco Warriors” and donate today.